January 20, 2009

Over the years I have worked with skilled teachers, dedicated teachers, and caring teachers.  Cherie Steele-Sexton is the embodiment of all of these qualities and I thought of her yesterday.

I first met Cherie over 12 years ago when she transferred to AV Graham. (It could even have been longer - the years sort of blend together after a while.)  Her caring about and nurturing of her students was quickly evident; her preparation and dedication consistently obvious to all.  Many children over the years have benefited from having her as a teacher.  So why did I think of Cherie yesterday?  Because exactly four years ago, she touched me, too.

I had arrived at Cherie's grade 4 classroom to give her prep coverage.  The door was shut, the lights were off and there they all were, watching television - not a movie, not a Bill Nye Science Guy episode, but a special news broadcast.  I quietly entered the room, found Cherie and sat beside her.  Her glistening eyes never wavered from the TV.  It was then that I looked at the screen.  It was the Inauguration Ceremony for newly elected Barack Obama.   With tears in her eyes, Cherie turned to me and whispered, "Isn't it wonderful?"

You know how sometimes you understand something but it doesn't take on true meaning until later?  I knew that Obama had been elected.  I knew the inauguration was sometime in January.  I also knew Americans make a big deal regarding their presidents..

 However, that January 20, 2009, I sat there for the rest of the period in a quiet room of grade 4 children, watching;  experiencing vicariously the wonderfulness of it all through my friend, Cherie, whose skin colour I had always been able to see, but for the first time, was truly able to experience.