Teacher Appreciation Week Reminds Me of a Funny Story
First of all, let me say Happy Teacher Appreciation week to probably some of the most influential people in our lives. My wife was in the education field as well as my Mother-in-Law. She was a teacher for well over thirty years. That truly means she was committed to the students and helped to mold many who are very vital people in our community.
I remember one of my favorite teachers during my fifth grade year was Ms. Perry. She was truly a stern lady, but was helpful at the same time. One of my fondest memories was when I was talking in class. I was one of those kids you had to catch at the moment. If not, you wouldn't know it was me. This one time, some of the other kids and myself were laughing and talking, and I got caught. She had me come up to her desk and she talked to me for a minute. After class was over, she told me she was going to call a conference with my mother. Many people know my mom was no joke and believed in her kids being obedient and doing their work.
The day came and my mom was going to take me home that day. She came in to meet Ms. Perry, and I was in the classroom the entire time. Ms. Perry talked about how I was a smart kid, but I was sneaky. She told the story of how she'd hear me laughing but never caught me until that moment. My mom listened to the teacher with a look like she was surprised. What's funny is years later, my mom would tell me she knew what the teacher was saying was true. She said, "You are my child and if anyone knows how you are, it is me."
We laughed about it, but I didn't mess up in Ms. Perry's class again for the rest of that year. I salute the teachers and all administrators who help keep us grounded and going in the right direction. Thank you for all that you do for the youngsters coming up.