Page 84 - EdViewptsSpring2017

The Keepsakes in Your Files

By Dawn A. Moore, Education Specialist, District Director of Curriculum
and Instruction, Warren Hills Regional School District

Memory Slide - Student, an artifact icon on your desktop or cell forever engraved within me. These 10
Parent, Colleague phone, a storage box, or the memory words have had a profound effect on
slides within yourself? What are the
how I enter each day: Simply stated,
“The Kleenex Box” keepsakes in your files, whether from “She is the reason I get up in the
A student made a wooden tissue box students, staff, and/or parents or guard- morning.”
holder and gave it to his teacher as a ians? These are among the memory Memory Slide — Student as a
gift, and for many years the present slides that have sustained me:
was on his desk as a keepsake. This Memory Slide — Student Grown Adult
past fall at Back-to-School Night, a “Destined for Great Things”
parent noticed the box as he attended “Ten Simple Words — Signed Our district sponsored a business
the evening’s event. “You still have Anonymous” CEO for one of our enrichment
that box!” exclaimed the parent to the Our students were surveyed about the showcases on entrepreneurship.
teacher, who now has his daughter as characteristics of effective teachers. When the presenter entered the
a student. “Of course, I would,” replied As part of the survey, students had library, I thought this might be a
the teacher. the opportunity to write remarks in student I taught decades ago before
One year, 10 years, 20, 30, or 40 plus the comment boxes. While reading moving out of the state. I asked
years — what are the keepsakes in the surveys, I came upon a student’s him, “Do you remember me?” As a
your files, be it your cabinet drawers, sentence about a teacher that is business CEO, he answered, “I meet

Educational Viewpoints -82- Spring 2017