Posted by Karla Lofgren Davis (August 26, 2007)
Have you been seeing these words in ads in newspapers and signs in stores where you shop? If so, that’s probably because in most school districts in Texas, school starts tomorrow, August 27. The school start date will be more uniform across the state this year since the Texas legislature has required that no district begin school before August 27. Everyone is anxious to get started, and the districts where Ed and I work are no exception. Tomorrow’s the day.
There are few topics about which so many people have so many opinions. After all, every generation has at least 12 years experience in matters related to school. Most will have many more years than that as they furthered their own education and/or then saw their children and grandchildren through many years of school experiences. Of course, school is the reason for this blog – we all went to school together; we all had many of the same school related experiences.
Someone wrote to me in an e-mail, in reference to the blog, “Why do we feel this unusual connection with each other after so many years? Was it the time period, or us?” I venture to suggest it has a lot to do with the shared experiences in school during our fragile formative years. Most of us are 65 now, or soon will be. However, from comments I have read on the blog and from my own experiences and the experiences of those in my circle of concern, things that happened to us in school during that relatively short span of time in the 50’s had a profound impact on our lives. Much of it was positive. Unfortunately, some was negative, some was even quite painful. Some was the result of interaction with other students; much was the result of interactions with teachers. What are your thoughts on this?
One of Ed’s favorite quotes is, “Teachers affect eternity. We never know where our influence stops”. He has served as a professional educator for 45 years, now - as a teacher, counselor, principal, central office staff (including superintendent) - and has used that quote frequently to inspire those with whom he works. I would love to know which of you are professional educators –retired or still toiling on, or perhaps now in a different job. Of course all of us are teachers in some capacity - as parents, g’parents, (GREAT g’parents), aunts, uncles, etc.
My own story? I like to say that I have been a teacher for 43 years, although only 25 years as a professional educator. After attending Baylor (and marrying Ed) and graduating from the University of Colorado, I taught 7 years in public and private schools in Colorado, Africa, Texas, and Wyoming. Then I became a fulltime homemaker and a fulltime volunteer in Scouts (organizational head for all of the Cub Scout groups in Cody Wyoming), schools (room mother, field trip sponsor, costume/set designer, etc) and church (Sunday School teacher, children’s choir teacher, V.B.S teacher, and Teaching Leader for Bible Study Fellowship). I served in those capacities for 18 years before rejoining the ranks of paid educators in 1989, when Ed decided to pursue a doctorate at Baylor.
I was fearful that I might be “over the hill”, but found that my years of marriage to a practicing education professional, coupled with my experiences as a volunteer and a parent, had prepared me to be an even better teacher. In fact, in 1994 I was named the Texas Elementary Teacher of the Year, an honor of which I am quite proud and for which I am most grateful. I have now taught 18 years in the La Vega ISD in Waco. I have no thought of retirement, partly because I love my job as Instructional Facilitator (a quasi-administrative position), helping train the next generation of education professionals. The other reason I won’t retire as long as I am physically and mentally able to work is that with all of our moves we have not established sufficient retirement funds – a whole OTHER story.
So, tomorrow we begin anew. A fresh beginning of yet another school year. An opportunity to use our influence in positive ways to shape young minds and young lives. Are you starting this school year as a teacher? Administrator? Volunteer? Are you involved with sending someone "back to school"? Please use this opportunity to comment in response to any part of this post. The floor is open. Tell us about your school related experiences. Share with us your school related thoughts.
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REALITY SETS IN
Posted by: Karla Lofgren Davis | August 29, 2007 at 10:42 PM
On Sunday I wrote that "tomorrow we have a fresh beginning of yet another school year. An opportunity to use our influence in positive ways to shape young minds and young lives." Lofty thoughts! But during the last three days reality set in as I comforted bawling babies (with their snotty noses, frequently wiped on my clothes) and coaxed them from fleeing the building (there are a few scratches and bite marks on my arms to prove it), opened sticky milk cartons and squishy mustard packets (my hands are rough and chapped from so many washings), and boarded the school bus three times for the 90 minute ride to the furtherest destination and back again (hot and tired as I returned to the stack of papers that had accumulated by my computer in my absence).
Oh, the lofty thoughts will return and most will even come to fruition. But this week we are dealing with the most mundane of chores to get 450 four and five year olds through the day and into the school routines, then return them home well fed and safe. In a few more days I will drop off cafeteria duty and be able to simply get my Chicken Bus riders (they don't do letters and numbers yet - we rely on familiar animals to identify their buses) onto the bus and leave the rest to the bus driver and his assistant. That's my REALITY this week. And oh my aching back!!! Karla
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