Good teachers are still significant to us even years after exiting an educational institution. These individuals make us who we are today. They are doing something that no other person can do: changing our worldview and making us better people.
Anne Sullivan
Many parents have probably considered their child’s teacher a “miracle worker,” someone who can get results from failed teachers. Although the term has been around for a long time, it was first coined by Mark Twain to describe a particular individual. The person who became synonymous with the word is Anne Sullivan, who taught Helen Keller.
When she was 20 years old, Sullivan was hired to teach Helen Keller, a blind and deaf child. She had been educated at a school for the blind in Boston. By the time she moved to Alabama to take on her job as the girl’s governess, Sullivan had recovered most of her eyesight. Her partial blindness gave her insight into what was happening in the world around her.
The play The Miracle Worker, written in 1957, was very effective at dramatizing Keller’s development. Sullivan made her understand that things connected to her by placing her palm under water. She then spelled the words out on her open palm. This provided her with the necessary tools to communicate effectively. Before this, Keller could only share through a series of primitive signs.
Keller’s family asked Sullivan to send her to the Perkins School. From there, she stayed with the family until she died in 1936. Throughout her life, Helen Keller has been a successful lecturer and writer. Without the help of Anne Sullivan, she would not have been able to achieve such achievements.
Marie Montessori
Throughout history, there have been various approaches to education. Some schools have emphasized rote learning and discipline, while others have been more open-minded. One of the most influential and innovative educational philosophies that emerged during the 20th century was the work of Maria Montessori. Her name is associated with a particular type of school.
Maria Montessori, born in 1870 in Italy. She was the only female student in an all-boys school, and she eventually earned a degree that would make her one of the first female doctors in the country. After looking into education, she opened a child-care center in 1907 in Rome known as Casa del Bambini. This facility allowed her to implement her theories into practice.
Among her theories is the idea that children learn, and teachers are responsible for creating an environment that will allow them to develop naturally. Because of this, most kids, even those from disadvantaged backgrounds, flourished under Montessori’s system. In addition to being able to learn from their surroundings, she also believed that children should be mobile.
The Montessori Method was a resounding success in Italy and would eventually spread to other countries. Montessori also created various materials that were geared toward the concept of discovery learning. Although the Method was initially criticized in the U.S. during the war, it eventually reemerged in the 1960s and continues to be an essential part of the country’s educational landscape.
She dedicated her life to developing the Montessori Method and became a teacher trainer and lecturer. She was also interested in peace education and was nominated for the Nobel Peace prize three times. She passed away in 1952, aged 81.
Who made a profound impact on you in your educational upbringing? Have you ever reached out to thank them or tell them what a difference they made? In a time where teachers must deal with so much in their daily lives, pay and benefits haven’t kept up with the stress or other jobs, and many teachers are leaving the profession, consider reaching out to say Thank You!