PLANTING SEEDS OF KNOWLEDGE

Recently I came across a statement, “Teachers plant the seeds of knowledge that last a lifetime.”

This brought to mind memories of my teachers in the one-room schoolhouse, those in junior high, high school and college. I also have a series of newspaper clippings about achievements of some of my teachers.

Family Teachers

This quote also reminded me of Mother and Grandmother (Nanny). Both were teachers in one-room schools. I have pictures of Nanny and her students in two different schools where she taught in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Then there are photos of my mom and her students in two schools where she taught in the 1930s. Some of those students kept in contact with Mother during her lifetime and wrote to me after Mother’s death, relating her influence on. them and their memories of her as their teacher. One man told me he thought he probably was Mother’s most mischievous student.

My paternal grandmother’s great grandmother Tabitha also was a teacher, as was Grandma Ella’s mother Olive and her brother William. I came across an old, old article in which a man was reminiscing about attending school in Triangle, NY in the early 1800s. He said Tabitha was his teacher in a schoolroom …the vacant space in a horse barn. It had been donated by the farmer so local children could attend school.

My Teaching

I’ve done substitute teaching in schools wherever my husband and I lived the past 45 years. I have letters and drawings from students in the various classes I’ve taught. Some stop by and chat with me in the store where I currently work part-time. I hope I’ve had a positive influence with the students (now adults) I taught.

Making a Difference

If you’re a teacher – remember you can have a positive influence and make a difference with the young people you teach. Even if it’s not in a formal school setting, you can plant “seeds of knowledge” as a 4-H leader, youth group leader and even as a caregiver. Make a difference and plant those seeds in the lives of those you touch!

FRENCH FRY CASSEROLE

Dice 1 small onion and mix with one pound of ground beef or turkey. Press into the bottom of a 9 x 9-inch pan.

Mix together 1 can cream of cheddar soup and 1 can cream of celery soup. Spread this mixture over the ground meat. Then cover the surface generously with frozen French fries.

Bake at 350 degrees F. for 40 minutes until done. The fries should be crisp and golden.

(Variation: Sprinkle lightly with shredded cheese about 15 minutes before the casserole is done.)

(Mary Emma Allen researches and writes from her woodland NH home.)

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