Teaching is an extension of me. It brings out the best parts of me. When I look back on my own education, a combination of local public schools and a small private school in the deep South, it is the teachers, not the content, that I remember most vividly. From my perfect kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Little, to Miss Franklin's extraordinary 4th grade, to Colonel Brewer's exacting Algebra, and Mrs. Parker and Mr. Haynie's Advanced Writing, these teachers have had a profoundly lasting impact on the way in which I view the world.
One of my core beliefs is that we are here to experience the thought-provoking ideas of our modern era, as well as to learn about words and innovations that pre-date antiquity. To make connections, sometimes we must step out of our little corner of existence...read a new genre, speak up instead of bystanding, or maybe be silent and truly listen to the voices and ideas clamoring for our attention. To sift through the chaos and picks out the pieces that are calling for us to find them. In this section, I will share ways in which education brings my heart and mind to life.
The title for this section, INSPIRE, came to me one morning as I was randomly sketching on my classroom chalkboard before the arrival of students, something I do to calm my mind and tap into creative energy. Our custodian had previously asked if he could remove it for me to make way for an additional whiteboard in my room, but I love the rawness of a chalkboard. Gritty and able to stand the test of time. After staring at the blank board for a few moments. I wrote what came to mind...the word INSPIRE, with an emphatic period. A one-word sentence that says it all! The logo underneath represents my family of origin. The three dots in the upper left represent my three older siblings, while the two dots in the lower right represent me and my younger sister. The two horizontal lines are meant to represent our steady parents, while the bisecting lines for me represent all those who have gone before us, paving the way for the lives we lead today. Family is everything.
