IF YOU CAN READ THIS THANK A TEACHER

With another school year almost over, memories take me back to those years long ago when I was a student. I remember some of the great teachers I had, I'm sure everyone had a great teacher, a teacher who literally made a difference between success and failure, one who could open up a new arena of thought just by talking to you, making a suggestion, helping you over a particularly rough spot.
The first teacher I remember is Mrs. Gardner. I was a student in a three room country school house with two grades per room. I was in the fifth grade at the time. I was sitting there supposedly working a math problem and she was speaking to the sixth grade about Julius Caesar. How I hung on every word since Caesar was one of my favorite subjects. I had read and studied about him for a couple of years at that point- the Roman Legions, the glory of Rome, all of it was an area of complete and total enchantment to me.
She asked a question regarding Caesar and I held up my hand, she looked a little shocked at me as she turned and said " yes Steve " . I gave her the correct answer, and she said " that's right Steve, but you are supposed to be doing math now." Darn, I hated math, I still don't care for it today, however my interest in Caesar continues unabated.
The next teacher would have to be Ruth Kline. I had gone back to school after having been on the road and in the service for a while. I had gone back to try to get my diploma, and I signed up for a speech class with Ruth Kline. The first speech we were assigned was to demonstrate a skill.
Not being an athlete nor mechanically inclined, I chose to demonstrate a skill picked up in the military. One that a few years in the service had taught me well... how to cheat at poker.
I took a deck of cards and very carefully how to build a top stock, a bottom stock, how to do a false cut, and how to deal seconds. I taught them about other cheating mechanisms, mirror rings, shiners, slick aces, etc. At the end of the class the kids seemed to have enjoyed my speech very much. As class let out, Mrs. Kline called me into her office and said " Steve I'll make you a deal, as far as your speech today goes, presentation was an A, your communication skills are obviously an A, but your subject matter leaves a lot to be desired. I will give you an A for the entire school year in speech class if you never come through that door again."
From then on I used fourth period as an extra study hall or lunch period, whichever I chose. There was a little store about a half block down from the school and you would go in and they would rip open a ten cent bag of Fritos and ladle a big scoop of home made chili across it, by the time you added a ten cent Coke, your lunch cost you thirty-five cents. A great buy and some wonderful memories.
Another teacher that I remember was Gracie Bruckner. She was my home room teacher in Junior High School. I had homeroom right after lunch. Now Mrs. Bruckner was a little old lady with Gray hair, who didn't care what we did as long as we were quiet in home room. We could use it for a study hall, we could sleep, whatever the student needed, with one exception.... she wanted us to listen. She read to us, and Grace Bruckner introduced me to the work of Ralph Moody--More commonly known as Little Britches.
The series of books he wrote were about the west and growing up in Colorado. About the trials and tribulations he and his mom faced after his dad died. This is still some of my favorite reading, but the joy was going in each day, knowing that there was another chapter of that book waiting to be read. It got me to school on many a day when otherwise I would have kicked back and said to heck with it.
The last teacher and the one who influenced me the most was a man who gave me the skills to enjoy and appreciated one of the loves of my life. His name was Earl Faulkner. I had Earl as both my junior and senior high band teacher. I was fortunate enough to be in his bands for six years, not just marching band, but concert band, Jazz band, Stage band, and so many others.
Earl gave me not only a love of music, but also pride in myself, pride in my accomplishments, and pride in who I was. Earl Faulkner was more than a teacher, he was a friend, a mentor, and an educator.
A few years ago a movie came out called Mr. Hollands Opus. It showed the career of a high school music teacher that spanned several decades. It struck a note within me that made me want to contact Earl Faulkner. I called his home only to find out that I was too late, Earl had died two years before that movie was made. Fortunately, I did get to see Earl, I saw him about five years before his death and told him what his friendship had meant to me. It wasn't just his friendship, it was his classes, his ability to know when things were wrong and do his bit to make them right.
Earl Faulkner, Thank You, this entry is dedicated to you from one of your students, I miss you Earl.