Teacher Appreciation Week Fail...

It's teacher appreciation week, and I am so busy that I didn't get organized to do anything this year. But do remember to thank those teachers who made a difference in your life. =)

Permanent Links for 2010 Teacher Appreciation Week

I am taking Mr. Linky down, but I wanted to create a post with all the teacher appreciation links on it. Thanks for all your contributions!

Mrs. Reeves - the Ignorant Historian
Mrs. Randolph - This, That, and T'Other
Mr. Powell - An Urban Teacher's Education
Mr. Senter - An Urban Teacher's Education
Ms. Hudson - An Urban Teacher's Education
Dr. Glover - An Urban Teacher's Education
The Parents - An Urban Teacher's Education

Mr. Linky and I had a fight towards the beginning of the week, so if you wrote a post that isn't listed here, please leave the link in the comments. Thanks!!

Teacher Appreciation Week - Mrs. Turman & Mrs. Howard

It’s Teacher Appreciation Week! And in honor of that, let’s give something back to those awesome teachers that we’ve all had. In an era of increasing negativity towards this profession, let’s take the time to honor those teachers who have influenced us – past or present, instructors or colleagues, whoever! Post something on your blog, then link to it above. Then….go visit! Spread the love!


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I still remember the morning of my first day of school. My mom made me a blue dress with red strawberries appliquéd on it. I remember my dad carrying me out to the living room and I stopped to admire the dress. And, while I don’t remember this picture being taken, there is a picture of me on the front porch, wearing my dress, with my pink (yellow?) lunch box, straight bangs and dark hair and dimples that seem to have disappeared as I have gotten older, one of the many cats we have had weaving its way around my legs, all ready for the first day of the next 18 years of my life.

I don’t remember much about the first day, or really much about that year at all, just bits and pieces…more like 5-6 snapshots more than any one sustained memory. I learned my first phone number in kindergarten (well, the first one that wasn’t my own number anyway), the phone number of a girl I am STILL friends with 26 years later. I remember Open House, when my dad told me that he had gone to school in that same building…and I remember wondering how in the world my 6’ dad fit into those tiny chairs (oh logic, you are such a cruel mistress…). I remember lining up for recess, and the day we colored pictures showing us in our chosen careers (mine was a nurse – this would be BEFORE I discovered my hatred of all bodily fluids that emanate from other people’s bodies).

But most of all, I remember reading. I learned to read in kindergarten, and while what I remember most is my mom bribing me with a new Dr. Seuss book (Hop on Pop) which I very desperately wanted and was NOT allowed to have until I could read it out loud by myself, I also remember reading in kindergarten. We had these small books that the reading teacher Mrs. Howard made for us, and my kindergarten teacher Mrs. Turman would sit down and I would read those books to her. There were short little books that had yellow covers, and hand-made books that had cardboard covers covered with wallpaper remnants, and I’m sure there were regular books too, although I don’t remember those. I can’t remember the exact topics of those books, although I am sure they were of the “Dick and Jane” variety, but I do remember reading…constantly, endlessly, reading.

I still love to read today, and while a good part of that was due to my parents’ decision not to have a television, the fact that I had a kindergarten teacher and a reading teacher that both actively encouraged me to read obviously impacted not only my enjoyment of reading, but my long-term school achievements as well. There are countless studies that directly tie reading ability to ALL other school abilities, so I don’t need to go in to that here, but suffice it to say that those two women had a direct and MAJOR impact on my life.

So thanks! Both of you were experienced teachers (funny how that works), and being in a strong kindergarten class really laid the foundation for the following 18 years of school. I couldn’t have done it without you!
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Thanks for joining me for Teacher Appreication Week! I hope you got the chance to tell one of your teachers how much you appreciate(d) them!

Teacher Appreciation Week - Miss Judy

It’s Teacher Appreciation Week! And in honor of that, let’s give something back to those awesome teachers that we’ve all had. In an era of increasing negativity towards this profession, let’s take the time to honor those teachers who have influenced us – past or present, instructors or colleagues, whoever! Post something on your blog, then link to it above. Then….go visit! Spread the love!


