Dear IF readers,
ugust, 2009 we look at education and some of our very favorite teachers. Education is such an important part of family life. The schools and teachers are critical partners with parents to make sure that a child is ready to live independently and successfully as they mature to adults. Teachers should always appreciate that the parent is the primary teacher of any child. It is our hope here at International Family Magazine, that through our storytelling, we will continue to engage the dialogue about what occurs in the classroom, and the relationship between home and school.
I have a story of my own to share. One day in a teacher-parent conference, a parent was aghast at a story about her son and defended him and shut down our inquiry and feedback. She said, “Oh, he is challenging at home, but I know he is a polite guest in public and at other people’s homes.” I wondered to her aloud why she thought he was a guest in his second home of school where he spent eight hours a day. I silently grieved at what a missed opportunity to help this young man.
In this issue, our writers have named great teachers at home or at school. I enjoy very much the contribution from our travel writer Diane Ambur of what her mother taught her in “Voices from the Garden”. Gail Dennison who is our Judy in Judy’s House has warm, wisdom in her story this month, “Judy’s Teachers”. Brooke Allen as always gives us a life lesson and a wonderful tale.
We have reviewed a wonderful learning disabilities testing service, Tochterman Muir Educational Consulting, LLC and its owner, Dr. Muir. Grandma Ellen has fond memories of her two favorite teachers. And a new writer, Kevin Poist, has given us permission to reprint an article that he wrote about the education of travel and experience.
This year, I will be in my first year as a full-time teacher of middle school, 8th grade Language Arts. I am both excited and feeling patient about it. I am looking forward to being full time rather than a substitute because I would love some continuity with my students and see the entire process from first exposure of an idea to the mastery of an idea. I am honored to watch the painful and joyous growth that my students will undertake in their learning paths.
But I also know it is important to go into my classroom pacing myself with an understanding that I am a facilitator and mentor and I will not change the world. There will be situations in which I will have no previous experience whatsoever. There will be times like in my earlier example of the young student, where I can only do what I am able to help our youth. I need to maintain an open heart and mind, that I do not have all the answers and, I am only a part of any equation in a child’s life. My students will share much of their own lives and knowledge with me. If I am wise, I will listen carefully. I will remain teachable each day in the classroom of life.
Here is to remaining teachable our entire lives,
Cat Wayland,
IF magazine Founder and Managing Editor, cat@internationalfamilymag.com
P.S. I have added the below links of other great IF mag stories on role models, superheroes and teachers.
Youth and Role Models
http://www.internationalfamilymag.com/IFarchives/archives/mar09/jessicaoncampus.htm
Global Superheroes
http://www.internationalfamilymag.com/IFarchives/archives/aug07/super.htm
A Spiritual Role Model
http://www.internationalfamilymag.com/IFarchives/archives/aug07/spiritual.htm