Thank you everybody for your thoughtful comments and responses to my dilemma.
I thought I had almost made up my mind until I met Kira.
Kira is a therapist in the beauty salon where I had a pedicure yesterday.
The treatment was a birthday gift from my mum and as I will be away next week I thought it would be a good time to treat myself to some pretty toes.
As Kira massaged my feet she asked what I was reading.
I told her it was an article about the Mitford sisters in Tatler magazine.
This led to a discussion about books.
Kira told me she loved to read.
When she went on holiday the first thing on her packing list was a pile of 3 or 4 books.
"I couldn't live without reading," she said.
I nodded in agreement.
"It's funny because at school I was rubbish at English," said Kira.
"I used to have to be taken out of the class for extra help. I was one of the special ones. The ones everyone laughed at because I couldn't read properly."
At High School she felt the same way until she met a teacher called Mrs Webb.
I know of this teacher because my children now attend the same school where Kira was once a pupil.
"Mrs Webb made me believe that I could pass my GCSE English. If I didn't understand something she would patiently explain until I did. Thanks to Mrs Webb I began to love reading. I started with the Jacqueline Wilson books. I read every one and then moved on to Harry Potter and I haven't stopped reading since. And she was right I got a C in my English GCSE."
Kira told me that she still lived at home with her parents and a love of reading was something she shared with her mum.
They spend hours talking about the books they are reading and swapping books.
I felt such joy for Kira but this joy was tinged with sadness.
My children were never taught by Mrs Webb but I knew of Mrs Webb because other parents had told me how wonderful she was.
And sadly no other child will have that privilege because Mrs Webb died suddenly last summer.
But what an amazing legacy she has left behind.
Today I wore:
Jeans - Gap
Dress - little shop in Ormskirk
Cardigan - Dorothy Perkins
Boots - Tesco
Scarf - Peacocks.
I had my own Mrs Webb, coincidentally also an english teacher. Mrs Jones was much older than the other teachers (she had white hair!) and spoke with a lovely lilting Welsh accent. She was so enthusiastic about her subject and passed that on to us, and very importantly, gave us Kitkats at break time.
ReplyDeleteA teacher can make such an amazing impact on a child's life. It's an honour to be able to teach chilren I think, and for me coming into education only 5 years ago, it's a decision I have never regretted. Good luck with your decision. x
Hi there-things happen for a reason, this story hopefully will help make you come to a decision about the path you take, whatever you decide. A lovely story and wishing you a great weekend!
ReplyDeleteAdore that dress!
ReplyDeleteAnd what a wonderful story. The flip side is that my sister had the antithesis of a Mrs Webb and, from being as much a bookworm as the rest of the family when she was a child, was well into her 30s before she voluntarily picked up a book. She feels she missed a lot.
If you decide to choose that fork, I'm willing to bet that there'd be an awful lot more Kiras than my-sisters emerging from your class.
Aww how lovely - I have teachers that I still think of today - and that possibly prompt me to work in Education myself :D
ReplyDeleteCC xXx
I absolutely adore your outfit today!
ReplyDeleteAnd I love the story - I had a very inspirational English teacher as well; I loved English but many of my friends didn't and yet she was able to introduce them to the beauty of the language. Even if they got poor grades they still very much respected her. And after twenty years they can still recite Shakespeare's Sonnet XVIII. ...
That is such a sweet story! It's amazing how some teachers have such a love and commitment to their students that they change lives.
ReplyDeleteLove your bow dress, it's so cute!!
Chic on the Cheap
What a great story! I firmly believe that teachers have a big impact on pupils' lives and that's why I decided not to go along the road. I couldn't bear the responsibility. But my husband is a teacher and I really hope he has been, is or will be a "Mrs Webb" for some of his pupils. I think what makes a good teacher is passion for teaching and care for the kids. Good luck with your choice. Ciao. A.
ReplyDeleteThe tunic is pretty with a jeans! :)
ReplyDeleteEducation, teaching needs lots of Mrs Webb's xx
ReplyDeletenice looking..........
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