Week #4-"Open Mic"-Give One Back- Gina

  So this is interesting that "open mic" falls on the week of our faculty meeting when we were encouraged to think of times in our teaching career that we have touched a student.  In sharing those stories we began to realize that our impact on specific students may not ever be known to us or if it is may be further down the road.  With that being discussed, it brought to light the question that we all had to ask ourselves.  "Have we told a teacher or teachers how they impacted our life"?  As you could probably guess, the answer would be for the most part no.  Sadly, so many of us have great stories of that amazing teacher that helped or guided us, but we never go back and thank them.  Stop and ask yourself right now-who was it that touched you?   Have you gone back and told them how much it meant?
  In my career as a Sportscaster and in Theatre, and I guess you can throw singing in there as well, I have to be on stage or camera in front of hundreds even thousands of people.  I wasn't always the outgoing, verbal person I am today.  I looked back and evaluated my relationship with certain teachers.  I began to see a pattern of encouragement from my second grade teacher, third grade teacher and then my fifth grade teacher.  Now my second grade teacher, is by far the one that stands out and encouraged me to get in front of the class and read novels.  I enjoyed reading and never thought anyone would enjoy hearing ME read aloud to them.  With her encouragement of, "you have a great strong, clear  reading voice", "you should read to the class" among other encouraging statements.  She helped be find courage to get up there and do it.  The first time I read to the class, I thought they would laugh at me or be mean because they were jealous.  But, my teacher was right all along they enjoyed it, and so did I.
  The same thing happened in third grade, the teachers never spoke about me but saw the same talent.  I was so excited that two teachers now felt my voice, reading and speaking ability was good enough to get in front of the class and read a novel.  Fast forward to fifth grade, I still was not quite so sure about the stage but knew I kinda liked it up there.  My fifth grade teacher pulled me aside one day and asked if I could have my mom come to school and meet with her and I one day.  Scared and unsure what that meant, I told mom to come.  The message was, "your child has a gift, she needs to be heard.  I have never assigned a student this position but feel like I want her to narrate the entire fifth grade play for the school and sing a solo." This was a big deal and a job I took very seriously.  I have it on an old VHS tape and it makes me smile every time because I could see that is when my confidence in myself started to bloom.
  I still see those teachers frequently and they smile, hug me and say I knew you would be doing something on stage and talking on camera.  They tell me how proud they are.  I want to make sure they know how thankful I am for giving me a chance, when I was so unsure of what they were asking me to do.  To some this may not seem like a big deal, but to me it made a difference in how I thought about myself.  I began to think about professions as I grew and went through middle and high school that would let me speak and talk to people on stage and camera.
  My final teacher came in high school, my theatre teacher that not only encouraged my singing but that I could do anything.  She gave me the role I had always dreamt about and fulfilled that hope in my life.
  All of these teachers contributed to what and who I am now, however small or large.  They all saw something in me that I didn't.  Through encouragement and confidence I eventually started to believe what they were saying.  I am going to try and contact all of them.  One of them I have told and they know how much I loved them.  The rest I have never told.  So, I encourage you to find that teacher that touched you, helped you in a tough time, encouraged you to find your talent or just was there to vent to.  Find them and tell them thank you.  As teachers now, you see how much a simple thank means.  Give one back.