I will have to give you a little bit of background. You see, 2nd grade was a tough year for me. I was convinced I had the meanest teacher on the planet. She was probably perfectly fine, but I was an overly sensitive child and weird. I really was a weird kid. Anyway, for some reason I really struggled that year. Well, we moved the summer between 2nd and 3rd grade to Panama City, Fl. and I started a new school. My teacher was Mrs. Hicks and I thought she was the greatest thing since sliced bread.
She loved reading and writing and I learned in her class to love reading and writing. We would have days where we would bring our sleeping bags and favorite books and spend all day reading. Mrs. Hicks was overflowing with creativity and her passion for it was contagious. It would have been awesome if all she did was spark the love for reading that she did. But she did even more than that. In addition to the love for reading, she loved writing. She taught writing workshops after school, and that might sound boring, but it wasn't. She and another wonderful teacher, Mrs. Knowles, made it fun. I learned to brainstorm and create flow charts and put my excessive daydreaming and crazy imagination to use. It all started because I wrote a story in class one day. It was about a ghost named Burt that became my friend when I fed him corn. I told y'all I was wierd. :) It was just an assignment and I didn't think much about it, but Mrs. Hicks went on and on about how talented I was. She even made sure I turned it into a book complete with illustrations.
She stirred a passion in my life for reading and writing and thinking outside of the box. But even more than that, she made me feel special. After such a rough time in 2nd grade I somehow ended up with no self-esteem by the age of 8. But Mrs. Hicks came into my life and I felt like I had something to offer the world. I feel like I became such a different person. I went from a shy, scared to death little girl to one who ran for student council positions and went on to write "books" that were even put in my elementary school library. I believe that God made encouragement one of my spiritual gifts because I am someone who has needed so much of it. Mrs. Hicks encouraged me to do and be things I would have never even thought about trying.
I am a firm believer in letting people know how you feel about them. Mrs. Hicks, I just want you to know how God used you! Now, I'm a totally weird grown-up that blogs about my crazy life instead of writing stories about dancing with lizards or feeding corn to ghosts. :) I know teachers don't come close to making what they deserve money wise, but I pray that the impact you have on your students compensates for that somewhat!
How about you? Do you have a special teacher that made an impact on you? I would love to hear about it!
I don't have a picture of Mrs. Hicks handy, but this is my 3rd grade class, Hicks' Hurricanes. In this picture is one of my dearest friends, Pao Ying, the first boy I ever chased on the playground and informed him that he would be my boyfriend, and several others who walked across the stage with me as I graduated high school. Sweet memories!
5 comments:
What a sweet post Emily! I don't know that I have one specific teacher that stood out so I'll have to think about that! I hope your former teacher gets to read this!
Thanks again for the blog link! I finally published my post and I've been in contact with her. It's unreal how alike our situations are right now!
Emily,
I have been reading your blog since I found you on facebook! You were a talented writer in 3rd grade - almost as talented as you are now. You had a gift that was hard to miss! My hardest job as your teacher was convincing YOU how talented you were! Oh, but you were fun to teach! Some kids are just FUN to teach and you were definitely one of them. I simply had to suggest a writing technique or idea and you would get this wicked gleam in your eye and run the nearest desk or table and start writing furiously.
It is so amazing that you posted this blog now!!!You see, this summer I decided to clean out my filing cabinet and wade through ALL of my file folders - and there are a LOT of them after 26 years! I vowed I would not stop until they were ALL cleaned out and sorted. I worked diligently until I got to the Es and came upon a folder that said, "Emily's Writing". The first thing I pulled out was a pink covered book titled "Lizard Motion", complete with illustrations, a blurb on the back, and a list of other books by the author - who just happened to be Emily Strickland!!! I was instanatly transported back to our classroom at Parker Elementary! What a terrific year that was! It was before FCAT and high stakes testing and I remember how much we ENJOYED learning - or at least I did! ;) I'm certain I learned more from your class than any of you ever learned from me! I have the book and the folder waiting on my desk to mail to you. I know your Sarah would so love to see her mom's writing - you were very close to her age when you wrote Lizard Motion!
I have always known (well, at least since 1st grade and Mrs. Roger's class) that I would be a teacher. And - I have always known that God has sent me the children that he wants me to teach and to love and nurture. I am honored and blessed to have been your teacher and THIS piece of writing means more to me than you can ever know. Thank you! Love always, Mrs. Hicks
Oh my gosh...this brought tears to my eyes.
Barbara and I have been friends for a few years now, and she become a mentor as well. This is my first year teaching (I am 40 and returned to college a few years ago). I am about to begin teaching five classes ranging in 6th through 12th grades.
Barbara has made herself available for any and all questions and NEVER makes me feel stupid for asking what I think are the dumbest questions this side of Podunk, USA.
I can only dream that one day, I will have the same impact on a child that she had on you and has already had on me.
I agree with Barbara in that you are a gifted writer. Oh boy, but chalk another blog up on the list of the many I read in Google Reader!
Emily,
I had a special teacher in High School - Mrs. Fanske. She was an english teacher who believed in writing too. She challenged us to write essays the way they were supposed to be written and to this day I follow her teaching.
My friend, you are gifted in writing, encouragement and many other areas. I want to let you know that I was going through an old Bible I had when I was FBC of Parker. In the midst of all the pics, notes, etc., there was a note from you. I was not sure what I was going through at that time, but you recognized that I needed some encouragement. Your note touched my heart the other day because I needed to read it now as I go through some of the toughest stuff I have ever had to endure. You put a PS that read "The Anchor Holds." I remembered the song, the dance and now that special note you wrote. Like Mrs. Hicks, finding something from Emily Strickland was very special and very timely.
Keep writing and sharing because you never know whose life will be touched.
love ya,
Mrs. P
Oh my goodness! I remember that book that Em wrote--Lizard Motion!!! I remember it like it was just yesterday. ( : I, too had Mrs. Hicks and feel the same. She made reading fun...and that is not an easy thing to do with a 3rd grader. I remember how she passed on her love of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and James and the Giant Peach. Roald Dahl became my favorite author because of Mrs. Hicks. I remember that I cried on the day that I found out that he had died. Thank you Mrs. Hicks for giving me the lifelong gift of a love for reading and writing!
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