In life, we come across certain teachers and mentors that are more than just a teacher. They are a confidant, a role model, and an inspiration. These individuals stay with you for the rest of your life, whether they realize it or not.
I can remember every elementary school teacher I had starting from kindergarten. I can remember one was always sneezing, one always scared me and one always addressed the entire class as "you guys" which always annoyed my ten-year-old self.
Then there are teachers who you strive to be your very best and do your very best for. My 4th-grade teacher is the first on my inspirational list. Her laugh and smile are what I remember the most. I remember whenever she would smile my anxiety would instantly dissolve. She was so kindhearted and made interactive learning fun. I remember she sparked my passion for reading. Whenever they would open the partition between the two classes my attention would peak, as I knew this meant it was story time. One novel in particular about a bat always grabbed my interest. Although, it wasn't the book itself but her excitement and expressions she would use while reading; it was captivating.
When I finished fourth grade I would continue to visit her classroom and didn't think I would connect with another teacher like that again; until grade 6. (*Disclaimer: I will be writing this blog in the past tense as I recall my memories. Each individual still possess these qualities to this day).
She was one of the kindest and gentle teachers I had. She respected each student for our individual quirks and always made us feel special. When she spoke about her passion for traveling to her favorite destination of Malta, her love was tangible and it would fill the classroom. I remember one day when I was in charge of making the new seating plan for the classroom, I selfishly sat all my friends around me except for one. To this day when I think about that moment of being called over to her desk, my stomach still sinks about how I let her down. From that day forward I did my best to never act that way again and to do everything in my power to make her proud.
From here we fast forward to high school. Shy, no-voiced Brianna was trying to find where she belonged in the hormone filled popularity contest. Lo and behold what I had feared the most, would subsequently be where I would be shown my passion: drama class. I remember dreading fourth period the first year I took drama class for fear of actually having to speak, and then I met my teacher. Full of energy and no fear, she would command the theatre and everyone inside of it. It was impossible to be in a bad mood around her, and like my other teachers, I wanted to succeed for her. At the time she was the only reason I started to believe in myself, because of her I found my voice and my passion. She saw a timid grade nine girl and saw that she could pull out the potential in me. I did not have enough courage to audition for the Fall Production in my first year but I signed up for the crew. I was in charge of documenting the entire process and in the end, I would present everyone with a DVD of all the pictures (this was before the time of just simply tagging people on Facebook in a bunch of albums). But it wasn't until rehearsals neared the end did she approach me and gave me the part to walk up to the stage at the end of the show and pretend to take a picture. Me. I was going to be in the show. I remember the nerves I felt, how much responsibility I felt I had. But I also remember the pure joy I felt being part of this production, I was so proud. I would go onto being in every school production twice a year until I graduated. I am so grateful for what she saw behind my timid grade 9 eyes-if anything- because, without her, I honestly don't think I would have found my voice.
And lastly (for now) is my professor from Sheridan. There is not a long enough blog post I could write about this amazing individual. From his quirky inspirational quotes that I still think about daily, to his memorable life lessons; there is so much I owe to him. There isn't a day that goes by without his voice saying, "if you do it now, you won't have to do it later". His strength in recent years and his talent throughout the years is continuously inspiring. I owe all of my Second City experience to him because without his introduction to the amazing company, I doubt I would have had the courage to attend, let alone audition. When I didn't get into the first-semester show at Sheridan, I would try my hardest the rest of the year to prove my talent; I wanted to make him proud. "You should try out for their [Second City] conservatory.” He once told me. It was in that moment that I felt the most validated I had ever felt in my entire life. Knowing that he could see potential meant the world to me and scared the crap out of me because that meant I actually had to audition. I would continue to bump into him in Toronto while I was at Second City for the following couple years and every time, my face would light up and I would bask in my comfort zone that was my Sheridan family.
Now, I could have written something about each and every one of my teachers so this is just a start. But if there's anything to take away from this is to know that you are remembered. For all of the emerging teachers, remember that everything you do matters. Teaching, like many professions, is a very thankless job. So I am here to say, what you do makes a difference, you matter, and you continue to make a difference in our lives even when we stop walking into your classrooms every day. Thank you for putting a piece of yourself into every lesson and even though it seems like it may fall on deaf ears some days, we are listening more than you think.
Thank you.
