Trust me when I say it.
There were no slackers.
By about 10:15 we realized that we had to stop and put our computers away in order to finish up some things before lunch. I was nearly through when I heard our secretary open up the classroom door.
"I brought you some visitors!", she said.
Sure enough, she had.
There standing at our door were two people who mean a whole lot to Mike and I. It was my sister Sherry and my brother-in-law Wes from Altus, Oklahoma. Sherry is a veteran teacher who retired after 41 years of service in the classroom. She is my mentor, the one I go to when I have a question about something pertaining to school, and the best big sister there ever was.
They had made the journey over to school from their home on the way into Texas to visit their daughter and family. They decided to keep their visit a surprise and believe me, surprise me they did!
The kids in my classroom have heard of Mrs. St. Clair many times since school began. Sherry is the one who has provided so many things for our classroom already this year. She has made beautiful bookmarks for us, donated books and classroom supplies, and so many other little things. At the top of her list of gifts to us has been a multitude of snacks for the kids to enjoy. She knows, just like I do, that there is no way to fill a child's head with knowledge when their little bellies are on empty. My students have really enjoyed them and now they had the chance to see first hand the person who has been so kind and generous to them.
It was my sister.
I told Sherry to take my chair at the desk and the kids could come up to greet her. It was such a humbling experience to see her sitting there, this woman who had been so seriously ill not even three months ago that she spent many days in the ICU of a hospital back in Wichita, Kansas. I gave her the biggest hug and thought I just might cry. It was sweet to hear one of the little kids say,
"Ah, look they are sisters and they love each other!"
And that little boy was right. We surely do.
The next twenty minutes were spent with introductions and everyone getting the chance to come up and greet both of them. Several kids shared stories about what had been happening in their families and how they were doing in school. Wes, an Air Force veteran, pointed to our United States flag and asked them if they knew what it stood for. Proudly they all said that they surely did. Sherry asked me about the kids and how they were doing. I smiled when I said that even though they sometimes talk too much that they are doing wonderful and that I wouldn't trade them for anything. That's when a young man in the class spoke up.
"Yes, Mrs. St. Clair. Mrs. Renfro said that she wouldn't trade us kids for all of the money in the whole wide world. If someone came up to her and offered her a million dollars to be able to teach us, she would always say 'NO'".
He remembered.
I smiled.
The time went much too quickly and before long they had to head out for the rest of their journey. The kids said their "good byes" and two of them gave Sherry and Wes an official "escort" to their car. With that, they were gone.
I owe my sister so much. She has been the one who guided me throughout my now 39 years of being a teacher. I didn't learn near as much from 4 years of college plus a master's degree as I have learned by watching and emulating my big sister. If I am exemplary teacher today it is only because I was taught by the best of them.
And her name is Sherry St. Clair.
Perhaps in the not so distant future, it will be my time to finally say "enough" and fully retire from the classroom. I hope and pray that perhaps I will have at least a couple more years before it is all said and done. I've had a wonderful life as a teacher and have no regrets whatsoever about the things that I have accomplished, and you know what?
If you ask my sister about how she feels, her answer would more than likely be the same.
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