I Received a Great Public School Education

I received an amazing education from my local public school. It wasn't fancy. We had nothing that was state of the art. However, what we did have was heart. Our teachers were excellent and honestly cared about us. They taught us more than academics.

I attended primary and elementary in two small schoolhouses that were part of a larger school district. There was no air conditioning in either building, and my elementary building was heated by a coal furnace. Each building, located in two different towns, housed one class per grade level. My primary school was kindergarten through third grade, and my elementary was fourth through sixth grade.

The classes were all small. While I was going through the little schools, my class was around twenty kids, which I think was the average size. Each class had one teacher. We didn't even know what a teacher's aid was. Of course, we had separate art, music, and PE teachers, but they only visited once a week or so.

We were a pretty close-knit group of kids. I can honestly say that I considered everyone in my class a friend. Our teachers educated us in more than just the curriculum. They taught us to respect one another. If a classmate needed extra help or fell behind on schoolwork, no one called that person names or ridiculed. Oh, there was meanness from time to time, but for the most part, we didn't really have bullying issues. At least not that I can remember.

I learned how to exercise good sportsmanship, think for myself, listen to others, and always ask myself if something is right or wrong. I learned to use my time wisely and multitask. I leaned to pay attention in class and study. I learned life is not fair, but sometimes the rewards for a job well done are great. Most importantly, I learned the value of friendship.

After elementary, we were integrated into the centralized junior high school, and we suddenly went from a class of twenty people to one of over one hundred people. It was a culture shock, but we all survived. There was a period of adjustment when most, if not all, of us felt lost, but it didn't' last long. We made new friends and bested combination locks like pros. I'm not even going to kid you; the best part of that transition was the air conditioning that kept the junior high at a frosty seventy degrees.

My education from my public school was top-notch. My teachers were all quality educators, some caring and others quite stern. I could not have asked for a better education. It is thanks to a certain sixth grade teacher planting seeds of inspiration that I developed my love for writing and eventually became a published author.

I know we're in the middle of summer break, but many teachers are already preparing for the upcoming school year. To those teachers, I say thank you. You make a difference.

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Thank you for reading Ozarks Maven! If you’ve enjoyed my little seeds of wisdom and joy, please join me again next week for more Ozarks Maven.