“What do you teach?”
It’s a common question when you work at a school (which I did for about 20 years).
“Oh they don't let me impart any knowledge to children.” My typical reply.
The question came so often that I didn’t need to improvise. Sometimes just for fun, I’d toss in a quick and witty fib like, “AP Microbiology” or “Intuitive Calculus” or “The Fertile Crescent of the American Revolution…”
But my cover would be instantly blown and I’d right the ship just as quickly:
“I’m not a teacher. I’m in marketing.”
I was proud of my job, but I’ve always been in awe of teachers. They are in a league of their own. Several stand out in my memory:
Beloved Mrs. White, my second-grade teacher, with her thick twang and beautiful smile. She taught us to sing about a Pile of Tin: “Got four wheels and a running board; I’m a Ford oh, I’m a Ford; Honk Honk Rattle Rattle Crash Beep Beep; Honk Honk Rattle Rattle Crash Beep Beep…”
Stern Mrs. Howard, who caught me plagiarizing before I even knew what that meant. I was merely copying from the encyclopedia for the dang report she had assigned me in fourth grade. She made me go home and write the entire paper from memory. Whoa, Abe. Talk about being honest. To this day, I can tell you more about our 16th President than any other.
Heureuse Mme. Walser who taught me Français for five years. Her passion for the language and culture combined with her own sparkly joie de vivre was palpable. Elle nous aimait tous and taught us so much more than sentence structure and verb conjugation.
Despite her white hair, rimless glasses, and tissue tucked neatly into the sleeve of her navy cardigan, Mrs. Bonney was as spry as the day was long. She encouraged us to dream when we chose term paper topics in upper school. She taught me words like ameliorate and historicity in Word Wealth, a textbook I loved so much that I bought a vintage copy just a few years ago. I consult it often.
In college, my memories are mostly from Journalism school. I had professors who were former account execs fresh off of Madison Avenue. I was starstruck by the talents of Madmen Bob Lauterborn and John Sweeney. Real ad agency experience — now that was badass.
Actually? I was a teacher once. And it was one of the best gigs ever. My students were bright, eager, attentive, hungry, and creative. They showed up on time, brought me treasures, listened intently, and always participated.
They were 3.
It was Sunday School.
And I looked forward to 9:45 every Sunday morning like a kid at Christmas.
Happy nuggets were delivered by out-of-breath parents, coats and purses dangling from one arm, another child on the other, rushing to get to their own class on time. Within moments, we’d gather crisscross applesauce on the floor for circle time. The first several minutes before our lesson, circle time was my favorite. We’d sit and sing, and share prayer requests for pets and grandparents or made-up ailments.
My Sunday School song supply was limited at best, but that didn’t seem to matter… I knew Deep and Wide, and Zaccheus was a Wee Little Man… but one song stood out. And they knew it. I’d begin by tucking my arms behind my back, as my eyes panned the room and met theirs in anticipation, then slowly, my right hand would come around front and pounce into position: what may have looked like the number one, was instead my candle.
This little light of mine.
You know the tune.
I’m gonna let it shine.
The room lit up as if our voices were its charge.
Hide it under a bushel? NO!
I’m gonna let it shine.
To my dozens of little friends — many of you now attending proms or wrapping up college careers — oh how I loved that time in our lives. You are the light that shone. You snuggled in my lap, drew me pictures, and loved unconditionally.
YOU became the teachers, imparting the simplest, yet most important of lessons:
Show up. Sing loud. Shine bright.
Let it shine. Let it shine. Let it shine.
Mrs. Howard! Mrs. Bonney! And the wiggling, giggling bodies on a Sunday morning. Such shiny memories, Courtney, and cause for a big smile. 😃
I love this!!! Nothing like those precious little ones at church❤️