standing on the shoulders of other teachers

Isaac Newton once said that if he saw further than others, it was because he was standing on the shoulders of giants. This idea seemed to be the basis of a comment by the superintendent of one of the local school systems yesterday who was among the several brief (thankfully) speakers at the Golden Apple ceremony up in the Dome Rome of the UVa Rotunda (read more here). I must be honest that this may have been the only remark I actually paid attention to, sorry. She was referring to the many teachers who are incredibly gifted back at the schools we all represented sitting there in the splendor of the Dome Room. I really resonated with that comment because I felt terribly unworthy to receive such an award. But there I sat with Sweet Anna at my side (who was, at that moment, Proud Anna). I don’t know that I have distinguished myself as a teacher, and I can easily rattle off a list of people more deserving than I, both here and elsewhere (like Hungary). But I was indeed honored that my boss nominated me for this award and, now that it is on my desk (see pic below), I am quite honored and humbled to have it. I have learned a lot about teaching over these 16 years from a lot of people like Nurline (maybe more from her than anyone else), Liz, John, Carol, Arden, Bill, David, Matthew, Anne, and many more over the years and most recently from April, Joanna and Lea (there are many others, please forgive). Additionally, I have also learned a lot from my students. All these, named and unnamed, are teachers of the past and present who are thoughtful colleagues in a great profession: a community of fellow learners. That is the thing I learned most from Nurline, the appreciation for learning, the recognition of the love of learning, the development of the love of learning in oneself, which then can infect others. So my hats off to the teachers. If you spend your day in the classroom, you are a Golden Apple.