The powerful influence a teacher can have on the life of a student. We all have the power to make a huge difference with small effort.
As people, and I think especially women, I think we often get down on ourselves for not having accomplished much. Of course, this “much” is according to the world’s view of “much.”
In truth, as mothers, sisters, daughters, friends, neighbors, etc. we do a whole lot that means a lot to people. We may not have written a book, been famous, or invented something amazing, but we do touch the lives of generations.
We did this fun thing at church on Sunday that in light of Memorial Day was great.
In church, some people shared how someone seemingly ordinary in their lives had done something simple to touch the lives of either themselves or even on up to hundreds in posterity.
I thought it would be fun to do that here. We can share what someone did and what impact it had on us, and in turn, hopefully inspire each other to take heart in our “normal, everyday” roles and know that we can and will make a difference that matters to others.
I will share a simple one. This is about my favorite teacher, Mrs. LaFlamme.
I had her in seventh grade for honors English class. She was fabulous, but her strongest influence came when I was in ninth grade. I had not made it into honors English for tenth grade because the tenth grade teacher didn’t like a citizenship grade I had received in Biology that year.
I was a good student and respectful–this Biology teacher was the wrestling coach and would literally wrestle the boys in class, so class was a bit wild and chaotic as a whole and we all got lower than the highest citizenship.
When Mrs. LaFlamme found out that I had been denied honors English for tenth grade, she took action. She talked with the tenth grade teacher and insisted I be in the class. The teacher agreed to allow it, and in the end she was glad she had.
Now, this had a huge impact on me. I not only appreciated how much Mrs. LaFlamme believed in me, but it kept me in the honors English track, and my degree was later in English.
I don’t know if I would have pursued English as a degree had I not been in advanced English courses. I also don’t know if I would have felt comfortable writing this blog without the intense writing training I received as an English major. So Mrs. LaFlamme had a huge impact on my life and your life!
At the end of high school, I recognized this impact and wrote her a thank-you note. She so appreciated it, and now as a woman who does the seemingly mundane day after day, I can see why it would mean so much to her. We do so much and get very little feedback for it.
Okay your turn! Who has influenced your life? A relative? Teacher? Leader? Friend? Please share.
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