Here's to You, Mrs. Robinson!

It's Teacher Appreciation week and I encourage you to take some time to appreciate the teachers you had THEN and NOW.

As I searched images to show you something that depicted the power of a teacher as a role model, I realized I already had one that was perfect from my own personal images. 1969, first grade, me and Mrs. Robinson!

That was the year I decided I wanted to be a teacher too.

What was it about Mrs. Robinson that caused me to look up to her in such awe? I was happy. Can you tell? But what I remember and what this picture shows is that SHE saw ME! I wasn't just one more student in her class. I wasn't a head to be filled with knowledge. When she looked at me, I knew she really saw me.

Being known and loved anyway - precious.

As teachers we are role models. But it's the power in our ability to build authentic relationships with our students that makes the difference. Six year old, little redheaded girls, don't look up to statuesque, confident teachers because of their hairdo's or because of their smarts. We're in awe of their heart-warming ability to see through the failed math test, the not so perfect handwriting, and the stumbling over three syllable words during reading and into the people we are.

So, here's to you, Mrs. Robinson. You loved me more than I will ever know. Thank you for being the model I follow!

Need ideas for great gifts for teachers? Check here.

The Balancing Act of Lent

Yesterday was Fat Tuesday! I watched as The Today Show revealed to us all how New Orleans has risen from the ashes of hurricane Katrina and Rita. We spent the day celebrating - celebrating life in an indulgent sort of way. A last hurrah before the sobering Lenten season that begins today on Ash Wednesday.

We value frivolity and mirth making. There's nothing wrong with a great party, but I wonder if we avoid and even sacrifice contemplation and self-reflection as a result. You won't see coverage of Ash Wednesday or Lent on The Today Show. But without them there'd be no reason for Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras.

As an educator I feel the tug of spring in the air at my school. Students are having trouble focusing on what they need to do in favor of succumbing to the promises of spring break. They will carouse and carry on for a week before returning to complete the heaviest load of their school year.


We always appreciate more what we have when we lose it. A well deserved break doesn't mean anything without the pressures of work. Balance is only achieved when opposites exist together. We can welcome both in our lives and experience both fully and intentionally. So the students can enjoy their spring break and then come back to focus on their studies; you can party until dawn on Fat Tuesday and then get ashes on your forehead and focus on the next six weeks of Lent.

Both are important for a well balanced life and spirit. King Solomon said it best - "A time for weeping and a time for laughing; a time for sorrow and a time for dancing" (Ecclesiastes 3:4). You can't have one without the other.

Teaching through Tragedy

Today as we return to school after the horrific events at Sandy Hook Elementary in Connecticut, teachers and parents alike are apprehensive about how to talk to kids about what happened. There are more questions than there are possibly answers. Why are 20 first graders dead? What do we say to those that are left behind?


The public wants to know why our schools are not safe. They want to know what we are doing about it. All I can say is that we, as educators, are doing everything in our power to keep children safe.

But it's not easy. After all, the United States is the most violent country in the industrialized world. What happens in schools is a microcosm of what happens in our society.

Schools are doing all they can to prevent violence to students and teachers. School security has increased exponentially. Zero tolerance for bullying is in place. Teachers receive extra training in order to recognize and diffuse suspected violent behavior. They are trained to identify “at risk” youngsters; what to do in a gun emergency; made aware of the different groups at their school and their issues/traits/appearance. Teachers are also trained how to “talk down” a violent student.

As a parent I don’t have that training. Do you?

After each tragic incident, teachers put aside their own fears and concerns and turn their attention to their students. Often when bad things happen, either in the world or in their communities, kids are in school. The first adults they encounter to help them make sense of it all are their teachers.

School was in session when JFK was assassinated.

School was in session when the space shuttle Challenger exploded.

School was in session when terrorists attacked on 9/11.

And school was in session on Friday, December 14, 2012 when someone shot and killed 20 children and 6 adults at Sandy Hook Elementary.

Although it would be preferable that parents are the ones who have the first opportunity to explain tragedy to their children, often it’s the teachers who fill that role. The lesson of the day is put aside and the lesson instead becomes “What happened? Why did this happen? And could it happen again?”

After 9/11 one New York teacher posted on the internet, “No matter how upset we are by the grim reality that our country is not as safe as we would like to believe it to be, we have to offer our children some semblance of security in their world.”

Teachers are on the front lines of this battle every day. And they’re scared too. Some of them have been killed too. For some, this is the reason to leave the profession. Like so many firefighters after 9/11, those who teach are looking for a safer profession. As much as we need them to stay, as much as they’d like to stay, the truth is they’re leaving in droves.

We need to make it safe for them as they try to make it safe for our children.

We need to thank them for taking a bullet for us parents when they stand stubbornly between violence and our children.

Those who go unappreciated for an extended period of time eventually leave. It’s one of most commonly cited reasons women ask for a divorce. Teachers are no different. A heart felt thank you goes a long way.

© 2012 Vicki Caruana. All rights reserved.