The Circle Game

         They say when the student is ready, the teacher appears.  My inner writer must have been poised on the starting blocks, because in the fall of 1978, I met Miss Kurtz, my seventh grade Language Arts teacher.  I have vivid memories of sitting in the front row of her class, mesmerized by the way she made writing seem magical, her enthusiasm for all things literarily symbolic, and her rich appreciation for the talents of her students.

          It was in Miss Kurtz' class that I knew I wanted to be a writer and began keeping a journal.  In a spiral notebook, I chronicled my bumpy road through junior high, my secret crushes, short poems, and longer stories.  Week by week, month by month, Miss Kurtz encouraged me to keep writing, keep editing, and become a better author.  Due to her kindness and generosity, I often visited her classroom before school to ask for help with assignments that needed another pair of eyes, hers in particular.  And I always left feeling supported and encouraged. 

          At the end of the year, Miss Kurtz asked us to complete a "Project Imagination."  Utilizing our skills and interests, each student was asked to create something to share with the class that would allow our talents to shine.  I gave this project a lot of thought and finally decided to make a piece of crewelwork.  Having spent years completing kits that I had bought at the local craft store, I was fairly proficient in stitching techniques; however, this project needed to be an original.  I scoured my sister's coloring books and found a picture of a wise, old owl sitting on a tree branch.  Using tracing paper, I transferred the picture to a piece of canvas, and using split stitch, meticulously filled in the empty spaces.  I remember standing in front of the class sharing my hand-stitched owl, but have no memory of what I said, only what I felt when I sat down afterward.  My face was beet red, flushed with discomfort for being the center of attention, but inside I was beaming with the joy of knowing I had taken the time to do my best.

          Fast forward sixteen years.  Having been a first grade teacher at Greenwood Elementary for nearly a decade, I was delighted to meet Dustin in the fall of 1995.  Cheerful, kind, and absolutely adorable, this little boy touched my heart and lifted my spirits simply by walking into our classroom.  I was continually amazed at how bright and linguistic Dustin was, and always a fast learner, I often encouraged him to be our daily "news reader" during calendar time.  More often than not, he made the class howl with laughter as he read the news with the perfect pitch of a professional journalist. 

          I left teaching in 1999, and in the past fourteen years have written five novels and am currently working on a memoir.  As fate would have it, last summer I was shopping at Target, in search of a new writing desk, when I saw someone I knew in the distance.  Walking closer, I realized it was Miss Kurtz, now Mrs. Joyce Yarnell, and was delighted that she recognized and remembered me.  We caught up on our lives and spent some time talking about the writing process and the book my agent had been pitching to editors.  It seemed only fitting to tell Joyce that her love of words had sparked my desire to become a writer.  Enthusiastic about my memoir, she asked if she could help me edit.  Of course, I eagerly took her up on the offer.

          Since then I've also reconnected with Dustin, who much to my delight, is now earning his degree in Early Childhood Education.  While helping him with his research papers, I found it amazing that he wrote so fluently and with great competence.  When I asked him which high school teachers taught him, he replied, "Actually, it was my seventh grade Language Arts teacher, Mrs. Yarnell, who taught me to write.  I loved her class...and she was so amazing!"  No wonder his papers were so well executed.  We laughed when I told him she had been my teacher as well. 

          This past week I have spent time with both Joyce and Dustin and marvel at the way life creates such beautiful circles in our lives.  Joyce taught me, then I taught Dustin; then she taught Dustin and now is working with me once again as I am with him.  On and on, the circle continues. 

          And so it is with teachers.  We cannot help but share what we love, and share it abundantly.  I've traded in my needlework for knitting and encourage you to join me at the Little Lambs for Peace workshops this spring and summer.   I'll be at Owens Community College (Arrowhead Campus) in Maumee on June 24th from 6 - 8 PM.  Please register at their website www.owens.edu.  On July 23rd, I'll be at the Sanger Branch Library in Toledo from 6:30 - 8:00 PM.  Please call (419) 259-5370 for more information.  Both workshops are free and open to the public.  I look forward to inviting you into our knitting circle where we all teach and learn together.