Tribute to a Teacher

In going through some old correspondence files recently I stumbled upon a letter I once wrote about one of my favorite teachers, who was at the time being considered for Teacher of the Year in our district. Her name is Linda Thompson and she was not only my first grade teacher, but also taught each of my children in third grade. The letter speaks for itself, but I must comment that Mrs. Thompson is long since retired. It’s also interesting to note that both of my children have since become teachers as well, which may be due in part to their experience with this amazing woman who profoundly affected all of our lives. To me, she has represented what is good about elementary education.

All this comes to mind as our local schools start up again this month after the summer recess. As I said, we’ve now come full circle and my own children are now the teachers who are welcoming students back to class. I offer all of this as a reminder of how important education is. If you have kids in school you know what a difference a teacher can make so I challenge you to encourage our educators and give them the honor they deserve. You never quite know which year of school will matter most or which educator will be the one who connects with your child and changes his or her life forever. While not all were perfect my family has been blessed with amazing educational mentors at every level, some of whom truly were nothing short heroes. So I offer this tribute to one particular teacher, and I can only hope that you have had a similar experience as well. Please never stop learning, and always support those who facilitate it.

February 23, 2001

Newport Mesa Federation of Teachers
RE:   Mrs. Linda Thompson, Lincoln Elementary School

I am writing today in regards to one of your distinguished colleagues, Mrs. Linda Thompson, whom you are currently considering as a candidate for Teacher of the Year.  Certainly, no one could be more qualified or deserving of such an honor. With that said, allow me to explain her unique relationship with our family and why her name is so highly revered in ours and related households.

                My son, Christopher, was in Mrs. Thompson’s third grade class back in 1992, the year that Lincoln (of which I am an alumni) reopened as an elementary school.  Two years later my daughter, Cassandra, was in her class as well.  However, the thing that made this so special is that Linda Thompson was also my first grade teacher, at Woodland School, way back in 1966.  I had always remembered her as a bright spot in my educational career, but it wasn’t until I experienced her teaching a second time, as a parent, that I realized how much she had affected my life and the lives of those around me.  I have had the rare privilege of coming full circle and rediscovering, through my own children, how fortunate I was to have had Mrs. Thompson as my teacher.  Her commitment, her wisdom, her excitement and her love had a dramatic impact on me as a youth and, a generation later, Linda Thompson is still working her magic with the young people of this district. 

                My children are now in ninth and eleventh grade at Corona Del Mar High School (of which I am also an alumni).  They are both excelling academically, due in part to Linda Thompson’s contribution to their education, as well as to the foundation she helped give to me.  With very few exceptions, our children have had wonderful teachers, but Mrs. Thompson has been something more than a teacher to us.  She has a gift for involving parents in education, for helping young people to cherish books and authors, for making the mundane intricacies of the three “R’s” spring to life not only in a child’s mind, but in his or her heart.  She learned long ago that it is not enough to stuff a child full of information.  Rather she helps to awaken in them a wonder and a desire to learn.  There is, perhaps, no greater gift we can give to a child.

                During the past thirty-six years Linda Thompson has shared her life and her heart with more than a thousand young people.  Her tireless efforts have had an incalculable impact on these students and their families, much as they have with two generations of my own family.  She has been, and continues to be, so much more than a teacher.  She is a mentor, a counselor, a motivator, a friend ... sharing her energy and her dreams for our children with anyone who will listen.  For Linda Thompson, teaching isn’t a job, it is a mission.  It isn’t an obligation, it is a privilege.  She has invested herself in our children and along those lines I also enclose herewith a poem I wrote for her at the end of my son’s third grade year.  It sums up much of how we feel about Mrs. Thompson and the investment she makes in every young person who passes through her sphere of influence.  Each one walks away with far more than knowledge.

                As a lifelong student and parent of the Newport Mesa Unified School District, on both sides of the bay and at every level, few people in the private sector have had as much exposure to the teachers and administrators of our local schools as I have.  We are blessed to live and work in such a wonderful area and to have so many talented people involved in the education of our children.  Yet, even against the backdrop of our outstanding local educators, Linda Thompson is a shining star.  I will simply say, in conclusion, that when we kneel at our children’s bedsides, she is the kind of teacher we pray will come into their lives.   

Thank you for your valuable time and consideration and the opportunity to honor someone who has meant so much to our family and who is, in fact, one of my personal heroes. 

                Sincerely,
                Frank Carpenter
                Student, Parent, Friend

Futures

You have made a career of investing
Not in barley or bellies or beans
But in a more precious commodity
Knowing yields will go mostly unseen
You have carefully studied the market
Choosing a field of rich return
Then shared your vision and strategy
With anyone willing to learn
Your gift is investing in futures
Seeing potential in what will be
In the hearts and minds of children
Our most precious commodity
We will never forget your investment
Nor could we ever repay
The love and time you invested in us
We can only say "thank you" today
                      By Frank Carpenter