"my program"

I had the most wonderful professor last semester for an introduction to education class. It was my first education class so I was bound to learn a lot, but she is am amazing person; and she inspired me so much. She is the mom of four (twice as many children as I have), a wife, and a professional lady who has not only worked in secondary school, but was also an administrator before teaching on the college level...AND she earned her doctorate...AND she is only a few years older than me. Wow. Simply wow.

I grew very fond of her, and I knew I would miss her after the semester was over. I do miss her, but I am glad I had the chance to take one of her classes. At one point in the semester, she gave me the absolute best compliment. She said, "you are going to be a great teacher. I would be thrilled if you were one of my children's teachers." As a mother myself, I completely understand what a special gift she gave me in those words.

Toward the end of the semester, she said to me, "good luck with the rest of your program." It was the first time in my life that I have felt like a professional. And it feels good.

I am a little more than half way through my second semester in "my program," and I am so completely happy with it. I have been blessed with brilliant professors, all of who have affected me and my future as an educator in a profound way. I feel as though my program started at the top of a pyramid, and I brought to it my own experiences and thoughts about education and brought to it my heart- truly and fully. I am still somewhere toward the top of that pyramid, but my knowledge about the profession of teaching and my own beliefs and goals are becoming more sophisticated and layered. By the time I am finished with my program, the base of my pyramid will be so broad and dense and thick with knowledge and ideas and aspirations, but it doesn't have to end there. My pyramid can be as big as I make it: it can be larger than life if I keep learning, keep growing, keep expanding on that initial desire to teach...and to make a difference in this world, one beautiful, wonderful, special child at a time.

I want to be that educator everyone wants to have teach his or her child.

Thank you, Dr. Howell...