My 6th Grade teacher . . .

Yes, I was poking fun at all those awards shows where the winner feels compelled to name their potty trainer in the list of individuals that influenced them on their road to success (okay, I admit, the ability to dispose of one's bodily waste in a toilet is more desirable than doing so in one's pants and would make a person more attractive to the population, in general).  But, I actually DID have a teacher in High School (I am pretty sure it was 9th grade) that really affected my future.  I am sorry to say that I do not remember her name (the letter D is significant when I think of her -- was it an initial?  I have no clue.)  The reality is that she threatened to give me a D in her class based on my first progress report, so I don't know if I associate a D with her because of her name or because of her progress report.  Oh, and in case you needed the sledgehammer, B's were a rather uncommon appearance on my report card -- so a D was simply unthinkable! 

She was short (I have always been on the higher end of average when it comes to height, so my guess is 5'0" to 5'5"  -- yeah, yeah, a pretty wide margin, but give me a break I was in early High School!  If you want more information . . . I remember her hair being pitch black with some gray and her classroom was in the basement of the school on the west end of the breezeway)  But, she is the FIRST teacher that I remember EVER challenging me.  She saw my potential and expected me to produce work that reflected it.

She taught Early Western Civilization at Bowie High School, MD in the late 1970's (oh dear, I just dated myself!).  Ah, well, no sacrifice is too great to honor a person who was a 'path changer' in ones life.  If you know her, by all means, point her in my direction -- I would LOVE to thank her, in person, for the big ol' kick in buttocks that I needed -- which she gladly gave me!  She was one of those teachers that EVERYONE was scared of.  She tolerated NO BS!  Looking back on it -- I truly believe that she was a witch (and I hope that all who are still reading realize that I am paying a very high compliment when I use such labels), whether she realized it or not.  Not because everyone was afraid of her, but because she always knew when students were messing about in the halls or not living up to their potential.  She knew when students were screwing around in class, even if she had her backed turned to us.   At the time, it seemed like magic . . .


Jamie Freeman over at Witchful Thinking recently blogged on the whole idea of 'witchhood' which got me thinking about what it means to me to be a witch.  As I reflected on the question, I realized that there have been many people in my life that, in hindsight, I would identify as "witchy".  Some may even self-identify as a witch. 

This particular teacher, like many, (I wish I knew where that blasted yearbook was -- I could look her up) worked very hard to enable all of her students to reach their full potential.  I never got a chance to let her know what a difference she made to me and my future education -- we moved across the country before I grew up and came to realize her importance.  So, I put that thank you out into the ether and hope that, in some way she knows what a difference she has made.


Blessings to you!  Of course, she is not the only person in my past who has touched and changed my life -- there are many.  As, I am sure there are for all of you my lovely readers.  I would love to hear about some of those unsung heros in your lives.