Do you recall a favorite teacher in your past and how he or she made you feel? A popular quote from Maya Angelou could describe the long-term impact of teachers: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” You may no longer be able to remember the specific lessons or projects, but your favorite teacher must have made you feel special, confident, smart, unique, or some other favorable feeling.
This week is teacher appreciation week, and this causes me to reflect on my own school experience and the school experience of all the students in our Harvard schools. My favorite teacher wasn’t the easiest. In fact, she was the one we students griped about the most. We complained that her grading was tough and she expected too much from us. But I remember that she shared her passion for history with us and made us feel excited by historical events as I had never felt before. She also drilled into us the correct way to spell “until,” which I bet none of her students misspell to this day.
Passionate teachers
We are so fortunate to have passionate teachers in Harvard making a difference for our students every day. They turn tough content into meaningful learning experiences. I would argue that in many ways their job of keeping students engaged and interested has become increasingly difficult with the competition for students’ attention. I have witnessed our teachers making students feel special through many little acts of kindness throughout the school day. They visit sick students in the hospital, buy winter clothes for students in need, plan travel experiences over vacation weeks, attend extracurricular events that involve their students, tutor homeless students, and provide encouraging feedback on assignments. These acts of kindness combine to form the memorable feelings that students will carry into adulthood about their experience in the Harvard Public Schools.
Hoping to make a positive difference
As teachers look back on their careers in education, they hope they have made a positive difference for students in their classrooms. Such reflections must be running through the minds of our upcoming retirees. We bid a happy retirement to Debbie Carroll, Maryann Cheveralls, Kathy Kittredge, Steve Besold, and Gretchen Henry. May they enjoy the satisfaction of having spent their life’s work making students feel challenged and inspired. May all of Harvard’s teachers feel especially appreciated this week.
Linda Dwight is superintendent of the Harvard Public Schools.
