In honor of school teachers everywhere--Primary Edition

Here are my favorite teachers from Pre-K through middle school: 

1. My Granny-- She taught me my ABCs and 123s.  I stayed with her while my mom was at work and she taught me how to cook, clean, sing, play piano, and read.  We went to the store together, ate french fries at Central Park together, laughed together, talked, and watched Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy... together.  We played Bible Lotto and she taught me songs like "Amazing Grace" and "Jesus Loves Me." When I did start public school, she was the one who helped me get out the door and on the bus in time.  When I came home from school every day, her face greeted me as she opened the door.  She was and still is like a second mother to me.  

2. Bettye Johnson -- My kindergarten teacher

Love love love her.  She has a special place in my heart because she was a very sweet-spirited lady who loved us all as if she were our mother.  Truly everything I needed to know I learned in kindergarten from her.  I found her on Facebook just the other day and sent her a sincerely sappy and sweet message straight from my heart.  Love eternal for Bettye Johnson... and "love" here is such an understatement.


3. Cerita Glenn -- 2nd grade 
Initially, she had me at the fact that our first names were somewhat similar.   I had just moved to a new state and was therefore in a brand new school.  Potentially this could have been a vulnerable time; however, I remember this awesome teacher loved on and nurtured me bigtime.  She definitely helped to make my transition fun, simplistic and sweet.   Life in her classroom produced a wonderful school year which included tremendous learning, new friendships and playing the handbells during music class.  (Yes, you just read handbells... and I *seriously* enjoyed playing them.)  I don't know where she is, which makes me a teensy bit sad because I would love for her to know just how I adore her and what a major impact she made on my life.  Holler if you know her, mk?


4. Eleanor Calloway--4th grade
(ha and I didn't do that on purpose... #4, 4th grade teacher)
Classy, intelligent, sophisticated-yet-down-to-Earth lady.  I admired her tremendously.  She was sharp, sassy, fun and unforgettable.  When she made a point, it was crystal clear and the memory stuck.  She treated all of us as if we were gifted and required our best effort.  She set high standards of excellence for us and didn't take no mess!  Encouragement, laughter and learning were the triad of her classroom.  I don't know where Ms. Eleanor Calloway is either, but I hope one day I can tell her how she was a bright star in my sky.  


5. Jeraldine Sims--6th grade
Tough love.  Focus.  Discipline.  Hard work.  Jeraldine Sims was no joke.  Doesn't her name just sound like she don't play around?  I can still remember the first day of class with her because I was scared.  Talking during class?  One look from her could make you shut your mouth, squeeze your sphincter muscles and get back on task simultaneously.  Even though she sorta scared me, I loved her old school values and her tough love.  She talked to us about staying focused on our studies rather than knuckleheads of the opposite sex.  Several times when I was on the cusp of what could have quickly turned into a shady situation, she appeared (seemingly out of thin air...) and told me to get to where ever I was supposed to be in a tone that closely resembled a combination of both my Mom and my Granny.  *Cue sphincter muscles and exit stage right.*   


Honorable Mentions:

Linda Correy (sp?)-- elementary school music teacher extraordinaire. I have always loved music and she nurtured my love for music so tenderly. I ALWAYS looked forward to music class... the songs, the instruments, the music theory and choir performances. I can still remember singing this song at the start of class, "Follow follow me in a line in a line. Follow follow me we will go this way...Follow follow me we will stop our feet, look into the circle, it looks so neat." And, I still remember singing our school song, "Lakeside Lucky" ... which I believe she wrote.  The singer in me simply adored this music teacher. 

Librarian @Lakeside Elementary--cannot remember her name :( but I do remember that she wore braces on both legs. She regularly read aloud to my class and as a result we were a completely captivated audience. Her reading nurtured my love of books and reading. I can still see her lovely face and hear her voice reading with emotion, emphasis and exceptional character expression.




Click here for the Secondary Edition :)