I remember the first PTA meeting in which I was introduced as a teacher in Baltimore County, MD. I quoted to those parents the words of Anatole France, a French philosopher, who defined teaching as the art of awakening the natural curiosity of young minds. I have held that definition and tried to follow it throughout my thirty-year career.
Later, when my own three children were growing up, my husband and I tried to inculcate in them the importance of education in their lives. I recalled with great appreciation the wonderful teachers I had in school and in college, and I know that my teachers greatly influenced the way I have lived my life. In the years that I have been a teacher, I have tried to help boys and girls see the importance of the learning disciplines and how much they mold and change our lives for the better. Through our studies this year, it is my hope that my students will come to appreciate Americas story and value their American heritage.
We want Oak Hill Elementary to be an exemplary school, and that is why all of us who teach here care greatly about the quality of education children receive. We know that teaching is a deeply held commitment to the lives and future of young Americans.