There are a lot of good teachers out there; hell, there are a lot of great teachers out there. I've had some and so have my siblings, friends and neighbors. And now, my own children are experiencing the ups and downs of the educational system and those who stand in front of the class. I've been teaching for 20 years and I've worked hard to be a good teacher and, don't let anyone tell you differently; it takes work and a constant desire to improve. Some have it and some don't. Some get by and some absolutely excel in this profession. Every once in awhile, you get to see that excellence first hand; maybe it was when you were a student or maybe, like it has been for me, you get to witness it through the eyes of your own child.
I guess I knew from the second year of preschool that Ty needed Preppie Kindergarten, that he wasn't ready yet for the demands that the standards place on children entering school at age 5. At one point I was actually encouraging the decision based on what I had seen my other two children experience, Jake in particular. He certainly could have benefitted from "the gift of time." Really, what child wouldn't? So, when Ty was evaluated and the teacher said, "He needs Preppie K," I gladly agreed. Fortunately for Ty and for our family, that teacher turned out to be his teacher, for the next two years... Tomorrow will mark the 180th day of Kindergarten and the end of the second year that has made up the course of Ty's entrance into public school and, sadly, it marks his departure from Room 1, his little school family and his teacher, Laura Giannecchini...
I was thinking about all of the teachers that my boys have had over the last years and there have been many. Jake just finished 10th grade and Nick just finished 7th grade and while I can recall many instances and memories that were filled with wonder, joy and great moments, none of them has had a teacher like Mrs. G. I suppose it would be very simple to say that she is great or that she is creative or that the kids love her and while all of those things are true, there are other qualities that she has and a manner in which she presents herself, that make her the best teacher that I've ever seen, bar none, at any grade level. And while some will say, well, it depends on the grade level, I would argue that by saying that greatness comes from the person and not the position. In this case, a teacher of exception could teach any grade level and still excel and while Kindergarten is her passion and where she belongs, she could teach any class and the students would thrive.
She and Mrs. Newell, a colleague, collaborated to create the Preppie K program and it is clear that so many of the activities and assignments and the language that they use demonstrate the knowledge and preparation that comes from really understanding your subject matter; in this case, the children. I have come into the classroom to find the children discussing the mechanics of a catapult and then practicing with one that was made by a parent of a child in the class. I have seen the students sewing, using real needles, concentrating, listening, focusing on the task at hand. I've witnessed them hammering real nails into real boards and then measuring those boards using different measurements and tools. I've seen the children remind one another of what is acceptable and what isn't and I have seen them respond in an instant when Laura asks them to. The expectation is that although they are young, they are capable and she treats them that way; she never doubts their capacity to learn and understand. She doesn't ask why they can't comprehend what a parallelogram is, but instead, she shows them and knows that one day, they will remember it and they will look for those shapes in the world around them. I've seen the children do lesson after lesson that teaches them about the real world and their role in it and she always emphasizes the importance of their individual role. She treats them as though what they say and do and feel matter and in turn, they know that they do matter.
So many metaphors are used to describe the "blossoming" relationship between a quality teacher and her students and I wish that I could think of something that would do justice to the wonderful work that Mrs. G. does will all of her students, but there just aren't enough metaphors.
Ty did not like preschool. He did not want to go to Preppie K either and there were days this year that he did not want to go to Kindergarten. At school, he tends to worry and to not be as self confident as he is in other parts of his life and there were days when he would cry and when she would have to take him from me. On those days, I knew that he'd be fine. From the beginning I knew that he'd be fine because no matter what happened during school on those days or how tired or cranky he was when I picked him up, he always said the same thing, that he loves Mrs. Giannecchini. Maybe that is the real difference between a good teacher and a great one; it is simply that everything that they do or say comes from a genuine place of care for each child in the room. And with 30 in the room, that is no small feat. I have been in the classroom many times these past two years and I have never seen Laura different on any given day. She is ever smiling, kindness in her voice, consistent in her assertions, in her explanations, in her discipline. She does everything that all of the best parenting books tell us to do, but most of us don't, either that or we do a few things and then fail to do the others. I noticed that no matter how hectic things were or how much was going on, she never failed to act with care in each instance. A child running to her with an injury, a parent walking into the room to ask a questions, two children arguing over some markers. She just "took care of it" and moved on to the next thing as if it were the most ordinary thing in the world to have to multi-task your way through a 5 hour day, 5 days a week with such importance placed on each and every thing that you do and every word that you say...
One of the most difficult things that I've encountered in being a parent is sending my child off to school, at the mercy of a stranger. Yeah, they have to have a teaching credential and be certified, but I'm not going to lie; my kids have still had some very poor quality teachers. That is not easy for me to say, but in looking back and evaluating their attitudes, performance and student reactions to their methods and personalities, yes, they were definitely below par. Some should consider retirement, even in their forties... But the easiest thing to do, something that most of us never consider until that day comes when we pack up the back pack for the first time and make the lunch, is to send your child off to a place that is warm and safe and to a teacher who you know truly loves your kid.
That is the real difference. Mrs. Giannecchini loves our kids. She would do anything to help them and she has. Ty has blossomed these past two years and my only regret after tomorrow will be knowing that every teacher that he has from next year on, will never be as good as she is. Maybe that is unfair and I'm sure he will have many good teachers, but for him, this first experience has made him love school and has made him want to go and want to learn. Can there be anything better?
I once told Laura that she should be teaching teachers and while she said that she had thought about that and how much she would love to share ideas with colleagues, ultimately, she is right where she belongs. The kindergarteners, the seedlings, the little ones need her, more than anything and more than anyone else. They are loved and Mrs. G. so are you. We will miss you every single day and our hearts are filled with gratitude for the experience that you've given Ty these past two years. I hope that it all comes back to you many times over. You are, without a doubt, the Best Teacher ever. Thank you!
The Hawleys
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