Teacher Appreciation Week #ThankATeacher

It’s Teacher Appreciation Week!
 
It’s no secret teachers are the backbone of our education system. Their hard work, dedication, and unwavering commitment is invaluable, and we are continually grateful for all that they do each and every day.
 
We want to take a moment to express our gratitude to those who work tirelessly to educate and inspire the next generation of leaders, thinkers, and innovators.
 
So, to all teachers, past and present, thank you for the impact you’ve had on our lives here at Frontline and the lives of countless others.
#ThankATeacher
 

#ThankATeacher: Mrs. Jameson

I am delighted to recognize Mrs. Jameson – my sophomore US Government Teacher. A rigorous & demanding teacher who challenged us daily! Walking into her classroom you could not help but notice that all 8 chalkboards were completely filled with notes for that day’s lessons. Because of her, I majored in political science and became a social studies teacher! All before the digital age, she had us put together a portfolio with bios and pictures of our representatives, cabinet members, and supreme court justices. A fun fact – she received a letter from the Supreme Court after so many of her students wrote to them asking for a picture of all the justices! The letter asked her to please refrain from asking her students to write to them requesting a group picture. Their offices simply do not have the staff to handle so many requests!

#ThankATeacher: Mr. Swirsky

One of the fondest teacher memories I have is that of my 5th grade English teacher, Mr. Swirsky. Mr. Swirsky not only took a keen interest in ensuring I was academically prepared for middle school, but also served as a mentor for several years into high school. He sometimes had a “tough love” approach to learning which I appreciate now (but perhaps not at the time!). One specific instance is the time that he made all of his students line up at the doorway to his classroom. He would not permit anyone to enter until they recited EVERY auxiliary verb in under 20 seconds. To this day, I would confidently challenge anyone to a race in reciting these! Thank you, Mr. Swirsky!

#ThankATeacher: Miss Erickson

From my youngest memories, I genuinely loved school, and my teachers were a primary reason. I could write about many of them, but one that I’ve rarely shared publicly was Miss Erickson. She was my 3rd grade teacher and I think only a year or two out of college, and her energetic enthusiasm in the classroom was infectious. She had the privilege (or challenge?) of having my two best friends and me in her class, and all three of us loved art. Our favorite “special” was Art Class, we took private art lessons together, and we were constantly drawing anything and everything during class. Rather than discourage the incessant doodling of three eight-year-olds as a distraction to academic learning, Miss Erickson embraced it and gave us something productive to focus on during second semester: she arranged for the three of us to put on our own art show in the elementary school lobby. We each worked on new drawings and paintings for months, curated our collection, matted and framed our pieces, and finally, one Saturday afternoon, filled that corridor with a pretty impressive (imho) art exhibition of our own creation. The show stayed up for weeks, was one of my proudest elementary school memories, and was the first of numerous art shows and exhibitions I would participate in as I eventually pursued a career in art and design. One of the many threads I can trace from the career success I’ve enjoyed goes back to Miss Erickson’s outside-the-box encouragement of my creative talents.

#ThankATeacher: Mr. Daniel

I wanted to recognize Mr. Daniel. He was my Finance Magnet teacher in the National Academy of Finance magnet program I attended in high school. His passion for business and finance education inspired me in so many ways. I pursued degrees in Business Administration and Economics in college as a result of his classes and after working in sales/marketing for about 5 years after college, I decided to take further inspiration from Mr. Daniel and I helped open the first Junior Achievement-sponsored Business & Entrepreneurship Magnet Program in Florida, which was a life-changing experience for me. I still talk to Mr. Daniel a few times a year and never miss an opportunity to remind him what a difference he made in my life and all the ways he has inspired me. PS – He is still leading that program and my daughter is starting high school there next year. I am hoping and praying she will be able to take his classes as well.

#ThankATeacher: Ms. Barry

In high school the teacher who made a lasting impact on me was Ms. Barry. Initially I switched into her Shakespearean Reading class to hang out with my friends, but I quickly learned that Ms. Barry was unlike any teacher I’d ever met. Once you were in her class you became one of her “kids” and she fostered an environment where each of us could learn, grow, make mistakes without judgement and navigate some of the most complex years of young adulthood. Whether it was a great or awful day we could all count on Ms. Barry. She made learning about Shakespeare in High School engaging and fun. She was our greatest supporter and I still feel comfort when I think back to the energy of her classroom. She helped set me on a path to become who I am today and I’m eternally grateful for that!

#ThankATeacher: Mrs. Pope

My mom was a teacher that impacted my life beyond measure. She was my 7th & 8th grade English teacher and a teacher for 20+ years. I don’t really have one story because she was a teacher not only at school but at home as well. She constantly pushed me in my classes and made sure I was doing my best. If I didn’t understand something she would take the time to sit down and help me. She grew up on a farm and was incredibly hard working and taught my brother and I to be the same. Her passion for education and hard work made her a wonderful teacher and role mode. While she is no longer with us the impact she had on the lives of her students and myself will last forever.

#ThankATeacher: Mr. McGrath

I want to recognize my high school gym teacher Mr. McGrath. I had some pretty miserable experiences in gym class in middle school, so I really dreaded gym class going into high school. I was lucky enough to land in Mr. McGrath’s class. For fitness testing, he made everything feel low pressure, and encouraged us to focus on our strengths rather than our weaknesses. When we did a test to see how fast we could run 200 meters, he asked if I’d try one more time because he thought I could push myself harder. That second try was the first time I felt the rush that comes with a really great run. I didn’t fall completely in love with running until much later (about 2 years after college), but looking back, I appreciate that he saw something in me that I couldn’t yet see in myself, and he never made assumptions about someone’s athletic ability based on how they look.

Do you have a teacher you want to thank?
Mention us on Twitter @FrontlineEdu and use the hashtag #ThankATeacher!