Teacher Appreciation Blog Hop

Today the theme is “Memories of My Favorite Teacher”. Man this is a tough call. I may have to mention two teachers- one from early on and one from high school.

So my favorite teacher from early on was Mrs. Sandberg. She was my third grade teacher (well, my “home base” teacher). I went to this elementary school that had an “open concept” floor plan, so the classrooms were not closed in by walls at all, and there was a lot of switching from one teacher to another during the day. Mrs. Sandberg was my main teacher and there was another teacher I had for math and science I think. The only thing separating them were some bookshelves and cubbies – each of us had a spot in a cubby for our pencils and such since there were no individual desks – we all sat at hexagonal tables. I think there were a couple carrells too. I remember sitting at one of those for one of those fill in the bubble tests and getting a nosebleed, on my test. OOPS! 

In any case, Mrs. Sandberg was my type of teacher. I don’t remember lots of specifics, but I know I was kind of a nervous and anxious kid and pretty shy. I was always worried about doing what I was supposed to be doing. I don’t remember feeling too stressed when I was in her class. She read aloud to us, which I loved, and I learned about poetry with her, too. It was a tough year for me personally, as I was brand new at this school. We had moved in with my grandma after my parents went their separate ways. I remember it being a tough transition, but I loved living with my grandma because she had a wonderful dog, Mona, and I made some great friends at this school, some who I am still in touch with today! (Hi, Michelle, Alison, and Alison!)

Mrs. Sandberg was a great teacher during that time in my life. And ironically, when I began student teaching, I got an assignment student teaching a multiage class at my old elementary school and who still taught there? Mrs. Sandberg. She wasn’t my lead teacher – she was upstairs from where I was, but it was great to see her again and I remember telling her what fond memories I had of here.

Here are some pictures from around that time.

Happy Halloween! I wonder why my Halloween Snoopy costume says “Halloween” on it. That seems weird!

Ooh what a yummy looking cake! Must have been a warm September day for me to be in that short sleeve shirt. Sometimes it can be really chilly on my birthday.

     

My beautiful mom and I on the left. She is beautiful inside and out. My school pic on the right. I wore that dress a lot. I also think I had a “Girl Scout” barrette on. That is what I called it, but it was basically a barrette with ribbon woven through it and hanging down. Maybe I learned how to make them in GS.

Love those easter duds, huh? That is me and my bro on the left, and on the right I am fascinated by a polaroid pictures, while hanging out with my godfather, Uncle Steve. He is a terrific guy! My aunts and uncles spent a lot of time with us back then-it was great especially to have some male role models in my life on my mom’s side of the family.

I’m in Kennebunkport, Maine on the left, and that is my grandma’s house on the right – the one we moved into when I was in second grade. What a beautiful house, huh? She raised 9 kids in that house and then we lived there too.

I think my other favorite teacher was my 9th and 10th grade English teacher, Mrs. Cronin. She was great! She introduced us to Shakespeare-I went on to major in English and take 2 Shakespeare classes in college (nerdin’ out, I know). She had us also doing creative writing and she recommended me for the young author’s program at Breadloaf, VT. Did anyone else out there go to Breadloaf? A couple other kids from my HS went but I also met some very nice and cool other kids who loved to write- a girl named Daryl, Portia, and a boy named Ryder. Interesting names for 1990 high schoolers. I always wrote for fun at home and it was neat to have my teacher validate my interest in it and encourage me. I also remember learning a lot about how to write reports and do it on the Apple computers in the computer lab. We learned about formatting, and citing references and all that. Some other kids probably did not enjoy that, but I was into it. We read a lot of other great literature too and I was sad when I started 11th grade and had a different teacher for English. By the way, 9th grade was kind of a stinky year too. I was a freshman and coming off of 2 tough years in junior high where I was stressed a lot and bullied on the bus. I remember getting teased freshman year too, and being a bit overwhelmed with figuring out the high school and how everything worked, navigating friendships, and all that. Maybe it is  a theme here- my favorite teachers happened to come along at just the right time, when I needed them? Thanks Mrs. Cronin!

Here are some (frightening) pics from that time. What an awkward stage!

  

Love those peace earrings. On the right, a Halloween pic-I think I was a gypsy. Is that even a politically correct costume anymore? By the way I was wearing my mom’s skirt, that she actually wore in the 1960s/1970s and her necklaces from that time too.

  

She may not like it, but I have to get another shot of my wonderful mom and I in here. I think this is right before freshman year started. The band picture may have been in 10th or 11th grade. There is so much going on in it, it is crazy!

    

“Hey I am on an important call!”  On the right, I am getting ready for the Freshman Semi. Thank you Laura, Ashley! I would not be caught dead in that dress now, but it was stylish then. And boy, do I wish I was still  that size ! It was nice to eat whatever I wanted, not work out, and look like that!

And doing one of my favorite things ( I still love to read aloud)- reading to my cousin. Isn’t she cute? She is all grown up now and a nurse!

Thanks for visiting and be sure to enter to win the gift card and hop on over and see the posts from the other folks who are in this blog hop!