A Firm Foundation

Over the past few years I have reconnected with former students, classmates, and a few teachers on Facebook.

Today was a whopper!

I reconnected with my 5th grade classroom teacher as well as my elementary music teacher.  Over the years I have thought frequently about both of them wondering where/how they were.

And the childish thought: "Did they remember me?"

In one simple "Throw Back Thursday" post by a former classmate I "found" these two women.

~*~*~*~

My heart is smiling now because my elementary music teacher sent me a friend request. Then almost immediately I received notification of a message.

We've exchanged several messages in the past 45 minutes.

I shared with her memories I had from being in her classroom.

• It was from her I learned the song "High Hopes" in 5th grade choir.

• It was from her I learned how to play xylophones. She had a cart full of them - one for each student.

• It was from her I learned I did not want to push a piano from one classroom to the next.

Luckily for me, during my entire 25 years as a music teacher, I have only had to teach from a cart one year - my first year. (Later on I did have a little over a semester where I was without a classroom but that time I only carried satchels - I didn't want them to think I was going to do it forever!)

~*~*~*~

And I also sheepishly apologized for some misbehavior that she said she had long forgotten, but which I have remembered over the years.

Lest you get the wrong idea here, my misbehavior was purposefully mispronouncing a word in a song.

You see, we were singing the song "Shenandoah" and the last phrase of that song is "'Cross the wide Missouri."

Well...a friend and I, in 5th grade juvenile fashion, would also LOUDLY sing "'Cross the wide MISERY!"

Wasn't that awful??

I know as a teacher it would have irritated me to have students doing that.

So, I have apologized.

After  nearly 40 years.

Better late than never! :)

~*~*~*~

She made one comment that I will quote here. She said: "Pretty soon many of my former students will have more degrees than me!"

I responded with, "We wouldn't be getting these degrees if it wasn't for the foundation you gave us. Be proud of the influence and legacy you have "begotten.""

And I mean it.

Foundation is everything.

Now as I teach, I try so very hard to establish a firm foundation upon which my students can build their own careers.

It is my prayer that I might be one iota as successful as my elementary music teacher.

Thank you, Miss W.

Do you have a favorite memory of a music teacher?

Feel free to share!