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Thursday, March 14, 2013

To That One Child

"I believe that our background and circumstances may have influenced who were are, but we are responsible for who we become."

- Unknown
I have this quote hanging in my classroom along with this picture.  It is a picture of me and my class when I was a 4th grader.  This was taken in February 1990 and I had just turned 10.  My dad was in the Army and we lived in Germany.  I lived in Germany a total of 8 years growing up (2 different tours).  I think that most (if not all) teachers have one teacher growing up who helped push them in that direction.  For me... it was Mrs. Robinson.  The half-smiling kid in this picture was so full of worry... worry about her bi-polar mother and alcoholic father.  School was the safe place...the happy place!  Mrs. Robinson was the first person who told me that I could go to college... that if I looked at my home life and wanted to change it... that I could change it and make it better when I grew up.  I can remember going during her post-planning and helping her clean out her classroom.... she gave me extra worksheets to play school with the neighborhood kids.  She took me to Pizza Hut (my very first time getting to go)... just the two of us... and I remember feeling so special. I remember watching her write on the chalkboard and wanting to make my handwriting look just like hers.  I hang this picture in my classroom every year to serve as a reminder... that the corny quote about making a difference in the life of ONE child really is true.  It might be the happy looking kid, the trouble maker, the over-achiever, or the slow learner... you just never know!

 Before there was such a thing as MySpace or Facebook, I did an internet search for Mrs. Robinson...I found 10ish people in the US with her name and I sent all of them letters in the hopes of tracking her down... with no luck.  Last night I decided to search for her on Facebook and I found her.  What a delight it was to send her this picture and tell her just HOW big of an impact she had on my life.  It is my greatest desire to have one of my students search for me someday!   
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I decided 100% when I was 10 years old what path I was going to go down.  I didn't know where this college place was that she was talking about, but I was going!!!  I worked 3 jobs during school to pay the bills.   This woman lit a fire... a fire that could not be extinguished!  We teachers are very powerful... and I can tell you that I don't remember much about any school lessons that Mrs. Robinson taught me...  but I learned SO much more! 
-Stacy

22 comments:

  1. tearing up over here! What a wonderful story! Thank you for sharing... It's so true - I hope to make an impact on just one of my littles :) <3

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  2. Thank you for sharing your story. :)

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  3. Thanks for sharing your beautiful story Stacy!

    œKaryn
    A is for Apple B is for Blog
    Kideducator@comcast.net

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  4. Awww...Stacy! Tears! Love this post! Very inspirational!

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  5. You made me think of my own path and it was my 2nd/3rd grade teacher that did it for me. I'm heading to FB to do some searching. This is precious Stacy!

    ~Christy
    Fluttering Through First Grade

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  6. Wow that is an amazing story! I'm so happy one teacher made a difference for you. I'm sure you have made a difference in many children's life. This is what teaching is all about. Thanks for the reminder!
    Rambling About Reading

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  7. Awe, I cried reading this! I am sharing it on my fb page. I love that one teacher can and did make a difference.

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  8. Thanks for that wonderful reminder of why we do what we do...in this time of assessments that never end, the view most of the public holds of us, and all the other things, it is good to remember why we became teachers. To teach, to reach, to help - even if it is just one.

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  9. This totally made me cry...especially because I am a Mrs. Robinson and I hope that someday one of my peanuts will look back on me with the same fondness and feeling you have for yours. I am your newest follower.
    Jean
    http://mrsrobinson2ndgrade.blogspot.com/

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  10. Wiping my tears as I read this. I agree that if we can make a difference in one child's life it is all worth it:) Hugs to you.

    Aloha,
    Corinna

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  11. What a wonderful story and yes you made me cry. So glad you found her and maybe more importantly she found you.

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  12. A beautiful story and you worked till the dream was a reality. Well done you!! Inspirational stuff!

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  13. What a beautiful story & a wonderful reminder of the REAL reason we all do this job. Like you said, as corny as it sounds, we do make a difference. While we may never know who we touch, we DO touch lives daily. Thank you so much for sharing!

    Kelly
    First Grade Fairytales

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  14. This made me cry! Thank you for the inspiration. What a wonderful story! It's good to know that we can make a difference even if it's in one child's life.
    ☀Rikki
    The Hive

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  15. Such a beautiful post. I just shared it on my Five on the Fifth post. A great reminder for all of us!!

    Megan
    I Teach. What's Your Super Power?

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  16. BEAUTIFUL! Not only did I need a tissue after reading this, but I got goosebumps. It was so heartfelt and brought back so many memories of past students that touched MY life. I wonder where they are... Thank you! I'll be sharing on my FB.
    :0) Melissa
    More Time 2 Teach

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  17. That is a lovely story. I'm so glad you shared it. Today I reached out to a handful of student who were in my class about 26 years ago. I shared some of the writing I had saved. It was a great way to let them know they were still important in my life, too. I bet Mrs. Robinson is tickled pink that you found her!
    Patty

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  18. Thank you for sharing your story! I have two quotes that I keep on my desk that echo the sentiment expressed in yours.....

    "Make a difference in the life of a child."

    "When the books are turned in and the halls are empty, the impact you made still remains....."

    ~Jennifer

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  19. Absolutely LOVE this story! I'm so glad that Mrs. Robinson was in your life!

    Jamie aka MissMathDork

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  20. So glad you were able to find Mrs. Robinson. We never forget the teacher who inspired us. Thank you for sharing.

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  21. Thank you for sharing! It brought tears to my eyes. I always think about the little lives I will impact and I hope that I do it in a positive way. It's nice when they come back and tell you that you made a difference in their lives.

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