September 11, 2015

One Teacher Remembers 9/11
Much discussion took place following the recent anniversary of this now historic tragedy.
For me personally, it was a grim reminder of an event which cost the lives of two significant people in my life.
Ann Judge and Joe Ferguson both lost their lives when Flight-77 crashed into the Pentagon.  Ann and Joe were both colleagues and mentors for me during the times that I was trained in Washington, DC learning to become a NGS National Teacher Consultant.
They were both excellent people with warm and outgoing personalities and easy to converse with.  
Ann was extraordinarily patient with me (as some of you know how I can be!)  She not only knew all the answers, she knew all the questions.
She treated every encounter with me like it was the most important thing she had to do that day.  I really need to be more like her in that way.
Joe was so knowledgeable about how to make things work in a classroom, though he wasn't a classroom teacher.  He was all about kids and learning and encouraging us to allow our students to be creative.  How can we make the learning meaningful and fun at the same time seemed to be his mantra.
In the end either as teachers or as people, we are a compilation of the people we have had the opportunity to come in contact. 
Today I just wanted to share two such people whose lives ended tragically on that most tragic day. Two amazing individuals that have been, and remain being, role models for me.