Happy Teacher Appreciation Week to all the great educators out there! As a teacher, I want to thank every single one of you. There is no doubt a great appreciation for the time, work, and energy you all put into molding the minds of young people every day.
I personally want to thank a number of teachers who inspired me to become one myself.
My journey to becoming an educator started when I was in 6th grade at Kendallville Middle School (now East Noble Middle School). I had three wonderful teachers that year! Mr. Blomeke, Mrs. Goldsmith, and Mrs. Combs are contributed to me becoming an educator. Mr. Blomeke with his great personality and ability to connect with any student made subjects like science and math fun! Mrs. Goldsmith made me fall in love with history. We did great projects on ancient civilizations in South America, Egypt, and Europe. I bet that I still have my Mayan Calendar somewhere. Mrs. Combs made reading enjoyable. She actually trusted a number of us to read on our own out of the general classroom during school. Our group was able to really dive into the literature and learn how to share our thoughts and opinions on what we were reading.
A few other teachers worth mentioning at the middle school were Mr. Swartzlander, Mrs. Prokupek, Mr. McBriar, and Ms. Kemp. Mr. Swartzlander was always so enthusiastic during History of Rock and Roll. Without him, I would have never found my love and appreciation for The Temptations. Mrs. Prokupek was my art teacher who really let our imaginations go to work. Whether it was with clay, making stamps, or even painting ceiling tiles, we were always engaged and encouraged to think outside the box. My two favorite science teachers of all time, Mr. McBriar and Ms. Kemp, had so many fun projects to complete. Mr. McBriar had us tap maple trees and make our own syrup! Ms. Kemp orchestrated the greatest project known to man! She had us transform her entire room into a NASA Space Station! It was unbelievable. Elementary students would take field trips to walk and crawl through our space station. So much fun!
When I was in high school, I had a number of great teachers there who also inspired me. Mr. Bentz more for his great leadership with student council. He spent so much time and energy with our council. Bentz is the reason why I love student council now and why I spend a week each summer at a leadership camp. The camp hosts at least 100 students each year who are in student council around Indiana. Mr. Rickey and Mrs. Bentz were amazing English teachers! The stories, projects, and essays were always worth writing. I still have the soundtrack that Mr. Rickey made for Huck Finn. It may be the best combination of music on one disc. Then there was Mr. Hoffer. This guy was electric! Literally. Mr. Hoffer had to be running on some type of electrical charge all the time. I had him for AP US History my junior year. Even to this day, there is rarely a day that goes by where I don't have the sudden urge to write on my walls. Mr. Hoffer was notorious for extending timelines onto the carpeted walls when he ran out of room on his chalkboard. If we were cold, he would draw a fire place for us on the wall. Even though those things didn't have to do with teaching per se, it was engaging! In all honesty though, Mr. Hoffer did help a lot by letting us argue and prove our answers. A lot of the responsibility was on us to make sure that we were correct. Learning how to explain and defend your answer and point of view is a practice I still use today.
I had a couple of great professors in college too. Dr. Lindquist for Curriculum Development who helped us create a unit over the Holocaust which is now a subject I love teaching. Also, Dr. Pat Ashton who's Conflict and Mediation Course was by far the best class I had ever taken. He was able to open my eyes on how to better handle conflict and become a better communicator with other people.
I would be remiss if I did not include my coaches. Coach DePew, Coach Johnson and Coach Pierce. They were all fundamental in shaping the man I have become today. Coach DePew always demanded our best and always pushed us to near breaking points. All of which proved that we could overcome anything. Coach Johnson was like a second father. Coach Johnson was always honest. Some would argue to honest. However, it was this honesty that I admired. He was always going to tell me the truth, even if wasn't something I wanted to hear. Whether it was me not playing much my senior year due to the fear it may hurt my chances at continuing my path to play baseball injury free (had a back issue) or the advice given to me a couple of years ago during my first run as a coach, Coach Johnson was always honest. I love him for that. Coach Pierce, Head Baseball Coach at IPFW, was also influential. His philosophy on how to carry oneself resonates through me today. He always seemed relaxed and composed. Sure he showed emotion when things were going well, but he always had a "next play" attitude. I can still hear him telling us to "turn the page". Control what you can when you can; don't let the past dictate your future.
All in all, I had some great educators! I wish I could list and name them all! You all have done so much to inspire me and help me find my passion. My wish is that I can someday excel as an educator as much as you all have during your teaching professions. You have all truly been an inspiration not just to me but many other as well.
If you are a student, teacher, or even an adult well out of school, take a moment this week to really say thank you to a special teacher. Certainly, there is at least one out there that has made a profound impact on your life. Let them know today.
