When I heard our topic this rotation would be Hot
for Teacher, I immediately
knew I wanted to talk about Mrs. Wara. (Not like that! Elevate your minds for a
sec and try to keep up with the class.)
My senior year in high school, I was perfectly content to
coast into graduation. I took classes like peer counseling, drama, choir, and
unscheduled (yep, it’s a real thing). I signed up for any extracurricular
activity that involved a field trip. I apparently was on the Academic Team,
which I have no recollection of but a friend insists is true. And I often
missed classes due to *fake cough* illness or the burning need to go back to
bed. To say I was a slacker is like saying the sun’s kinda warm.
Then came Senior Economics, my first class with Mrs.
Wara.
As I already stated, I was
dedicated to blowing off the year, so the details of our first encounter are a
bit fuzzy. But in my mind, it went something like this.
Me: (Walking into Senior Econ) La la la. I feel some cramps coming on. I wonder if I can get Becky’s mom to pick me then I can go home and reread Les Misérables. “Hi Mrs. Wara. I’m Carey Blackmon. It is so wonderful to meet you. My, that is a lovely sweater set you’re wearing.”
Mrs. W: “I know who you are
Blackmon. You are a slacker. You don’t have what it takes to pass my class. You are going to fail and then I am going to enjoy giving you the
grade you deserve. (insert evil laugh as she wipes the drool from her snout) I
eat kids like you for breakfast.” *end scene*
Did I mention that in my version,
she always looks like The
Teacher from the Black Lagoon?
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| BTW - This is a great series! |
I was outraged! How dare Mrs. Wara judge, and thereby limit, my
potential? Who did she think she was? More importantly, who did she think I was? I’d show her!!! So I made it my semester goal to teach my teacher a
lesson. My need for vindication drove me to apply myself with ninja-like
devotion. No other time in my years of public education, did I work so hard, or
attend so regularly.
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Out of Mrs. Wara’s numerous Econ
classes that semester, I got the third highest grade. And my A+ + + + + + + felt like sweet revenge. But to my surprise, Mrs. Wara seemed to genuinely enjoy giving me the grade I deserved—the grade I had earned.
To this day, I take pride in that
accomplishment above all other k-12 academic achievements. For years, I also took
pride in proving Mrs. Wara wrong. But as I matured, I began to see it a bit
differently. Maybe her nefarious plan was never about me proving anything to
her, but proving something to myself. And
boy, did she read me like a dime store novel.
If Mrs. Wara had approached me
with an inspiring speech about living up to my potential, I would’ve
dismissed her. If she’d flat out told me I needed to try harder, I’d have done
less. But her shrewd reverse psychology motivated me to push myself to a new
level.
So thank you, Mrs. Wara, for
motivating me in the best way possible and for teaching me a lesson that
continues to inspire me to new feats of professional accomplishment! I am
grateful.
YOUR TURN: Take a moment to honor a teacher who taught you a life lesson.
9 comments:
Hear, hear! Well said and so, so true. There is one teacher that sits with me along this journey of mine. I remember him so very well. He was an inspiration, but I wasn't yet ready to receive. That doesn't mean his words were wasted, or his intentions to keep me on track. I just had to let them sink in first.
@Escape Artist Linda - delayed inspiration is sometimes the best kind because it means the lessons are deeply imprinted on our persons. :) It funny how once we find our way, those lessons surface. Thanks for sharing.
Love this story, Carey! It doesn't demonstrate how brilliantly stubborn you are at all (snicker ;).
I hope my boys have teachers who care enough to provoke and challenge them when necessary!
I had a few teachers who taught me life lessons...since next week's my turn, I'll wait to share.
Mr. Zingsheim was my literature and creative writing teacher. He taught me that waiting around for the muse to strike would get me a failing grade and that I could, and would, write on demand. Not only that, but I could write well on demand. His influence saved me repeatedly during college and is the reason I'm working on a draft for novel #8. I'm still not fantastic at writing, but I do write prolifically and on a schedule!
@Lorie - Me stubborn?! ;D
@Addy - Wow, what an invaluable lesson for writers! I wish someone had taught me that. Here's to Mr. Zingsheim. *claps*
Carey,
I loved this story! Ah, the benefits of some good reverse psychology!
There are those who rise to meet challenges and those who would prefer to shrug and walk away. You aren't the type to shrug and walk away. :-) I knew how this story would end.
It would be great to send her this post! She would probably get a real kick out of it.
Mrs. P just had a way of teaching. She could even get the slackers to learn - that's saying something. She worked with them until they grasped the idea of what she was teaching. I know, I sat next to one, and he learned...we all learned from her.
Great post!
@Kim - Thanks for the push-sent it. I wasn't sure about sending because of the Teacher from the Black Lagoon comment - hopefully she'll know I meant it humorously.
@Loree - Thanks for sharing. *raises glass* Here's a toast to Mrs. P, making a difference in our world.
What a great story! Rock on, Mrs Wara!
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