Monday, January 22, 2024
I don't know if I've ever met a more impactful woman in my entire life, I can still hear her quiet voice and little chuckle. She found humor and joy everywhere she looked and she never EVER let you sell yourself short.
She didn't project an agenda, but she challenged the heck out of people to make sure they really understood what they were saying. She always told us that if we were ever going to challenge something to be ready to be challenged. She was vulnerable and graceful in her teachings, always using empathy to explain unkind situations that she handled.
She was honest with us, but never was hurtful in her words. Her grading was fair, but she was always understanding of how heavy some of our lives were. We were humans learning and interacting with her, not pupils in her classroom. She let us create, discuss, write. She modeled teaching every single day, never just taught about it.
I may have had her in college instead of high school when people really saw my struggle but she was the continued model of the strong, impactful, and valuable educators that are still standing today, teaching anyway. She was the personification of everything I believe in.
Goodness, this soul. Someday, I hope I'm just like her.
And Gil, oh sweet Gil, you two were literally the iconic image forever imprinted in my mind of authentic and real love, a power couple for sure. Humble, honorable, but powerful.
