I’ll never forget the day my whole class ate mini chocolate cakes in kindergarten. That week in school, our teacher had presented us with a new idea. She asked the class if we would be able to work on this concept. The response was a resounding, “Piece of cake!” A popular phrase at that time, meaning that these kindergartners thought we knew everything there was to know about this, and we could easily handle the novel task set before us. The very next day, our teacher played along with our good humor and brought in mini chocolate cakes for everyone to celebrate our “piece of cake” victory over new ideas.
I’ve kept in touch with my first, and one of my favorite, teachers over the years. I mentioned this story to her recently. She couldn’t quite recall the activities of that week in kindergarten, but I still did. It showed me that teachers are always listening and hearing their students, and it taught me that they care about the morale and spirit of their students just as they care about the educational aspects of the classroom. That seemingly small event left lasting impressions. How many more stories are out there like this of teachers who are making similar impacts every day?
These impacting teachers deserve to be recognized for their efforts. Each year, the Community Foundation gives one great teacher in Henry County the Teacher Excellence Award. This award is designed to elevate teachers who are encouraging students to achieve their goals.
By: Amber Estelle
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