An Unexpected Gift

Teaching is a thankless profession. You work your tail off for these little people and the best thanks you can get is that maybe someday you hear they're doing great...going to college, successful, etc. That's all you really want.

One day, you may get a former student who comes back to visit who tells you how much they miss you or how great you were when they were in your classroom. That's really nice too.

Sometimes, if you're really lucky, you might get a parent or a student who thanks you during the year you actually had them in your class. That's the best thanks of all but it doesn't happen much. Especially in a low-income school district. The parents have other things to worry about than thanking their kids' teacher.

However, I received an amazing gift yesterday. It was from the parent of one of my students this year. I don't have to tell you how hard this past school year has been for me with Maelin and my depression and everything so this gift means even more because of that. I'll call this kid "Max"...

Max came to me from a school in Ft. Collins and he was reading WAY below grade level...at a level 10. Other kids in class were reading at an average of 65 so he was reading at a beginning 1st grade level and we were just starting 2nd grade. I talked to mom about it in Sept...she was shocked. Had no idea how far behind her son was and was determined to help him. I stayed after school one day in Sept and gave her all sorts of 1st grade materials and showed her how to use them with him at home.

We would conference over the year about how Max was doing...he would gain a little then get discouraged and stop trying. It was heartbreaking: he was a great kid and super smart but I think he was battling dyslexia and we don't diagnose that till about 4th grade so there really wasn't much we could do for him except keep working with him and encouraging him.

I had him in a separate reading group and I worked my tail off with him that year. By the end of the year, we had him reading at a level 56...still way below grade average but he made a year and a half worth of progress in one year.

Max and his mom gave me a hug on the last day and mom told me how appreciative she was for all I had done for him. I told her thanks...it was my job and keep working with him over the summer. She said she would.

Yesterday I got an email from mom. She told me she had entered me in a "Teacher of the Year" contest that a local restaurant was having. The grand prize is a trip to New York!

I was flabbergasted...no parent has EVER gone out of their way to do anything like that for me. That's not why teachers teach...

Anyway, even if I don't get the trip, this essay that she and Max wrote is worth 100 trips to me. It's amazing. It made me cry and made how hard and stressful this year was totally worth it. (I changed some names and features since this isn't a private blog...)

May 05, 2008
It gives me great pleasure to nominate Mrs. Mara for the 2008 trip to the “Big Apple” Award provided by McDonalds.

It has been said that, the mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires. Mrs. Mara is one of those inspirational teachers. She is not only inspirational to her students, but to parents like myself as well. I have been fortunate enough to work with Mrs. Mara as a parent, and have my own son in her second grade class this year.

Something that strikes me on a consistent basis about Mrs. Mara is her determination to learn. One example of this is that Mrs. Mara uses research based teaching strategies with her students on a daily basis, individualizing learning goals and practices so that all students may find success. She has inspired my son to read and learn about a variety of interesting material, such as inventions, various insects and going back in time through the decades.

As a parent, I have been inspired by Mrs. Mara. When we participated in a peer-coaching for my son’s reading, I acknowledged Mrs. Mara’s reading lessons several times. Her methods are amazing, not to mention practical. Her ability to assess exactly where her students are, to determine what they need, and to create supportive lessons to get them to the next level in learning is tremendous. She uses a variety of strategies to obtain clear academic results. She does all of this with students of many different language proficiencies in English and Spanish. Her ability to tap into their personal interests motivates them to achieve. I have used many of her strategies with my son at home. She is seen as a professional leader and should be used as a model among teachers at Apple Elementary.

The personal communication that Mrs. Mara has with each of her student’s families shows her commitment to her students and their families. She writes regular newsletters about classroom activities and her students to send home, makes personal phone calls, conferences with families many more times than is required, and makes sure that each family is connected to what is going on in the classroom. She seems to have limitless energy for her students and their families.

I could go on and on with examples of how this outstanding teacher goes above and beyond professional requirements, but her true gift to her students comes from her heart. Her ability to connect to each student is a rare talent. Students want to learn with Mrs. Mara. Her passion is contagious and impacts the entire learning community at Apple Elementary.

It would be fitting that she receives this trip.


By: JoLeen Davis and Max Davis