Thank you notes to our Teachers
Life lessons: Education and Teachers
Firstly, I was triggered to write this after reading Annelise Lord's piece on how her second-grade teacher helped her shape a point of view after a very difficult situation. What immediately came into my mind was the influence and responsibility teachers have and reminded me of a few teachers who had a negative and positive impact on me but in some ways, I can find the positive in all.
I was 8 years old. Ms Griffith was one of my favourite teachers. I don’t know why at the time, but I always felt good and fresh in her class. The poet in me can only explain it along the lines that I felt like her class was filled with the scent of lavender with bright lights.
The moment I remember was when we were all huddled around her as she read out the homework we were set. We were given the task to write a poem. That’s all I remember. I wrote a poem about a rose. I don’t remember it and a shame I still don’t have it but it was about 10 lines in length. She read it out then looked at me. The fuzzy blur is hard to confront at this time but she concluded that I did not write the poem. I think I froze. Either way, the shock of it remained in the subconscious mind I’m sure.
My world of my favourite teacher had fallen apart and I never wrote another poem for 12 years. Did she teach me a lesson? Was it a lesson that helped me in later years? I really don’t know, only that she was not responsible enough for her actions. That I’m sure of.
Thank you for real
Two teachers stand out for me. I never think one is defined as scientific or creative only and I had a love of maths from age 5 after something clicked. From the battlefield that can only be described as secondary (high school), there were teachers who went that extra mile for sure. Both were maths teachers and both seriously had a very positive influence on me and cannot thank them enough.
Mr Mynott was an ‘oddball of a teacher. He wore a 3-piece suit and for some reason ended up in a state school when he was clearly of the upper echelons of society. He taught at one of the most deprived schools in London and went the extra mile to give me and a friend more maths tests as we embraced the subject.
Ms Scanlan took time out to teach us before school started for the day twice a week to cover an advanced exam of two years study in two months and we both passed with flying colours.
Without them both I’m not sure I would have gone to university to gain a maths degree.
This is my thank you note to those teachers!
George Odarquaye Lamptey