Take time  to thank those who inspire

by Jennifer Conlee, feature editor

In everybody’s life, there is that one teacher who makes them be more than they should be, or thought they could be.

For many, it was an actual teacher. For some, it was that bully in elementary school,  or a parent who told them that they would either amount to nothing, or could be anything that they wanted to be.

I had several of these teachers in high school. 

Ms. Wiley was the theatre teacher.  By the time I had reached high school, the theatre bug had bitten me hard.  I just had to be on stage.  Unfortunately, Ms. Wiley was that one teacher who had her favorite students picked out.  It was these students who were picked for the leading roles in all the plays.

She let me know, not too subtly, that I would never act on her stage, so I turned to Lubbock Community Theater and the church drama team.  Because of this teacher, I became even more determined to act and get that starring role.  Though I have yet to get it, I know my chance is coming, and I am anxiously awaiting the day that I can send Ms. Wiley an invitation to see me on stage.

The other three teachers were the opposite of Ms. Wiley.  Ms. Mathis was my freshman English teacher.  That was the year I transferred to another high school for a semester.  The day I left, Ms. Mathis was the only person who made any objection to my leaving.

Ms. Mathis was the type of teacher who made me feel like I belonged, and every body needs that feeling.

I had Mrs. Tabor for geography and for student leadership.  She was the student council advisor.  Mrs. Tabor made everyone feel important, like they were somebody.  She inspired me to do the right thing.  I never wanted to disappoint her. To see a look of disapproval on her face because of me would have broken my heart.

The third was Mrs. Paden.  She was a fun teacher, though many complained about how hard her history class was.  She was the type of teacher that students could joke around with.

I’ve always been disorganized.  My notebook in that class was a mess, and I always turned in wrinkled papers.  I did not remember many of my teacher’s lessons. I would often walk out of class and promptly forget what they had said.  However, Mrs. Paden told me once that the most creative people are always disorganized, because they spend more time thinking and doing things and less time concentrating on their day-to-day organizing and cleaning.  I’ll never forget that lesson.  It helped me realize that it’s okay to be who I am, even if others don’t like it.

I’m not sure if there is an actual teacher appreciation day, but there should be a whole month.  I may be the ultimate brown-noser, but during my last week of high school, I wrote a letter of gratitude to every teacher I’ve ever had, including the teachers I did not particularly like.

I think that even if students do not go quite that far, they should at least be grateful in their hearts to all their teachers in high school and college.  Teachers are there to push you to be more, to be counselors when you need someone to talk to, and even to be friends at times.  Even those who you disagreed with pushed you to do what they said you could not do, and helped you to become who you are today.

For this, and for those who said you could be someone, all teachers should be thanked, for they are truly special to their students.

In fact, I think this should be a season for gratitude.  Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and we need to be a little more thankful. However, we can be grateful to more than just teachers.  We can thank anyone who has been an inspiration.

This could be a friend who has been there since childhood and has stuck by you in good and bad times, or a classmate who took notes for you when you were out of class.  Maybe you have a neighbor who has helped you with tough situations, or a sibling who did your laundry for you when you went home.

I believe that if every heart were just a little more thankful, the world could be a better place.  After all, if we are all busy thanking those who have helped and inspired us, we won’t have time for arguing with or hurting those who we don’t like.

A verse in Proverbs says “A thankful heart is like medicine to the mind.”  I believe that this is true, and one of the best Proverbs to live by.