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Miss Judy was my piano teacher for 9 years, from as early on as I can remember. And while I must confess that I can barely remember where Middle C is and can only play about 2 songs 17 years after my last lesson, she really was a good teacher. I know that teaching music must require limitless amounts of patience. I know this not only because I am a teacher who does NOT have limitless amounts of patience, but also because I have a low tolerance for annoying noises….and there is almost nothing more annoying than a piano being inexpertly played over and over and over and over (Disclaimer – the most annoying sound in the universe is the collective sound on the day that they hand out recorders to the elementary school kids – I heard one being played in an apartment as I walked by the other day and instantly had a flood of memories regarding those allegedly “musical” instruments…but I digress).

Miss Judy taught piano in the basement of her house, which had a distinctly musty, basementy smell that I still associate with good things. Once a week, we drove up the hill to the very end of a dead end road, to a house built in the midst of a forest, walked down the slope covered with ferns and trilliums, past the zipline strung between two trees, to the sliding glass door and into the basement. The carpet was mustard yellow and the walls were paneled wood and in the center of the room was a piano. Every week Miss Judy was there waiting, on a chair next to the bench in front of that piano.

First things first, start with those scales! Every week, practice, practice, practice. Start with the easy ones – thumb, finger, finger, then cross that thumb under (hard when you are only 5!) and play the next five – thumb, finger, finger, finger, finger. Then, back down the same way. Miss Judy sat next to you and with a pencil poised under your palms, reminding you to keep those hands up! No hand slouching on the keys! After some good warm-ups, it was time to “face the music.” Did you practice last week? This is where it would show. There was no hiding from Miss Judy!

She must have gotten so frustrated, saying the same things over and over – at least to me. Thinking back, she never raised her voice, never got upset, never lost her poise. She was a popular teacher, with a full schedule all day long of students of all ages. Once a year or so, there was a recital – usually on a Sunday afternoon – where all her students played music. Again, this isn’t something that registered at the time, but looking back, she had a LOT of little kids as students. Someone who can make a 5 year old kid sit at a piano for half an hour, or more than that, make FIVE 5-year-olds play the same thing at the same time (group lessons came before individual lessons) has to be an amazing teacher.

Teaching a core class like math or social studies is easier than teaching a creative class, especially one like music. Dealing with kids of varying skill levels, knowing that the chances of producing even ONE who makes a career of music are slim to none, this all tells me that Miss Judy had, quite simply, a profound love for music and teaching. Which makes her a success in my book.

So thanks, Miss Judy, for the countless lessons, the endless patience, and the level of commitment you had to doing something that you loved. And you would be happy to know that even though I no longer play the piano, I still type without hand slouching.

Teacher Appreciation Week - Professor Williamson

It’s Teacher Appreciation Week! And in honor of that, let’s give something back to those awesome teachers that we’ve all had. In an era of increasing negativity towards this profession, let’s take the time to honor those teachers who have influenced us – past or present, instructors or colleagues, whoever! Post something on your blog, then link to it above. Then….go visit! Spread the love!



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During my first two years of college, I changed my major twice – from interior design to undeclared and then to education – and after I decided on secondary education, I had to decide what area to focus on. I have always loved to read, so I thought about English for a long time, but then during my sophomore year, as part of my core classes, I took a basic American History class. Some of my friends had taken this class the year before, and absolutely hated it, so I was somewhat less than enthusiastic about this class.

The first day of the class, I walked in, found a seat, and waited for the old geezer to arrive. And that’s when one of the best-looking guys I have ever met in real life walked in. He wasn’t old, he wasn’t dead inside, and he was utterly, completely relaxed. Of course, he was also married. But that didn’t change the fact that he was a fantastic professor. I was lucky enough to go to a relatively small school, so even in my core classes, all but one of my classes was small – usually no more than 25 students or so. Having those small classes meant that Professor Williamson could and did encourage discussions all the time. Generally, a basic level history class means lecture – a LOT of lecture – and while we did that too, we also had some fantastic discussions.

