For those of you who read my blog and/or know me, know that I put teachers on high pedestals and look up to them in total awe as if they are superheroes, well in my book they will always be superheroes. The reason, I was blessed to have had more great teachers than duds or not so great ones who gave their time to helping me in many ways become who I am today. I have written about my wanting to be a teacher and how I left my footprint on children I served in my school-age child care and summer camp programs.
I, now know how these teachers feel when a past student reaches out to them and expresses their appreciation of making a difference in their lives. For this, it never gets old for me to honor a teacher who made a difference in my life. Well, today, July 12, 2024, after months, maybe a few years could have passed since we agreed to meet up for lunch or a dinner, it finally happened, I was able to have the pleasure and honor to spend some quality time with my high school biology teacher, Ms. Gloria McIntosh.
This was by far the most difficult class, I ever took, more difficult than many of my graduate coursework. Probably, because I put too much pressure on myself to be perfect when no one expected me to be perfect but only to do my best. It’s been nearly 40 years since I had her as a teacher, yet, as my title states, "today’s life’s lessons learned yesterday", but what I didn’t know then, was the impact she had on not just my career but my life. Ms. Mac, thank you, one word – RESILIENCE – is the lesson of a lifetime, which those following my blog know it is a very much recurring theme in many of my posts, without it, I would not have gotten where I am today.
Cheers to you Ms. Mac, you are an incredible human being who has touched not just my life but many of my friends and generations of others. Your tough love, no-nonsense, direct approach didn’t leave much room for self-pity or even worse time to cry when the grades spoke louder than the efforts put in. As you said today at lunch, it wasn’t always about the grade but what lesson you learned from the experience.
I hope, my sharing this acrostic poem here on my blog and cross-posting on social media groups where others who had the Mac Attack will fondly remember the substance great teachers are made of. Its not always the academic knowledge but the knowing how to find the lost student, leaving a footprint for a lifetime of success and a smile that they will forever wear on their heart.
With love from one of your forever grateful students, from the great class of 1988, South Broward High School! I was truly honored and blessed to have lunch and spend some one-on-one time reflecting, remembering and sharing some laughs and occasional tear, reminiscing and sharing with you, how you helped become the person I am today.
I challenge my readers find someone from your past, not a family member nor a friend who you didn’t realize back in the day, would make a significant impact in the life you have today and go find them and thank them for being a part of your journey.
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Hello from what was room three-twenty-one,
Eyeing at the remnants of her classroom,
Left time rewinding to the mid-eighties.
Little did I know the challenge I faced,
On the first day when I entered her class,
Finally, I took my seat, near the front.
Reminiscing, I can hear her lectures,
Of what was not just read in our textbooks,
Mostly muted intentional advice.
Memories now remain omnipresent,
Years later, I still listen for her voice,
Sharing with me, one last lesson of life.
Once or maybe more than a dozen times,
Played out in my mind, like an endless play,
Her song and dance perfectly synchronized.
On the first day, seconds after roll call,
Made her guidelines clear, but wasted no time,
Opened her first lesson with a lecture.
Realizing she just expected more,
Effortlessly, she found my learning niche,
Yet, she never lowered expectations.
Enthusiastically, she taught each class,
Always with precision and perfection,
Recalling every single song and dance,
Beyond everyday lectures and lessons,
In her excitement, she seized my weakness,
Only guided my journey through my strengths.
Leaving my pride shaken with each grade earned,
On impromptu quizzes and scheduled tests,
Grudgingly, my approach was forced to change.
Yet, my eyes stared at this one woman show,
Creating cherished lifetime tales to tell,
Leaving the smile, I still wear on my heart.
After the first week of school, I was lost,
Some more academics would have sunk in,
Should?, could?, would?, had if I put in the time.
Wondering what I got myself into,
I felt like a failure for the first time,
Thinking about how I’ll tell Mom and Dad.
Hoping and praying for improvement daily,
Grades plummeted, but I kept coming back,
Learning today’s life’s lessons yesterday.
Only if I kept up with her fast pace,
Ruminating years of study habits,
I still don't know how and where I went wrong.
As much as I tried, I struggled each day,
My grip held on and she wasn’t letting go,
Changing teachers was not a choice given.
I remained immersed and fascinated,
Not just by the content she presented,
Though she managed finding the real me.
Obstacles of my past stood in the way,
Subsequently, it seemed like time stood still,
Handing me one chance to see what I missed.
Somehow, she knew the man I would become,
But unbeknownst to me, she invested,
Her energy, her time and her wisdom.
Simply, I owe a debt of gratitude,
Between a shared hug and her telling me,
“Better yet, pay it forward, then you’re debt free.”
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