Welcome to Day 9 of our Giving Thanks project. Yesterday we talked about the power of our faith and how much it influences our life. According to a 2018 study from the Pew Research Center, 90% of Americans say that they believe in a higher power. If you missed that post, you can find it here: The Power of Faith
As our children head back to school after a fun-filled weekend, I thought we should take a moment and give thanks for all of the teachers (past and present) that have had a positive influence on our life.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, there are approximately 3.7 million teachers in the United States (elementary and secondary combined).
- 3.2 million teachers in public schools
- 0.5 million teachers in private schools
These numbers do not include all of the wonderful folks who teach in our daycares, pre-schools, and Sunday schools. It doesn’t include the volunteers that help with children’s sports or the coaches in our schools, etc. Beyond that, we haven’t even touched upon all professionals who teach in our community colleges, universities, and other vocational programs. Teachers come in many shapes and sizes and in many different titles and roles.
‘Teaching is the one profession that creates all other professions.’
Unknown
We all have that that one special teacher that had a profound impact on our life. For me, that one teacher was a professor in the Nursing Department at Bloomsburg University. I was working as a student secretary in the Nursing Department so the professors knew me and my work ethic. I met with the Chairperson of the Department and explained that I really wanted to be a nurse but my grades were not up to par. She looked over my transcript and she agreed to give me chance to prove myself. I worked really hard over the summer semester and I earned a place in the program. I graduated with my Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing because someone took on a chance on me. I can’t even imagine what my life would look like if Dr. Christine Alichnie hadn’t given me chance.
Who was your favorite teacher? What did they do that had an impact on your life? Do they know how much they influenced you? If not, you might consider letting them know. I bet it would make their day.
Until next time, keep looking for the goodness around you!
With gratitude,
Denise 🙂
Denise this piece resonates with me. We all have that one person that influenced us throughout our educational careers. I too had that one teacher that guided and mentored me. My mentor was also from Bloomsburg university…. Dr Pete Bohl. He had such enthusiasm and energy I just loved learning everything he had to share.