We also did some things that weren’t part of a traditional college level class. For example, it was for and assignment in this class that I interviewed my grandfather, a Korean War vet, and my family gained some unforgettable and hilarious stories written in my grandpa’s blocky printing. That class became one of my favorite college classes, and Mr. Williamson became my favorite college professor – but not because he was cute. Professor W loved history. Despite some pretty disheartening personal problems (his wife gave birth to a son with Down’s syndrome during that semester), he never missed class and never gave less than 100%, but at the same time, was one of the most laid-back, relaxed professors I had in 5 years of teaching.

After that semester, Professor W moved to Wisconsin or some random place where his in-laws lived so his wife could have help with the special needs baby, but that feeling of classroom “safety” is one of the strongest memories I have of Professor W. He was utterly and completely relaxed in front of his classes. Having a teacher that laid-back encourages freedom of speech in their classroom, and while I am nowhere near that relaxed (bit of a control freak, actually), I do try to remember that feeling of safety. The feeling we had in that classroom, that no matter what opinion you had (and of course, as college students, we had plenty), you could say it without fear of put-downs or mockery. And every day in my classroom, I want my kids to have that same feeling.

After that semester, I knew that history was what I wanted to teach. I wanted to teach something I loved and after that semester, I knew that I loved history. I have never looked back and never regretted my area of study (well, except on job interviews where I get asked what I coach) and one of the biggest reasons I focused on history was because of this one basic class.

So thanks, Professor W, for that one semester. It totally changed my life. You were a fantastic professor and I have never forgotten that class.

Teacher Appreciation Week - Sarah Stacy

It’s Teacher Appreciation Week! And in honor of that, let’s give something back to those awesome teachers that we’ve all had. In an era of increasing negativity towards this profession, let’s take the time to honor those teachers who have influenced us – past or present, instructors or colleagues, whoever! Post something on your blog, then link to it below this post. Just for kicks and giggles, use your teacher’s name as your link! Then….go visit! Spread the love!


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I was lucky in so many ways with my college education and the job hunt that came at the end of that education. I ended up getting a job at a large (5A) public school in a suburb of Dallas, Texas. This particular district had a week-long new teacher program that was held partially at the district, but mostly on the grounds of your home school. And one of the first things that happened as a new teacher was that you were matched up with a mentor teacher. My mentor teacher was Ms. Stacy. Sarah was a tall blond with a quick smile a down-to-earth personality, and a slightly twisted sense of humor that I was instantly drawn to. She was only a few years older than I, and we had a lot in common.

Sarah was my rock during that first year of teaching. On the days when I questioned whether or not I had wasted the previous five years of school and on the days when I cried, Sarah was there to figuratively hold my hand and get me through….and that crying thing? Yeah, that happened a lot. I'm kind of high-maintenance.

She gave me ideas, taught me about the school culture, taught me how to use (and unjam) the copier, gave me a place to eat lunch, someone to bounce ideas off of, and a shoulder to lean on. She told me how to find (and keep) a good desk chair, steered me away from the negative nellies in our department, and gave me her cell phone number. Sarah is one of the most open and friendly people I have ever met, and for the two years she was at the school with me, she was one of the most consistently hard-working teachers I have ever worked with.

Sarah taught world history and an AP world history class for the first time that year, got engaged, married, and pregnant during those first two years, took care of me and 150 high-maintenance sophomores, and still maintained her poise and grace every single day. The district I am in now does not have a particularly good mentor program and I can’t imagine how difficult it must be for those teachers without someone like Sarah there to keep them from gouging their own eyes out and running screaming from the building.

Sarah and I have stayed friends, despite the fact that she was only at my school for two years, and while I have told her before how awesome I think she is, it never hurts to hear it more than once. She has just recently returned to teaching after a break to start a family, and is doing something totally different (elementary school computers), but I am sure she is knocking it out of the park once again.

So here’s to Sarah….the model mentor!

