No significant learning can occur without a significant relationship.
– Dr. James Comer 

Today’s message comes from Stacy Benge, author of the important book, Whole Child Alphabet:

“A successful teacher is one who notices students, builds and invests in relationships with them, and makes them feel important and significant. An effective teacher moves beyond academics and ensures that all students believe in themselves so much so that the impact is felt years after the students leave the classroom. All these characteristics accurately describe Virginia Fischer.”

The above is an excerpt from a letter of recommendation I wrote for my 7th grade science teacher, Mrs. Fischer, when she was nominated for teacher of the year in 2018. I felt truly honored that she asked me to write the letter as I was a student in her class back in 1985. Mrs. Fischer reigned as my very favorite teacher throughout all my school years. And even though she taught my least favorite subject, her class was the absolute best and I looked forward to attending it every day that year.

Imagine my devastation when I opened Facebook a few weeks ago to see a post that Mrs. Fischer passed away suddenly at the young age of 66. My heart broke.

No surprise though was the outpouring of love and appreciation from her former students, spanning over 40 years. (The post with her obituary received more than 350 comments and 150 shares.) The common thread though was not about the academics – although we learned a lot from her as she had a knack for making the material relevant and relatable. The consistent message was Mrs. Fischer’s gift of building meaningful relationships with every student in her class and making them feel important.

“She smiled at me every time I walked in her room.”
“She made me feel seen and heard.”
“She was my cheerleader.”
“She took time to talk with me.”

Mrs. Fisher was a shining example that the impact of teachers on children’s lives goes beyond the academic content. What truly makes the difference is being present, building relationships, and showing genuine care. That is what children carry with them the rest of their lives; I am proof of that.

I concluded that recommendation letter with, “She loved me, cared about me, and believed in me, and, without a doubt, I knew it every time I saw her.”  Thank you, Mrs. Fischer, for everything.