Way back in fifth grade, I had a teacher whom I will always remember! Her name was Lou Ella Gridley, and she had been teaching for years by the time I came to her classroom at Oneonta's Center Street School. Miss Gridley was the most memorable of all the teachers I ever had, and this being Teacher Appreciation Day, I was thinking about her and the difference she made in so many lives.
Miss Gridley was a summer traveler and she skillfully wove her home movies and stories of her vacation adventures throughout our school year. We learned what the the fifth-graders learned, but we got a bonus. Miss Gridley also was the author of several books on New York State history and she introduced us to some pretty incredible tales from her books too.
You may have been fortunate enough to have had one of those remarkable "way above all the rest" type of teachers like Miss Gridley. You might have just had all those darn good teachers who do their best and sometimes get some good results. Today is the day to remember them fondly and to show your appreciation.
In some schools there will be special programs this week. Some students will bring gifts to their teachers. A number of years ago I tracked down a number of outstanding teachers from my past and called an thanked them. You might consider doing the same thing. Sadly, Miss Gridley died before she heard a thank you from me. I do hope she did hear it from others though. She really was pretty remarkable.
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