Teacher Appreciation Week

As many of you know, this week was Teacher Appreciation Week! We have so much love for our teachers at Impact Network who care so deeply for our students and communities. Each of our 170 teachers works to help their students learn, grow, and thrive and we are grateful for their hard work and dedication.  Zikomo Kwambiri!

This week always makes me reflect back to the teachers that I had that helped me grow – I was extremely lucky, looking back. Each of my teachers played a role in shaping my education, and obviously, taught me a lot. But in many ways, what sticks with me far into adulthood is not the formulas, writing techniques, or science methodology that they actually taught me, but the way they made me feel. So today, I want to take the opportunity to thank them.  So in no order (and with – I’m sure – some omissions that I sincerely regret), here we go!

I have so much gratitude to Mrs. Andrews – who I remember so vividly shepherded us into third grade and helped us learn our times tables. But she made it so fun! It never felt like it was work to learn multiplication and she was the first teacher who taught me to love math. To Mrs. Hallett, who instilled enough confidence in me to try out for the school play – an area of the arts that I was never exposed to outside of school, and a place that I formed some lifelong friendships along the way. She also let me hone my French braiding skills on her long hair and my daughter is lucky I’m so good at it now! To Mrs. Slater, who was the first female athlete I was regularly exposed to – she taught me fifth grade but also helped coach some of the sports teams and really helped young girls thrive back then. Mrs. Grovestine – who taught me never to rely on first impressions. She always was thought of as the sort of strict teacher that middle schoolers might be afraid of, but she also had a hearty laugh, and I remember our amazing rainforest display outside of our classroom doors with such fondness. Mr. Drews – who taught us geography, and also imposed this idea to me that the world is so large, and there is so much we don’t know and won’t know. Mr. Philbrook, who continues to check-in on my parents to do this day, and always has a warm smile when I return to the campus. Mr. Beluzzo, who always had a quiet confidence and pride in his students, even when they were struggling – as I did in music sometimes. Mr. Algarvio (I hope I still spelled that right!), who helped me with my first dissection! I took my kids to see a cow’s eye being dissected recently, and I still remember the way he worked with us to examine and gain an appreciation for each part of an organism’s body. Mrs. Cook – who is such an amazing supporter of my work today (she still makes a monthly donation to Impact Network as we speak!) – took my group of silly eighth grade girls and helped them form lifelong friendships, shepherding us into high school with such ease.

As I entered high school, there were bigger problems, and larger life lessons. To Mr. Hoare, who encouraged me on the alto saxophone and let me join the ninth grade band even though I wasn’t actually taking music class as an elective anymore. Mr. Hoare was always able to see the person beyond the student and I am forever grateful. Mr. Gough, who asked students what other languages they spoke on the first day of school. I said Gujarati, followed by “no one has ever heard of it though”, and he responded that it was a language that hundreds of millions of people spoke and of course he had heard of it. I felt so seen and it was such a small response, but I remember it every time someone asks me what languages I speak today. Madame Le Blanc, who opened my eyes to the French language, and never made us feel small or silly when we butchered it sometimes. Mr. Starkey, who was my cross-country coach, and encouraged hard work rather than the time on the clock – ahead of his time in the growth mindset arena. Mr. Rusciolelli, who loved science, and made me feel like I could be excited about doing anything I chose to in life. Ms. Roche, who I never had as a teacher, but helped us start the yearbook during my senior year – we had no idea how much work it would be, but I still look back fondly on those delirious days in her classroom working on a computer. Mr. Milkovich, who somehow still reminds me of a line he loved in a speech I made 20 years ago, which tells you just how much he pays attention. Mrs. Watson, who let some recess-shy students do art in her workshop on days where we didn’t feel like going outside – she could tell we might have been nervous or anxious about something, and just let us use art to help us through some tougher days. And Mr. Cowle, who taught me a lot about what I know about US History, where I now live (well, him and Hamilton) – he distilled complicated historical angles down to simpler, relatable lessons for us, that still hold up today.

And these last five, are ones that I remember getting me through my brother’s death in high school in ways that I still hold dear. Mr. Whyte, who met with me the week before I returned back to school after his death; he sat with me and my whole extended family, and walked through every class, every homework assignment, every piece of school work that he knew could wait, and patiently helped me figure out a plan with zero pressure. Mrs. Isaac, who was my maths teacher, but who pulled me aside that first day back and told me a personal story that really helped me realize that I was never alone in the school. Mr. Hall, who taught me about probabilities and casino odds – but that week that I returned, he took us outside to play instead of holding class. Knowing what I know now about the pressure on teachers to get through the content, I’m sure that day cost him curriculum wise. But he recognized that it was a hard day, and prioritized me in a way I’ve never forgotten. Mr. Sweeney, who I never had as a teacher, but who was Nik’s basketball coach for a very long time – who left his gym door open to me anytime I wanted to return and remember him on my own. And last, Mrs. McGivern, who was my favourite English teacher, and whose love I really felt when I returned to the school. She once made an offhand comment about death in those first few weeks I came back, and after class, she pulled me aside to apologize. It was a time I remembered feeling so cared for – that a teacher took the time to check on me and make sure I was okay after class.

I’m sure I’ve forgotten a lot – and to those teachers, the error is mine, and the impact you had on me is not diminished in my heart. But I hope the above shows you just how impactful teachers are. Each Impact Network teacher will be remembered by their students decades from now.  We are so proud of them, and we appreciate them this week especially.

-Reshma