Leave A Legacy

Today was the Opening Day of schools. As the Superintendent gave his speech this morning he talked about a teacher that had made an impact in his life. My mind got to thinking of that one teacher in my life that had made an impact on me.

This afternoon as I sat in the cafeteria of East Hardy High School that person came to mind after thinking about how much the school has changed in so many different ways. Sitting in that cafeteria I realized the one teacher in my life that made a difference to me was my Mother.

My Mom had taught school 40 years and 30 of them in that very building when it looked a lot different. My Mom started her teaching career at Moorefield High School where she did her student teaching in Math with Coach Johnny Paugh. Funny thing is that Coach Paugh had taught my Grandma Rittenour some many years before at Mathias High School.

Mom's first real teaching job was at Wardensville High teaching math were she was known as Miss Rittenour. It was not long before a  handsome brown eyed farm boy from Lost City (my dad) stole her heart. She would later become Mrs. Webster, move to Lost City, and teach math at Mathias.

Then in 1979 when she was expecting her first child (me) she would be moved to the consolidated high school in Baker known as East Hardy. She would spend 30 years there. In that time she taught Math there for 5 years till her second child (my sister) came along. Then she would move into the library where she spent most of her time at East Hardy.

Mom valued a good education. She got her teaching degree at Shepherd College. She got her Masters in Library Science from James Madison College. Mom pushed my sister and me to do well in school. I remember that I was one class away from getting my 2 year degree. Mom pushed me to take the final class and get the degree. So glad that I did. It has come in handy.

Mom wanted every child that came in her life to succeed. She wanted them to have the opportunity to do things that they would other wise not get to do. She supported organizations, classes, and teams at school. If a child needed money to go on a trip Mom would give an anonymous donation to the organization for the child. Going to state with a sports team, but don't have the money. No problem cause Mom would give for that too.

Mom supported the students of East Hardy High School in so many ways. She showed them love, kindness, and compassion. A lot of the students that came in her room she knew their stories. She had had their parents in school or knew their family.  She really cared about every one of them.

If a student needed someone to listen to she listened. She hugged a student when needed. Was there for co-workers when loss occurred or they just needed someone to listen. Mom talked about many nights that she woke up in the middle of the night praying for a student or co-worker not knowing what the situation was.

Teachers today need to be more like Mom. They need to take time to get to know their students. A lot of the time students come to school with some much baggage from home that they need someone to care and listen. They need someone to take the time to just be there for them. Being someone like that helps students to do their best.

Teachers today more often than not are more worried about what they have to teach and how well they are going to do on an observation. They never think about the fact that children will not do well if their minds are elsewhere.

We as educators need to slow down and take time to care about students. That way students will do so much better.

My Mom and all the Original teachers at East Hardy High left a legacy of love, caring, and compassion behind. That is the greatest gift that an educator can leave a school. Teaching children to love and care for each other helps students to know that whatever they are facing at home they are not alone. They have friends and teachers at school who love and support them. People that care about them.

I am a lot like my Mom. I take the time to get to know the children in my classroom. I make them feel loved and cared for. I listen to them when they need a friend. Sometimes a good hug is all that they need.

I hope that in the future my legacy will be to leave behind students who know how to love and care for each other.

What will you legacy be?