Teachers Are Life-Changers

Tucked in my wallet is a small piece paper, well-worn from years of being folded and unfolded. On it is a hand-written message that reminds me of the man who helped me become the man I am today.

The document I carry with me each day is my sixth grade report card. On it, my sixth grade teacher Robert Glines wrote: “Proud of you! Keep going with your studies and sports!”

Mr. Glines was the first male teacher I ever had. He was my first male role model. He was the first person who asked me about my future. As a child raised in abject poverty, I lived in public housing in Wilmington, Delaware.  Like my friends, my primary purpose for going to school was to socialize. We carried few school supplies and received very little guidance at home on the importance of education.

Mr. Glines taught us to believe in ourselves. He gave us hope by instilling in us that, through education, we could accomplish our dreams. When I visit classrooms throughout the Fayette County Public Schools, I catch glimpses of Mr. Glines.

I see him in the teacher kneeling beside a student providing individual instruction.

I see him in the teacher with her arm around a student who is upset about a situation at home.

I see him in the teacher who arrives at school early to provide extra tutoring and the teacher who stays well into the evening working with students in extra-curricular, co-curricular and athletic endeavors.

We all got to where we are in our lives with help from a teacher. For me it was Mr. Glines. For you it may have been the kindergarten teacher who helped you fall in love with story time. Or the band teacher who opened the world of music to you. Or the algebra teacher who helped you discover patterns in linear equations. Or the college professor whose passion for their subject led you to your career.

Since 1984, the National PTA has recognized the first week of May as Teacher Appreciation Week. Our school board recently adopted a resolution celebrating teachers for “working daily to nurture the individual gifts and talents of our students.”

By providing students with inspiration, motivation and, ultimately, a path to their future, our teachers are life-changers whose influence extends beyond the classroom into our community.

In the words of Helen Caldicott, “teachers, I believe, are the most responsible and important members of society because their professional efforts affect the fate of the earth.”

Please join me in thanking our educators, not only during Teacher Appreciation Week, but every day of the year!

By: Emmanuel Caulk
Fayette County Public Schools Superintendent