Who Am I?
When I first retired from teaching, I attended a Retired School Employees meeting in Erie. There were 133 at the luncheon. We were seated near the speakers table and I was facing away from it. I looked out over the group and saw all these intelligent, capable people, all with a certain authoritative set of thejaw. For a short time there I felt that the title TEACHER was subliminally imprinted on each person. It seemed impossible to look at this group and not know that they were teachers, or in education. And then the moment was over and they became regular people again.
It made me wonder which time I was seeing correctly and if it was possible that I walk and talk, look and breathe teacher. And, is that good or bad?
Shortly after that, I found an answer. I am definitely TEACHER. I was in the TV repair shop, and the owner told me he thought that I looked familar, that he should know me. A customer there said, "I know who she is. She's a teacher." Then I went to my volunteer work at the hospital and a bearded young man went sprinting into the building ahead of me but he held the door for me and said, "Aren't you Mrs. Klingensmith?" He was one of my former pupils, now hurrying to his job in the X-Ray department of the hospital.
I had my answer. I am TEACHER. My life has been linked to many others. Maybe it doesn't show as plainly as I thought it might when I pondered the question shortly after my retirement, but it really is a very big part of who I am.
Submitted by
NJ
at 10/24/2005 7:35:40 AM- Thanks, Sally. Nicely said. Any adult can have an important part in a child's life, but teachers are adults that children are in contact with the most, so it's wonderful if they are child loving people.
Syndicate this site
Of course you are! Even if I didn't know it, I would have figured it out by your writing. You are very articulate and intelligent. I noticed that with our friend, Ellen, also. You are both among my hero's; your profession among one of those that I admire the most. I hate to think what would happen to the world's children (myself included) had it not been for the wonderful teachers in my life. They not only taught me, they encouraged me in lessons far more than readin', writin' & 'rithmetic! So, take a bow my dear!