Thanksgiving Tribute to Teachers
by Janis Stein

For all those teachers who have exercised patience when they thought they had no more, who gave a little extra care to those who truly needed it and to those who have dedicated much of their lives to their students, let us give thanks.

Teachers are a special breed, many dedicating year after year to the children who enter their classroom door, a passion driving them to teach even those deemed unteachable by some. Often times it must be a thankless job, a true labor of love, but the joy surely comes when teachers see the 'light bulb' turn on, when a struggling child finally smiles with the recognition of having mastered a difficult concept.

I have been fortunate in having had the best of the best in the way of educators. Of course, there are always a few bad apples that try to spoil the barrel, but the good ones far outnumber those destined for a different profession. Year after year, I was blessed with teachers who made education fun, and who provided numerous opportunities to grow and learn - not only about the three R's but about myself as well.

Education has changed a great deal as one decade has turned into the next. The majority of the one-room schoolhouses I am so fond of researching have long ago closed their doors, though a handful still thrives in Huron County and will for a good many more years to come. Memories of school days in the classroom and fun on the baseball diamond are held dearly in the hearts of many, a time when the weight of the world hadn't yet touched them.

When I was growing up, preschool was unheard of, but then families were bigger and children learned to share and to take turns from their big brothers and sisters. They learned fair play on the ball field and how to negotiate in the farm fields. They learned all kinds of social skills at home before they even entered kindergarten.

Nowadays, more often than not, a child's formal education begins with preschool. Three-year-olds are toting little backpacks sporting their favorite Disney characters, all spiffed up in their new school ensembles, ready and eager to learn. Some would argue this might be one of the many things wrong with our society, while others will adamantly say preschool is now a necessity to prepare children for all they'll need to know by the time they enter kindergarten.

Teachers make a powerful impression on the minds and hearts of their students, and many are humbled by the pedestal they have not asked to be put upon by all their little friends. For those teachers focusing their life's ambitions in education, it must surely be an awesome revelation each morning to know parents of all walks of life are counting on them - and expecting them - to provide a top-notch learning experience for their children. What a great and difficult task it must be for a teacher to get to know her students well enough to decide whether she should give them a gentle nudge in a certain situation or whether she should let the child struggle toward his own success.

We can all look back and remember the best of the best. Sister Miriam was my first grade teacher in the Catholic school I attended in Ruth, and what a great teacher she was. She looked every bit like a grandmother, but she could be tough as nails when the need arose - especially if there was any misbehavior during the weekly mass. Though it has been a number of years since she has passed away, I can close my eyes and picture her in my little girl's mind as if first grade was only yesterday. What a difference she made.

Other teachers, too, earned high marks with me. One grade school teacher taught my class how to polka dance, and since there wasn't an even number of kids in the class, the odd one out always danced with a broom!

Another sparked my desire to write, making each of us write in our journals - a task many groaned over while I filled page after page with my sloppy scrawl. So many teachers make a difference in the lives of their students and never know it.

Still other teachers should be commended for their unlimited store of patience. Kids will always be kids, and many adults can still chuckle over the pranks and shenanigans they pulled over their school years. Reminiscing about school days brings a smile to many an adult who allows their mind to wander back to the days of jumping rope, running the bases, dipping a girl's braids in the ink bottle and celebrating each holiday as it came along.

Teachers are a resourceful lot. From preschool teachers to college instructors - and let's not forget those parents who have made the immeasurable commitment to home school their children - all should be remembered this Thanksgiving.

Be thankful for all the good teachers in the world, for they give so much of themselves each and every day. This Thanksgiving, look up some of your former teachers and thank them for the difference they made in your life.