The Good Teacher

Mrs. Jett was one of my favorite teachers in high school. She taught both French and Spanish, and I took both, so I got to have her as my teacher for two years. As a linguaphile, I admired her linguistic skills, of course, but Mrs. Jett was more than a language teacher.

Mrs. Jett was divorced, probably in her 30s at the time (and I admit it was a while ago!), may or may not have had children. She had a pretty poor fashion sense--which I always forgive in a teacher, because teachers are so woefully underpaid--but I didn't care, because she was one of the most caring people I've ever met.

I realize that the above paragraph sums up all I knew about Mrs. Jett. So why was she so memorable to me?

She listened. She didn't judge. She smiled. She helped. She was kind. And she liked me too. I felt that I could trust and confide in her. Not that I was a degenerate or particularly needy or troubled as a teen. But knowing which teachers are on your side, regardless of your situation, is a comfort during the emotional idiocy that is high school.

I also learned a lot in Spanish I and French I. I enjoy recalling the time that I answered a French question in Spanish. Mrs. Jett's eyes grew wide. "En francais, s'il vous plais!" she admonished me. It was actually good news for me, because I was learning French by translating it into Spanish, instead of English. And that meant that I had already learned to think in Spanish, and that's how you learn a language.

Now that I am a teacher--an Intuitive Life Teacher, if not a schoolteacher--I like to think that I am similar to Mrs. Jett. Trustworthy and trusting, knowledgeable in more than one area, kind, understanding, and always a friend and confidante.

The classroom door is open. What would you like to know?

Until next time,
Susan K. Morrow
www.SusanKMorrow.com
512-257-2737
Susan@SusanKMorrow.com