We who teach quickly recognize that the greatest lessons in our classrooms frequently originate with our students. The most creative lesson plans can’t hold a candle to the insightful observations of young people.
Schools provide opportunities to form friendships with a wide variety of others. Teachers have never made much money in the United States. It is the wont of those who could use more to share with those who have less. Our combined salary in 1972 was $8,000: $6,000 for my full-time teacher husband and $2,000 for part- time me. We had one daughter and (surprisingly) a mortgage for which we were entirely responsible. Wayne’s four years in the Navy afforded us a VA loan, meaning we did not have to put anything down on a house. The bank said our limit was $20,000. Our first house came in at $19,900 for two bedrooms, living and family rooms, front and back yards.
Our Tucson/GreenFields School teacher friends were in similar boats. We shared potluck dinners, babysitting, and vacations. Our second daughter’s godparents are folks with whom we worked then and remain close now. We were all in our 20’s, worked very hard to keep our heads above water, and were content.
The most difficult thing for me about moving from Arizona to Colorado was leaving those friends. Four years in Denver provided new friends and experiences and a wonderful school family at Colorado Academy. Again, leaving was hard. we transitioned to Maryland in 1979, I drove our two daughters (4 and 7 at the time) in our volkswagen camper for four straight days, as Wayne had flown on ahead. The first day I could not stop crying; the second day I wouldn’t let myself; by the time we reached Bethesda, I was just glad to have arrived.
I found myself starting all over at Norwood School, this time teaching 5th grade. My assumption that it would take me awhile to learn to like early middle school was smashed the very first day. Young Bobby Weiman (now a lower school head) shook my hand with surprising firmness, looked me in the eye, and welcomed me to my new school home. The rest of his class were similarly receptive and delightful. When they moved to 6th grade, so did I. And while I have learned invaluable lessons from and enjoyed every class I have taught over the years, it was this particular group of youngsters who taught me the most. I am fortunate to remain in touch with many of them.
At one point in my first year, I mentioned Tucson, and one of the students voiced his understanding that I had come from Denver. Yes, but before that… I could see in the eyes of several of the students, those who had known only one school and home, that this was shocking news. Prepared to explain my background, that need was rendered unnecessary by Mark Knepshield, who thoughtfully observed, “Wow! You must have a lot of friends!” And so I do.
Glass Full 