TL;DR:
- Writing is a time to inspire others, and it can serve as a tool for reflection.
- Consider what timeless, thought-provoking message of passion, vision, and love you can engrave in the hearts of your students.
“For some, ‘time’ passes slowly. An hour can seem like an eternity. For others, there was never enough. For Jesse Tuck, it didn’t exist.”
– Natalie Babbitt, Tuck Everlasting
For many, maybe you hear these timeless, thought-provoking words and you can picture that place, that smell, that feeling, and that time in which you wanted to rush through school or life because you didn’t feel smart enough, bright enough, or intelligent enough. After all, you didn’t understand math, or reading, or even how to take and pass the very first state assessment that had come out that year.
You failed, but not in her book, not in her chapter, not in her writing. But at that same time, while you were sprinting, jumping over hurdles through your elementary school years, you knew somehow this time was special. It was different. It was one to be cherished.
And yet you simply didn’t want it to go away, especially the time with that one person that made a difference in your life.
Looking back you almost wish you could have been the character, Jesse Tuck, from the book Tuck Everlasting, where time didn’t exist because those moments with Mrs. Nance, your 4th Grade Teacher were ones to be cherished. But it wasn’t just Tuck Everlasting, Cracker Jackson, The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle, and Bridge to Terabithia to name just a few.
She would read it aloud to you in class because, for some reason, you could comprehend reading better when she read it to you. You could feel her soft-spoken, ever so gentle words that knitted together like your great-grandmother’s afghan. And it was intertwined with passion, vision, and her love for learning that she wanted to ingrain in her students.
The Moment of Feeling Seen
That blanket would drape over my heart from the very first moment I wrote my first story in writer’s workshop. I am not sure what she saw in my words, or even what she saw in me that day, but it changed my life. Writing would become my getaway.
I learned at a young age the power of words, how they can tear someone apart or do what they are meant to do, and that’s inspire. Writing was my time to reflect, to show myself how far I had come. It is also meant to serve others to make them feel happy. And best of all, to tug at their heartstrings and make them feel and see something in them that Mrs. Nance saw in me the year.
I learned at a young age the power of words, how they can tear someone apart or do what they are meant to do, and that's inspire. Writing was my time to reflect, to show myself how far I had come. Click To TweetThe Gift That Keeps Writing The Whole Year
I would fall in love with writing so much that on my Christmas list that year, I didn’t tell my parents, but I already knew Santa didn’t exist, and yet I still asked him for a classic off white Brother Typewriter. I couldn’t get enough of spending time with Mrs. Nance in those moments and I also couldn’t get enough of this school subject.
For once I felt bright, smart, and intelligent. And depending on the subject at hand, there were days when the writing process felt slow, like an eternity, or there simply wasn’t enough time. Each piece of writing was just as she would describe her students every year on the first day of school as a Butterfly in the Wind. Each one was different, each one was special, and each one was unique.
Our Unique Stories
These unique types of writing followed me into the school of Journalism at Ohio State University. They followed me back to school to become the educator that she was for me. I also had my first piece of published writing in Educational Leader and author Sarah Johnson’s book Lead with Faith.
And unique is what you—still to this day and time—can call our relationship as she guided me a few years ago in writing a eulogy for my 5th grade teacher who suddenly passed away. One day, she arrived at Miami Trace Elementary School to be my guest reader to my 3rd grade students. And when I accepted my very first assistant principal position on April 29th, time once again stood still as I placed a special phone call to personally once again thank her for seeing something so special in me that day in her class.
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What’s Your Message?
Maybe during this time of COVID-19, we feel like time passes slowly. An hour can seem like an eternity and yet sometimes there isn’t enough. Maybe there’s a student or a staff member who is feeling like they aren’t smart enough, bright enough, or intelligent enough. What timeless, thought-provoking message of passion, vision, and love would you engrave in their heart, just like Mrs. Nance did and continues to do to this day?
About Megan Anderson
Megan has embraced a wide range of leadership roles in the field of education. Her expertise in technology and inclusion give her a forward-thinking mindset that garners results. Megan’s hands-on approach and focus on the importance of reflection in finding the best possible solutions and pathways make her a standout educational and motivational coach. Her dynamic personality combined with her in-the-trenches knowledge and experiences allow her to effectively collaborate, motivate, and vitalize growth as she serves others.
