I often think back to my fourth-grade year as my best year in school. I made straight As that year. There were a couple of motivating factors that led to my high grades, but I know I would not have continued the path to educational success without the teacher I had that year, Mrs. Rogers. I know, ironic right? One would assume this teacher was the most peppy teacher ever with a bounce in her step and a song for everything.
That wasn't exactly the case. Mrs. Rogers was probably about the same age as Mr. Rogers, but her demeanor was quite different. Most children thought of her as gruff. I don't think she was mean, just strict. She had expectations, which were clearly laid out at the beginning of the year, which we were supposed to live up to. This was when teachers were still allowed quite a bit of creativity in their lesson plans. The time of those green and white grade books and calculators being forbidden in any activity.
So, here are the reasons this year was especially awesome then I will reference how Mrs. Rogers brought it all together for a holistic love of learning. My family was.....well, we were poor. We lived in a small trailer in a trailer park and I think my dad worked like a million hours per week just so we could eat. I always made honor roll but this year he told me if I made straight As the entire year, he would buy me a TV! What?! I knew this was something I had to achieve. Though we didn't have cable, it didn't matter, it would be mine!
The next motivation was that a particular boy in our class had skipped 3rd grade and was put into our class. It was known that he made straight As and was anticipated to graduate college at like 15. So this became quite the competition in my own mind.
Fourth grade was a bit different than any other year. We had to learn to multiply, divide and write fully in cursive. Quite a bit different than today where it seems like my son has to be able to do long division by the end of kindergarten. Mrs. Rogers provided a library in the classroom for us. We had two books on our desk so we could (by could, I mean, we had to) read when our work was completed. She had a regimen for us. We did the same basic routine everyday and we knew what it took to gain her approval. I remember there being quite a bit of homework, not to mention science fair projects and book reports. Mrs. Rogers always had it together. Her hair was a certain way, her clothes were neat and pressed, and she never lashed out.
I suppose I was that child that loved disciplined environments but where I really got to know Mrs. Rogers was after school since I was chosen to wash the board everyday before the bus came. She and I would talk about my dreams and aspirations. She exposed me to the belief of there being much more outside a small town in Louisiana and that started with college. Mrs. Rogers became a grandmother figure for me. A pillar of stability and someone I knew I could turn to no matter the situation. I knew I would receive the same logical answer time after time. I remember on the last day of school, I bought her a scarf from K-mart. Mrs. Rogers didn't realize I left it on her desk so I just left school that day. When she discovered the gift, she stopped my bus and came aboard to thank me. That was the last time I saw Mrs. Rogers, but I did go to college and I have traveled the world.
I hope for the students I tutor, I represent that same pillar of experience, strength and stability. Through tutoring at-risk youth, I have realized how much you don't know what goes on in a child's home and sometimes you are the only positive adult in their life. So, thank you teachers for realizing your job is much more than that and today, we celebrate you!
