Something Remembered

In 4th grade, I had my first male teacher.  Mr. VanderLinden.  I remember crying when we found out I was going to be in his class, because I'd never had a man teacher and I was afraid he'd be mean.  I don't know where I got this idea, I just know I had it.  Our school always told us on our final grade card whose class we were placed in the following year.  I fretted and worried all summer about being in his class.

He turned out to be a very nice man.  He was the first teacher I had with a "lending library."  He would let us check out his own books and take them home to read.  I remember checking out a book called Christina's Ghost.  It was the first "scary" book I'd ever read and I remember staying awake all night hearing strange sounds in our attic.

He was also the only teacher that sent us postcards in the mail.  Not often, but every once in a while, and always to tell us something positive he had noticed about us in class.  He wrote one to me that he had really enjoyed a story I had written and thanked me for my effort in editing it.  That postcard was very empowering for me.

In a strange twist, my 4th grade year was the year my brother entered kindergarten.  He had the same teacher I had for my kindergarten year, Ms. Dobbs.  The spring of that year, Mr. VanderLinden proposed to Ms. Dobbs.  They married that next winter and soon had a baby boy they named Brett.

Mr. VanderLinden was a first year teacher that year...and it was the only year he taught.  OK, I don't actually know what came of him after I left elementary school, he very well could have gone back into teaching at some point.  I do know (because Ms. Dobbs/Mrs. VanderLinden was still there for two more years) that he did not return to teaching for a few years, if he did at all.  During his year as my teacher, he also worked at Foot Locker.  After the school year, he resigned and became the manager of Foot Locker and did not return to teaching. Knowing what I know now as a teacher, two things are probable.  It is likely that he made more money as a store manager than a first year teacher.  Also, first year of teaching is hard, and our small district (less than 500 kids K-12) probably offered little training, PD or support to help him adjust.

I saw a hockey scene on TV the other day and Mr. VanderLinden, who I had not thought of in years, popped into my head.  Because his classroom was decorated with a sports theme and one of the motivational posters was a hockey themed one, done by Nike.  I remember LOVING the poster, even though I had no interest in hockey at all, because the words on it were powerful.  So, remembering only the lines about the grinder sticking up for his teammates, because they're his teammates and the other guys aren't and about the stopper bringing the toilet paper on the camping trip, I headed to Google to find the poster.

It took a lot of searching, but I finally tracked it down.  I still really like it.   (It is posted below, for the curious.)

This random remembering of a man, a poster and some words makes me think that maybe as an elementary school teacher, I can really and truly have  a lasting impression on kids.  They may not think of me often, or regularly, but maybe once in a while something will trigger a memory of me.  I would like those things to be good, positive, motivational memories.   Words are powerful and can be empowering.  I want my classroom to be a place that they are.



For those who want to read the poster, here it is:
 
Hockey is a Lot Like Life
You've heard it before.
Sports are a lot like life.
But the truth is, hockey is more like life than life itself.
See, every single person in the world fits into one of five categories.
He or she is either a Grinder, a Playmaker, a Stopper, a Scorer, or a Superstar.

The Grinder
The Grinder works hard in the corners and other places nobody else wants to go.
The Grinder's the guy who doesn't have the grades to get the scholarships so he works the night shift to pay for classes.
The Grinder's willing to sacrifice the body.  Stopping a speeding puck with your face isn't pretty, but then again, neither is the name "Grinder".
The Grinder always sticks up for his teammates. Why? Because they're teammates. And the other guys aren't.

The Playmaker
The  Playmaker makes all of us look good.
The Playmaker is almost as unselfish as the Grinder, but sees the ice differently.
The Playmaker's not the President but he's not an empty-suit Vice-President either. He's more like a really powerful Secretary of State or Chief of Staff.
The Playmaker gets a point for each assist.
Because in hockey, as well as other things, an assist can be more beautiful than a goal.

The Stopper
The Stopper is different.
The Stopper makes a mistake, and a red light goes on and 10,000 people yell at him.
The Stopper's the one you count on to succeed after everyone else has failed.
The Stopper's the guy who remembers to bring the toilet paper on the camping trip.
The Stopper might be weird. But understandably so.
Thank God for the Stopper.

The Scorer
The Scorer is somebody you're very familiar with.
The Scorer was born with his own map to the right place at the right time.
The Scorer's the one who doesn't study all semester, goes out the night before, and still manages to ace the final.
You hate the Scorer.
You love the Scorer.
You watch the Scorer.

The Superstar
Simply put, the Superstar can do things no one else can.
The Superstar has his picture taken a lot.
The Superstar can't be explained.
The Superstar gets to marry anybody.
The Superstar should be watched and enjoyed.
Because the Superstar doesn't come along that often.