‘If you can read this…thank a teacher!’
Rhonda Smyth - Rhonda's Remarks
This isn’t the first time I’ve bragged on Estill County’s school teachers and it certainly won’t be my last. Sometimes we choose to dwell on the negative when a little positivity would be so much better. So here goes.
Friday I ran out of Pop Tarts, so I had to go to a local restaurant to get a bite to eat before work.
While sitting in the drive-through waiting my turn, I noticed the vehicle in front of me. The first thing that caught my attention was the color, a shade of red, which is my favorite color for a vehicle. Then I saw the so-called “vanity” license plate.
It had a yellow background with “choose life” on it and the license “number” was “Mrs. E.”
I have come in contact with the owner of the plate, West Irvine first grade teacher, Elizabeth Hughes, many times over the years, when I have gone to the school for one thing or another.
There are many, many great teachers in the Estill County School System and she is definitely one of the best. She is a loving, giving person and always and forever will be the laughing, sparkling, cheerful, “Mrs. E” to all her students.
Seeing her nickname on her license plate reminded me how much teaching children is what she is all about.
Teaching is a tiring and often times thankless job. All the early grade teachers are so important to the way our children experience pre-school, kindergarten and first grade.
Mrs. E teaches first grade with love, but she also maintains discipline. Every child who is blessed to have Mrs. E or any of the dozens of other fine teachers in this county always remember them.
I had the sweetest first grade teacher at McGuffy Graded School in Dayton, Ohio. Her name was Mrs. Baxingdale and she looked exactly like one would think a teacher in those days should look. She had very short black hair with streaks of silver. She was plump, wore glasses and had the sweetest smile. She also wore a red dress. See, even after 56 years, I still remember her.
My favorite teacher by far was my eighth grade teacher, Wilburta Scrivner. I learned so much in her class and always felt special to her. I guess all her students did.
I won’t mention the one teacher that impressed me because she was the scariest teacher I ever had. But I bet any of the Estill High Class of 1967 who attended West Irvine with me will know of whom I speak.
So if you can read this…thank a teacher!
•••
It really doesn’t matter how old our children get, we still worry about them.
My daughter experienced her first broken bone a couple of weeks ago when she fell and broke her leg in three places.
Last Thursday she had to have surgery on it and I so wished I could just go through it for her.
My sister, Cleta (a wise person) said it doesn’t matter whether it is minor or open-heart surgery, when it’s your child…it’s all the same.
This is so true. My girl is still looking at a pretty long recovery, but she is staying with her Mamaw Miller and is enjoying being spoiled by a champion spoiler.