She has taught me so much. I think of all the lessons she has modeled for me throughout my life in topics from boys to academia to love in and of family to the meaning of true success. I looked to her (even as a slightly rebellious child) for a standard of morals, I asked for her assistance in grammar when typing up an essay (even through college), and now I heed her lessons in balancing my life, work and passions (even if I think I can do it all myself.) All the while, she is my teacher, one with the honored and sacred name of Mother.My mom's classroom was her kitchen but she also taught me in the back yard and while washing windows during spring cleaning. She instructed me when we went to the grocery store and when we walked to the bus stop to go shopping downtown. In her school of life, she never picked up a piece of chalk, but there were hundreds of times she picked up my broken heart and helped me piece it together again. Mom taught me more than just practical life skills.
My mom is probably like yours. Her picture never appeared on the front page of our hometown newspaper. If your mom is like my mom, you've attended a similar school. Maybe you skipped class sometimes. Maybe your report card shows some ups and downs. But her classroom has been open to you and, at least at times, you have learned important lessons from her.
As she looks back on her years she sometimes wonders (as we all do) if she's made a difference in the world. She has. She has taught me. From sewing to baking to cleaning to laughing to praying, her class has gone on for years and I have been her student. Not a straight A student I'm afraid, but one who has fallen in love with the teacher.
This week, for Mother's Day, Thank your mom for being your first and best teacher.
There is a lot of talk at school about the importance the family has in relation to students’ success. We also know how vital it is to create and sustain a positive collaboration between school and home. As my students left me Friday afternoon, I couldn’t help but think about how much those boys and girls look up to the woman in their lives: mothers, grandmothers, even aunts and big sisters. They are our students’ first teachers.
Next Sunday, I will celebrate Mother’s Day with my extended family. Through this busy time getting ready for this fun event, it’s important for me to stop and think about my mothers: my grandmothers, my aunts, and my one and only Mom. They all play such a large role in who I am. They help to shape me through what they have taught me and continue to teach me each day!
To all the Mothers – I wish you a wonderful week end!
