Comments on: Here’s to you, Miss Robinson – Students love you more than you may know! Peak-End Rules and Our Teachers

By: Dave Shearon

Dave Shearon — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 12:48:23 +0000

Thanks, John! Great article! From a leadership standpoint, especially for public school systems, what is the take-away from the concensus that classroom teachers have an impact on children? I am afraid that, too often, the response is to mis-trust and attempt to "manage" teachers. What should it be? Trust. Respect. Let them collaborate to lead. Do professional development that actually seeks to develop the fundamental capacities of teachers, not training that seeks to control their behavior. I think the approach we're taking at Flourshing Schools reflects these judgments. Glad to know you and to be working with you!

By: Kirsten Cronlund

Kirsten Cronlund — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 01:59:56 +0000

John,

Thanks for the thought-provoking article. While I appreciate your message that we learn valuable lessons from our teachers, both good and bad, I am struck with sadness at what you had to endure in first grade. I used to be a classroom teacher myself, and I know that mistakes happen by well-meaning teachers, usually because they are juggling so many balls at once. I don’t think, however, that we should dismiss the incredible power that a classroom teacher has in all of his or her students’ lives. This influence can make or break children’s lives and it’s important to help shape our educational system in ways that help teachers be as empathic and responsive as possible to their students.

Kirsten Cronlund

By: Joan Young

Joan Young — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 22:46:53 +0000

John,
What a nice tribute to your teacher and also a wonderful reminder of the impact, negative and positive, we can have on children’s lives. One of my favorite things is hearing my kindergarten students ask on Friday if they can come to school on Saturday! I so hope that they keep that love for school, and it reminds me of the power of my words and my actions. I recently contacted a former high school English teacher of mine, who had well- prepared me for the rigors of college. He said that I “made his day!” with my call; I was so surprised at the details he remembered after 27 years. Thanks for the touching, insightful article.

By: John Yeager

John Yeager — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 13:14:22 +0000

Thanks, Sherri. Yes, it was quite an enjoyable phone call with Miss Robinson after 46 years. The emotion of “elevation” at its best.

John

By: John Yeager

John Yeager — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 13:13:28 +0000

Thanks, Christine. We learn from our teachers – whether there were positive or negative experiences in their classrooms.

John

By: John Yeager

John Yeager — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 13:12:32 +0000

Flora: Thanks for your comments. We don’t know how much of a difference we make with our students. It is very affirming to see how they have grown!

John

By: Christine Duvivier

Christine Duvivier — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 05:47:20 +0000

John, Thanks for sharing your touching memories of Miss Robinson! She sounds like one of the many wonderful teachers who truly make a difference in their young students’ lives. I’m sorry to hear about your first grade teacher. It’s good to hear that you were a teacher who allowed your students to listen to their bodies — a basic and important reflection of respect.
All the best,
Christine

By: Flora Morris Brown, Ph.D.

Flora Morris Brown, Ph.D. — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 16:37:35 +0000

John,

I retired from college teaching two years ago and often wonder how some of my memorable students are doing.

One student, a young lady, stands out because she was slacking off in my class in spite of her keen ability. She was hanging around with goof-offs who were distracting her from her studies.

Rather than flunk her, I insisted that she drop my class and reenroll the next semester with a fresh start. I questioned her about her goals and she admitted that she had thought of becoming a lawyer, but it was clear she wasn’t confident she could do it.

She passed my class and I didn’t see her anymore until I caught a glimpse of a familiar face on a Meetup.com page. I read her description. It was my former student and she has indeed become a lawyer. I smiled with pride to read that. We’re in email contact now, and I know that both of our lives have been shaped by the time she spent in my class.

By: Sherri Fisher

Sherri Fisher — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 15:25:32 +0000

John-

This is a lovely article–at once personal and professional–and is a warm reminder of the special teachers who have left us with both sensory and cognitive memories. Miss Robinson is a teacher rock star! How very cool that you got to thank her years later for rocking your third grade.

Sherri