RELATIONSHIPS: 

TEACHERS AND STUDENTS

She never, never liked going to
Teacher’s Conferences! Been
there, done that, dozens of time.


But a new principal at their school
noticed that teachers hadn’t been
going for updates for years now -
so updating was the first topic
on her agenda as new principal.
The teachers griped and groused,
growled and reluctantly signed up
for workshops - the shortest and
closest ones they could find.


Duty calls. She went.
She got the certificate.


Standing there on stage - after being
named “Teacher of the Year - she knew
exactly what she was going to say,
“4 years ago I reluctantly went to a
Teacher’s Conference. A talk I chose -
I figured it would be the easiest
was, ‘Creativity in the Classroom’.
The presenter gave lots of examples,
but the one that changed my life was
an old song and video she played. It had
Harry Chapin’s song, ‘Flowers are Red.’
Oh my God, I was caught red-handed.
There I was Teacher # 1 and I decided
to become Teacher # 2 - so I guess
that’s why I’m here today. Thank you.”

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2011