Facebook

I have mixed feelings about Facebook. Or at least I used to have. Now I kind of like it. A lot.

I got upset with it once and quit it for awhile. I thought it was just stupid self-promotion, and to some extent it is. And the groups you can join can turn out to be annoying but one really nice thing has happened to me because of Facebook.

In 1988-89 I was teaching 5th grade. An opportunity to move up to 6th grade came along and I took it so I got to be with a group of students for two years. Some were in my home room for two years and others were mixed up with my partner teacher but no matter I still got to work with the entire group. There were 29 in my class one year and 28 the other. So that means there were about 57 kids that I worked with over those years. - Well I have "found" some of them again through Facebook.

Without identifying any of them I have had a couple of really nice comments from one in particular - He said:

it is really nice to reconnect and I did mean what I said to you initially about the my memories of you as a teacher. You were one that has a special place in my heart.. even tho we butted heads but that was part of it. I was a trouble maker and you were good for me J

Since you said you were glad that I am reading (which made me feel pretty good btw) I should tell you that my neighborhood has two wonderful bookshops. I gotten to know the owner of Twice Told Tales when I was picking up a couple Harvard Classics Edition books (Plutarch, Cicero and Two “Years Before the Mast”)… long and short of it she sold me the entire collection for a song. I’m the very proud owner of all 51 volumes of the Harvard Classics. They old and they are gorgeous… and I am completely out of shelf space to display them. I’ll feel so accomplished when I make it through them

Reading is so important. I have mentioned before that it was a big part of what I taught. I have told this story many times but there was a boy in my class that year who had never read a book. He could read but he was not into books. I required that my students read. They read books of their own choice. I spent a lot of my own money to have a collection of paperback books for them to choose to read and then they would have discussions with me about the books. Anyway this boy had never read a book. By the end of the year that is all he wanted to do, I had to tell him _______ stop reading the book and get over here for math class, I used to offer to take the students out to lunch if they read 100 books. They achieved the designation "Century Reader" and a couple of them even read 200 books during the year. (I gave six boxes of books to the school when I retired and they were full boxes) Enough about that. I digress.

Back to my student referenced above - one of his Facebook posts says:

lustrous golden leaves against the wet black bark and dark evergreens.

all dominated by the hulk of mt. rainier,

wearing the laurels of a snow storm about his peak.

cool white columns of the sunrays holding open blue holes in the clouds.

gorgeous.

I have autumn and mountains back in my life!

He has recently moved to Seattle and this was written as a Facebook post. - I told him it was a poem and have written it that way here. Because he is a reader he can write. I am really "pumped" to have this young man in my life again. Yes, we did "butt heads" but underneath I think he knew I liked him. And I am so very proud of him and all of my kids. One of the other things I did to build a love of reading was to read to the students.

As a teacher, sometimes you don't get the "feedback" that lets you know how you are doing.

Another former student who lives in the same area said

I have no doubt that you hear this all the time, but your teaching had a huge impact on my childhood. I have many fond memories of being in your 5th & 6th grade classrooms. (I was lucky to have you for both years!) I think it's important for you to know that some 20 years later, this student still thinks back on those years and marvels at your teaching. Thank you for everything, these many years later!!

She wrote on one of her Facebook Posts

the light and air of this morning made me believe it was spring for a moment. i found myself searching for the telltale tiny green buds on branch tips but was faced with clinging dead leaves instead. i still managed to smile at all the beautiful people through my disappointment.

She is working as a baker and it sounds like the perfect job (but I would gain to much weight). She is poetic also. And I love it that she is also back in my life

Thank you Facebook (BTW both of these notes made my eyes mist. You can't hear praise often enough)

Facebook is a great way to reconnect.

I love the Seattle area. Perhaps one day I shall return there. It would be great to see these kids (adults now but always kids to me) and I do have cousins out there.... Who knows. Perhaps if I win the lottery. Thanks for stopping by. ARTYAL Hugs, j-bear