September always, always, always means school to me. Back to school was just after Labor Day when my brother and I grew up.
Back to School meant new crayons, sharpened pencils, lined paper, or whatever classroom requirement for that year or that grade. It also meant seeing old friends and making new ones.
My maternal grandmother, Ruth Love (Wootton) Thomas, was a grade school teacher…her classroom specialties were the First and the Third Grades.
She was gifted in helping children learn to love learning.
She taught in Texas and in Cedaredge, and in Delta, Colorado, before she retired. I have heard many stories of her times in the classrooms and the little children she helped ‘open their minds’ to the wonders of knowledge.
In thinking of these things—first day of school and my grandmother, it brought to mind she would always say: “Teachers are not like any other profession. Teachers never know if they make a difference in the lives of their students…students and teachers are just a given.”
Remembering this I also chanced upon another profound thing that happened to her late, late in her life. She must have been in her very late 80’s or early 90’s; Granddad had passed on for several years.
Since Gram lived at home alone, next to a busy highway she was very careful about opening her door to just anyone. Late one summer afternoon she heard a knock on her front door—going to the big window and peeking around the curtain she saw a little old man standing there twisting his dress hat around and around in his hands.
He knocked again, still acting very nervous, which also made Gram a little ‘on edge’. The third knock he hollard: “Miz Ruth? Miz Ruth, are you in there?”
It was hearing the Miz Ruth she realized that this old man must be someone who knew her from her past. Opening the door she found out this man was a former Third Grade student for long-long ago.
“Miz Ruth”, he explained “I have thought and thought and thought about you all my life. I have wanted to find you [someday] to tell you ‘Thank You’ for my year in the Third grade in your classroom.”
Gram said they spent the rest of the afternoon having a ‘lovely conversation’.
After he left she called me to tell about this wonderful experience her voice clogged with tears. “Hearing that you made a difference in one your students lives is the ultimate gift”‘ she stated to me.
(Bubbles in the air)
I suppose like most of us we can remember those teachers that created nightmares for us in school, I’m sure we can remember the ones who also lifted us up and sprung us into that next level of learning. If you happened to see that teacher that propelled you forward…remember to let that person know…both of your days will be much brighter.
Sending you gratitude and thanks for being my friend,
In Friendship
Linda
Life on a Colorado Farm 
that is so sweet. may every teacher have a moment of reward like this.
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I think the best thing about school for me was the teachers, I only had a few that I didn’t like. I think the hardest thing for me was the kids that I had to go to school with.
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In my life it was Sarah Lahti, how sweet to call her out,
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That is beautiful, Linda! When Ralph and Becky get done talking I am going to read it to them.
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What beautiful tribute. Something tells me that you have a lot of your grandmother in you, 🙂
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Your pictures are particularly lovely today. As for teachers…my daughter had a 4th grade teacher who was so horrible she got complaints every year, but test scores for 4th graders rose dramatically since they’d hired her, so they wouldn’t get rid of her. The following year, in 5th grade, she got a first-time teacher who so very wonderful that she became a family friend. Ten years later we still keep in touch, and now she has ten year’s worth of students who count her as their favorite.
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One thing that was so lovely about having our son in a Waldorf school is that everyone becomes family. The kids are in the same class with the same kids, the same parents, and the same teacher for 8 years of lower school. That doesn’t stop. We have all remained friends. Last night my son had a birthday party here for one of his Waldorf friends and several of the others came. They know where their teacher is and she has been able to follow them as they grew. It’s like a community, and it’s wonderful. It was similar when I grew up and went to the little public school in my farming community. Then it was annexed into a huge district and the soul was sucked from it. The huge school district won’t let teachers stay too long at one school because they don’t want them to have ties to the community. The schools no longer support community things like 4-H or Boy Scouts, only groups that raise funds for the schools. I think the teachers are the biggest losers in the new system, the kids in our community still grow up together and know each other outside of school, but the poor teachers are just treated like employees.
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What a sweet story, Linda… So many wonderful teachers –all through the years –have made so much of a difference to all of us… God Bless our teachers. The good ones love what they do, and don’t complain about the lack of money or benefits. It’s a calling to them… We need to remember those good teachers –and forget about the ‘bad apples’ in the bunch…
My favorite teacher was our band director –who taught me so much about music… She was the ONLY female band director I knew of back in the ’50’s and ’60’s… Amazing lady…
Hugs,
Betsy
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Your grandmother was remarkable and obviously had a profound influence on you.
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I love this post! I regret not having gone back to tell my 5th grade teacher what a profound difference she made in my life, I became a teacher because of her and I became an author because of her. I didn’t realize how important it was to go back and tell that special teacher how much she meant, till my grown students came back into my 3rd grade to tell ME how much I meant to them.
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That is a wonderful reward. I’m glad he went to the trouble to let her know.
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That was Lovely, Linda! 🙂
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How very nice… in so many ways 🙂
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This is such a sweet story! This is not the first time a teacher would receive such a visit. I keep very fond memories of one of my elementary school teachers as well. I saw him at my dad’s funeral last summer. He said he came for me too, and I was very touched. Kids and good teachers go well together.
Also I love your flowers and the irrigation photo at the top of this post. Really cool.
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SO happy I found your story as I remember your Grandmother from when we lived in Corona as she and my mother were such good friends then four family’s from Corona moved to Colorado and I was 9 then when we moved from New Mexico, I remember going to her house for dinner and she was a wonderful person. You do sound as though she lives on in you.
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I remember Hilburns!!! I am so glad you found me. Long-lost Family/Friends are just wonderful! Gram loved to tell us stories and I loved to listen.
What a great thing. Where are you now?
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