Teacher Appreciation Week - Beth Hamaty

It’s Teacher Appreciation Week! And in honor of that, let’s give something back to those awesome teachers that we’ve all had. In an era of increasing negativity towards this profession, let’s take the time to honor those teachers who have influenced us – past or present, instructors or colleagues, whoever! Post something on your blog, then link to it below this post. Just for kicks and giggles, use your teacher’s name as your link! Then....go visit! Spread the love!

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Ms. Hamaty taught sophomore world history, and I learned pretty much everything I know from her. I was in a decent teaching program at my university, but like most teaching programs at any university in the world, education classes were taught by professors who hadn’t ever been in a public elementary or secondary school, or at best, hadn’t been in a non-college classroom for at least twenty years. One thing my university did well however, was to make sure you got plenty of classroom observations in. Starting two years before I graduated, I spent at least part of every semester in a classroom, multiple times a week. At first, I just did observations. Then some practice lessons, then long-term observations (in the same classroom for several hours a week), and finally, full-time student teaching for a semester in two different placements.

I was lucky enough to be matched with Ms. Hamaty on one of those early rounds, and after that point I asked to be matched with her whenever we had observations to do. I wasn’t an expert, but I recognized one when I saw one. Abilene High was a fairly large school with a pretty mixed population, although it definitely leaned towards the lower end of the income ladder. Looking back, it was a pretty average mid public school for a city of that size, but for me, it was a total immersing shock to my system. I went to a small town public school for the first three years, and a small private Christian school until I graduated, then a mid-sized Christian university after that, so I had never really gone to school with kids who were ethnically different than I, or who came from homes that weren’t stable, or whose parents didn’t always have money to put food on the table. All of a sudden, there I was, surrounded by all of these new people who weren’t like me, and it was surprisingly invigorating. From pretty much the first day I walked into that school, I knew that I had made the right decision about becoming a teacher and that this was the Thing I Wanted To Do.

Ms. Hamaty made that happen. She told me all the things they don’t tell you in teacher education classes. It was from her that I learned when to confront a student head on, and how to avert a problem with humor or teasing. She taught me how to tell stories and how to captivate a class of teenagers with a lecture and notes. She taught me that knowing a kid’s background is important, because sometimes when a kid is sleeping in class, it is because he has to work the swing shift to support his family. She taught me how to control a classroom with a look – the look of death, I like to call it – and taught me how to seize the teachable moments.

I worked with Ms. Hamaty off and on for over a year and her expertise made my first year of teaching possible. What is more, as I have been teaching, I now understand just how difficult it is to have a student teacher in your classroom and yet she was patient with me, answering all of my questions, and allowing me to teach her kids, in her classroom, my way. I wouldn’t be here without her. So thanks, Ms. Hamaty, you are still the teacher I look up to more than any other and I can never thank you enough for what you gave me.

Someone Has a Button!

After my last post, Bethany over at This, That, and T'Other kindly offered to make me a button celebrating the upcoming Teacher Appreciation Week. Check this out!


I am putting it in the sidebar, feel free to pick it up and spread the word! I hope you are planning your posts, I will be posting starting on Monday, May 3 and post every day that week through Friday, May 7.

Prepare to be Amazed

Things have been going along pretty normally. Nothing super amazing and nothing really bad either, just....normal end of the school year craziness. Not that I am excused from going dark for almost a month, but still.

I did want to check in with anyone still reading, who might be interested in celebrating Teacher Appreciation Week with me. My plan is to post once a day during the week of May 3-7, each day celebrating a teacher I have looked up to in some way. I would love to have you join me! Write your own post and put the link up for us all! It is two weeks away, so you have time to think about it.

The teachers you honor can be ANY teacher, one you had back in elementary school, one you work with now, one you are related to....anyone. Just tell us why you think that teacher was (is) kind of awesome. Then come here and link back to your post so we can all admire that teacher too!

It would be totally fantastic if I had a super-cool button for you to snag, but I have no idea how to make one, so just pretend you have one. =)