Friday, November 16, 2007

The inimitable Mr. L.

“Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.” - Theodore Roosevelt

It probably isn't news to anyone who reads this blog, but in case you haven't heard, this is Dad's last year of teaching! He recently announced that he will retire at the end of this school year, his 33rd.

I am THRILLED for him (and for Mom). Still, when he told me the news, I couldn't help but be sad for all the future third-graders who will never experience the magic of his class. Of course, as he reminded me, even now he teaches only 20 percent of the third-graders at his school. For thousands of other kids across the county, third grade is just another year, and most of them don't even know what they're missing.

I was going to write a limerick in honor of his retirement. It was harder than I expected.

On my first try I got as far as:

There once was a much-loved man
Who taught school in the hills of sand ...

Round two brought this:

There once was a third-grade teacher
Whose classroom was full of adventure.
Jack Tales and constellations,
Snake shows and the Declaration ...

His limerick-writing genius must have skipped a generation.

But then, I thought, it's just as well. How could I adequately portray the Mr. L. third-grade experience in five short, witty lines? What would I edit out?

Time spent on the nature trail, meandering through the Graveyard of the Pines and on toward the Black Lagoon (and maybe catching a black rat snake)? Eng Lang Pla, with its studies of tongue-twisters and palindromes and anagrams?

"The Hobbit" or "High Feather"? Meteor showers or mythology? The Christmas elf hunt? Field trips to the House in the Horseshoe? Reading on the magic carpet?

I can't speak for other former students, but a few of the highlights of my year in his class were sing-alongs; Aha!'s; becoming a master of multiplication and burning my times card; signing the classroom Declaration of Independence; and writing a five-star story (Dad's version of highest honors).

I'll never forget the time he hid that story inside the cover of a big book and read it to the class, who laughed at all the appropriate places -- and how proud I felt when, at the end, he revealed that I was the author.

He's the only teacher I ever had who got just as involved at recess as the students did. Remember the blob? And four-square tournaments? And those socks with the tennis balls inside them? At some point he's probably going to require knee-replacement surgery, and all those hours on the playground will be partly to blame ... not, I think, that he'd have it any other way.

"The highest function of education is to bring about an integrated individual who is capable of dealing with life as a whole." - J. Krishnamurti

In a field overflowing with uninspired, overworked, underpaid, slaves-to-EOG-tests teachers, Dad's energy and imagination and commitment to holistic education are nothing short of heroic.

He breaks all the rules and gets away with it thanks to a wonderful, supportive principal and results you can't argue with -- reflected in students' test scores and, equally important, the intangible ways in which they flourish under his guidance. When I meet a former student, or a parent of a former student, and introduce myself as his daughter, their eyes light up and I'm an instant celebrity by association.

(Carrie, my sister-in-law and an alumna of Dad's class, recently told me that she wasn't nervous about meeting me for the first time. "I knew I'd like you because you're Mr. L.'s daughter," she said.)

Though he's won every award out there, I believe his success is best measured by the students in whom he's instilled the beginnings of a lifelong appreciation for literature, personal responsibility, history, integrity, nature, critical thinking, logic, creativity, independence, writing, respect for others, language, music, perseverance ... the list goes on.

Here's to the most original, gifted, passionate teacher our county may have ever known. I love you, Dad!

4 comments:

Unknown said...

If you think he is a great teacher, you should have him as friend. He is all you said and much more. His and your mother's friendship are something I will always treasure. When you add in their daughters, I am a pretty lucky person.

Libba Lemon said...

This is excellent and so, so true! I still vividly remember the time I visited his classroom - it was wonderfully different than anything I'd seen. He deserves all the praise under the sun and I'm so excited about their retirement!

Anonymous said...

Please pass along my congrats! I was one of the lucky ones!! I always thought the personalized spelling book was genius too. I think my mom still has some of my creative writing.

Sonya said...

I can truly say that there has not been a teacher that has touched my heart as much as Mr. Loyd. He made sure that every student felt special each and everyday. My favorite time was obviously our sing-a-longs. Our favorite song was "The cat came Back" and we requested it every time that he picked up his guitar. Our performance of "Wicked John and Devil" I am sure went down in SFL history books. You have and always will be one Special teacher. The world has missed out and SFL has lost one awesome teacher.

Enjoy retirement, you deserve it