Mae Remembers Mrs. Nichols
Ms. Nichols greeted me at the door of her history classroom on my first day of eleventh grade. When she walked to the front of the room after the bell rang, I noticed she walked with a limp. As she introduced herself, she leaned against the front of her desk. She told us that she was a veteran and had lost the bottom part of her left leg in an explosion in Iraq. She lifted her pantleg a bit to show us her prosthetic.
Ms. Nichols told us that when she finished rehabilitation after her injury, she wanted to do something meaningful. She said she couldn’t think of anything more important than teaching us. She poured so much energy into her lessons and into each of us. She was such a passionate and dedicated teacher.
I was in awe of Ms. Nichols. I know there were days when the injury she sustained in Iraq caused her pain, but she gave her all to teaching us every day. Sometimes, when I was worried about something silly and superficial, I thought about Ms. Nichols. She was open about her disability, but she never saw it as a limitation. I strive to model that same vulnerability and strength for the students I teach. Ms. Nichols will always be a model of perseverance for me.
I hope Mae’s story helped you see how much your work matters.
Julie
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