My abililty to write this blog, courtesy of a bunch of awesome teachers

I've been very fortunate in my life to have some really amazing teachers.  Last night while perusing Facebook, I came across one of my favorite and most influential teachers.  I have no doubt that she is a favorite of many of her hundreds of former students.  Nonetheless, I dropped her a friend request, hoping that she'd remember me by name, if not face.  There's certainly benefits to growing up with an unusual name.  People might not remember your name, or ever spell it correctly, but at least they remember that you're the tall, lanky kid with the weird moniker. 

I lay awake bed thinking about what I'd like to tell her; about how well I remember her 8th grade English class; about how important she was to me at a very challenging and formative time in my life; about how her ability to teach me translated into the basis for a love of writing that has benefited me throughout my academic, personal, and professional life.  Writing, (however poorly I do it in this blog or lazily I've done it for school), has always been an important form of expression for me.  I remember being at my grandmother's house, trying to write poetry in my early elementary years.  I later remember that a creative writing assignment I was given in third grade, got me promoted to the upper level language arts class.  But it was Ms. Hoehner's 8th grade English class that taught me to love writing.  Taught me methods for pushing through blocks, how to keep my brain moving.  Just keep writing, even if you have nothing to say, and it will come.  I learned to write poetry, and to journal, and the fundamentals of style and form.  Writing is communication, and the lessons I learned in that class a million years ago are ones I need to continue to grow from, practice and apply.

Really, I could write this post about so many teachers.  Despite my public school education, I've been blessed with many teachers who've inspired me to do more than I thought I could, who've pushed me take risks, and who've given me a solid foundation for critical thinking and self-discipline.   I can remember specific skills, or moments of empowerment bestowed upon me by teachers like Ms. Hoehner, Mrs. Powers, Mr. Roach, Mr. Schenck, Mr. Johnston, Mr. Karsner, and on and on through college and graduate school.

My own ambitions are usually closely tied to academia.  Perhaps because of these teachers, I see myself as a student always.  I'd like to complete a PhD in some field.  Although my undergraduate work showed me the grueling day to day challenge of being a high school teacher, I still see myself also with the potential to be an educator.  I am, after all, actually trained to be a public health educator.  In any event, these experiences have led me to a place where I find it difficult to imagine being outside the realm of education.

I sit here now, as a parent, waiting to send my first-born off to Kindergarten in a few months.  I worry endlessly about whether he will be properly challenged, nurtured, supported.  Whether he'll be at the right school for his needs and intelligence.  Whether he will be as fortunate as I have been in finding leadership among his teachers.  Whether he will one day be looking back, as I am now, finding friendship among some of those who've helped him along the way.  We should all be so lucky.