For the Kids

There are two ways to view children: merely as kids with short fuses and even shorter attention spans, or as the future: future politicians, future activists, future entrepreneurs, future artists. A teacher's point of view on this subject determines the kind of teacher they are;It determines the effort they put into supporting their student’s childish talents and dreams;It determines the impact of their class on the student. As a third-grader, it is incredibly inspiring when an adult believes in your undeveloped talents and passions, and does so very openly. It’s a gesture that’s effect lasts on the student for a lifetime.

One teacher who embraces this role of active supporter for her students is my third grade teacher, Ms. Major. In third grade, a kid can feel so old. In my small, Catholic school, I was a three year veteran of the uniform and older than not one, not two, but three whole grades below me. I was a preteen and halfway to middle school. By the time you got to middle school, you were basically an adult...according to the Disney teen romance movies I watched religiously. So moral of the story: it was time to grow up; you know, figure out my career, embrace my role as a second-floor student, and plan my entrepreneurial future.

Instead of dismissing my larger than eight-year-old-life dreams, Ms. Major embraced and supported them. In the third-grade, I displayed a particular liking for writing stories and poems. Even back then, my preferred choice of expression must have been evident because one Tuesday in February Ms. Major gave me what, in that moment, I found to be the most inspiring and amazing gift I’d ever received. She gave me a blue journal with red, orange, and yellow flowers painted on it, and told me it was a place to write down all of my amazing stories and poems. Wow. My teacher, who at that time was the most knowledgeable person in the world, basically a celebrity, gave me a gift because she thought I was a good writer. I was in awe at the gesture.

Ms. Major was an exceptional teacher all around. Teaching in a Catholic School, her love of God was evident in and outside of the classroom. She taught good morals and manners and through her over thirty year old, incredibly successful and rewarding teaching methods. She held students accountable for their actions, yet she still made sure they understood why they were in trouble and how they could improve. Ms. Major instilled the instinct to help others in all of her students. In my experience, being an eight and nine year old is a crucial time period during childhood. You are no longer a baby, so all of the sudden you feel this wave of wanting to be older, wanting to do more. I believe Ms. Major could read this and used it to each of her students’ advantages. She encouraged us to do what we felt we could do to make our class better, our school better, and the lives of others better. She never once made us feel that we were only powerless, little kids with ideas blown out of proportion by our imaginations. She genuinely wanted to help us make our plans realities. She always made it clear that she was our number one fan, and it was evident that she truly loved each and every one of us. To this day, I still consider Ms. Major to be one of the best and most inspiring teachers I have ever had the privilege of being taught by.

I think maybe one of the best things about Ms.Major, is that her love for her students doesn’t end in June and become archived when summer vacation rolls around. It has been nine years now since I was a third-grader, but I still consider Ms. Major to be one of my biggest fans. Now retired, she couldn’t seem to stay away from the kids she loved so much because she came back to help out with homework at the school’s afterschool program. I see her whenever I am volunteering at one of the school's events, and it always brightens my mood significantly. She treats me like a celebrity around the kids, and tells them about my amazing writing and acting skills, and just how nice and beautiful of a young woman I am. On more than one occasion, I have been approached by current third and fourth-graders telling me that Ms. Major showed them a video from my latest musical and they thought I was amazing. I think that one of the most special moments I have ever experienced was walking out on stage during Mamma Mia, and seeing Ms. Major sitting in the front row, her camera recording, and a huge, proud smile on her face. My heart melted, and to be honest, I nearly broke character.

I can always count on Ms. Major to be there for me. She cares so much about my well-being, my future, and my feelings. It is an incredible privilege to have a teacher that you had for one year stick by you for almost a decade, at this point. This is the kind of love that everyone deserves, but I am so privileged and lucky to receive. I honestly feel that having Ms. Major as an influential figure in my childhood and early adult life has helped mold some of who I am today, and I will always be grateful for that. Thanks for always being my greatest hypewoman, Ms. Major!