Teachers, Mugs and Magnets

There was never a shortage of Christmas tree ornaments or coffee mugs around my house that colorfully displayed “Number One Teacher” or “Teachers Make a Difference!” My mom taught elementary school and certainly had a positive impact in my life. I remember some of my school teachers. I remember liking them but none had made that one notable difference or had affected my future in any way other than to take on the important job of making sure I pass and continue on to the next level. So what were all of these ornaments, mugs, magnets, picture frames and t-shirts I would see my mother come home with year after year implying? What kind of a difference were these teachers making?

Long after mom had retired and I had graduated high school every now and again I would stumble upon an old magnet or pencil between couch pillows or peeking out from an unmoved nightstand. I would be reminded there was not one teacher that stands out as having made a difference in my life, other than my mother. I would toss the keepsakes aside as something I could not relate. I never believed that my teachers had such influence in my life until the day I got fired. It was the first day of the semester; my first class of the day was literature. I was to be in class in one hour when I received the news from my boss of five years that she had taken me off the schedule. Confused and bewildered, I walked into class like a zombie. Why was I sitting in class when I had to look for a job so I could pay my rent? I quickly convinced myself I was in the right place. Now unemployed, education was all I had.

Slowly, my literature teachers and my creative writing instructor became the people that would make that difference in my life. As my applications for work were being denied and bills closed in on me, these teachers provided a beacon of light. They gave meaning to my pursuit of higher education. I started seeing my teachers through the eyes of compassion by hearing their own stories along with the stories they were teaching in my classes. As they related works of literature or shared their writing with the class I finally understood. This is what it feels like when someone, a teacher, makes a difference in one’s life.

Now when I see those mugs and magnets a few faces come to mind. I know that because of them, how they taught, what they shared with the class and who they are, I have resolved to follow in their footsteps. Like them I will work towards my PhD in English and teach with the hope that I too will be as great as they. I believe teachers make the kind of difference in the world that helps individuals create a path towards personal achievement.