The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.
A friend posted a very interesting article on facebook today: Good elementary school teachers: They really can change your life. It’s about the current parameters by which teachers are assessed and their respective pay scales and the problems with the current system that could be contributing to the problems with the education system.
However, it got me thinking about how my own educational experience. I had the privilege of attending a wonderful elementary school in Webster, NY, St. Rita School, and I really do think that attending that school had a huge impact on my life and the adult I’ve become. Crazy, perhaps, but the love, support and encouragement I got during my short 7 years there were unparalleled by any of the schools I attended later in life. I remember my Kindergarten teachers, Mrs. Peggy Garritano, like I was in her class yesterday. The woman had more energy and enthusiasm than almost anyone I’ve met. As far as I know, she’s still teaching Kindergarten in Webster.
My second grade teacher, Ms. Gibbons (now Mrs. Fisher) taught a combined class of 2nd and 3rd graders (having taught classes myself at this point, I now appreciate the teaching talent this must have required). Ms. Gibbons taught with a sense of calm and care that made 2nd grade such a wonderful experience. I remember loving going to school, thinking First Communion preparation was exciting and kept in touch with her for years following (even babysitting her son, Jake, when I was a teenager).
Mrs. Calabrese, my 4th grade teacher was another especially amazing teacher. As a 4th grade teacher, I remember being a lot less “fun,” but only because we had much more material to cover. I absolutely loved learning about New York State that year and remember her being strict, but fair and always with our best efforts at heart, encouraging us at every turn.
Mrs. Mrs. Madonia was my 6th grade teacher. She died this past fall after a bout with cancer and my heart broke – 18 years later. Her classroom was a tough one and I worked hard that year (was in the advanced math class taught by the principal as well…), but Mrs. Madonia encouraged so many of the qualities in me that I would carry with me through life – the responsibility to give back and help those less fortunate than I (I remember her letting me start a penny can for charity in our classroom), a positive work ethic and the importance of keeping a sense of humor.
There was never a day at St. Rita’s when I wasn’t encouraged to reach for the stars and that was unfortunately something I didn’t experience in the institutions I attended later in life.
When I got to high school, I’d been in advanced English and Math classes in grammar and junior high schools, had been swimming for 6 years, had always been encouraged in my efforts to make a positive impact on the world around me…and at Mercy no one seemed to care. I remember vividly being told by an English teacher that I should transfer out of Honors English because I really didn’t have a talent for it. I was essentially told the same thing about Science classes and so spent 3 out of 4 years in the top 5% of my science class, barely challenged beyond my abilities. My first two years of swim team, we had a great coach who encouraged each girl and reminded us that we were valuable to the team even if we weren’t the highest scorer (in fact, I got MVP my sophomore year, not because I was the fastest swimmer, but because I was a team player and trusted our coach to use me where he needed me). Mercy prided itself on encouraging its girls to be “Mary-like,” but I never felt as though any of my efforts to better the world around me – even as chair of the service committee for National Honor Society – were appreciated or acknowledged. I left Mercy with a group of fantastic friends, but from an academic and personal perspective, felt I wouldn’t amount to much in the outside world.
College was slightly better. In one of my first English classes, Dr. GoGwilt (who would become one of my favorite teachers) asked me if I’d considered majoring in English. I remember telling him I wasn’t any good at English and his telling me that whoever told me that obviously wasn’t terribly knowledgeable. I had a handful of amazing teachers – Nicola Pitchford, JD Mancini, George Drance, but it wasn’t until grad school that I felt truly encouraged and capable. At graduation, however, I had a degree and huge amounts of knowledge, but no skills to take out into the real world. It took me another 5 years to develop those and find my way in the world. Fordham had kind of failed me in that regard.
In my heart, it’s my grammar school teachers and the school itself that set me on the right track and are reflected in the confident, capable woman I’ve become.
