Thank You, Mrs. Henrich

     This week is Teacher Appreciation Week, and I'd like to tell you about one of the wonderful teachers who inspired me.
     I'd like you to meet Marie Henrich. Mrs. Henrich was my 4th grade teacher at Null Elementary School.  She is just as beautiful today as she was when I was in her class in the late 70's. After spending a year in Mrs. Henrich's class I knew EXACTLY what I wanted to do with my life. I wanted to be a 4th grade teacher just like Mrs. Henrich.
     I'm sure we learned a lot about math, reading, social studies, etc. that year, but mostly I remember learning how to work with others. Our class was located right across the hall from the library.  One afternoon Mrs. Henrich brought me, my best friend, and two boys out into the hall. She informed us that we were going to have the great opportunity to create a new bulletin board for the library each month. That sounded great to me. We'd be getting out of class to work in the hallway. Then she told us why we were chosen. We all had a tendency to be "bossy", and we needed to learn how to work together. She wasn't joking...we were really bossy. Our job was to plan together, compromise, use our time wisely, and get the work done without relying on her as our referee. So we worked each month and learned skills that are still important.
     Another thing I remember about Mrs. Henrich is the way she shared her life with us.  Mrs. Heinrich shared about her family heritage in Italy. We learned about Italy and made a 5 foot tall leaning tower of Pisa out of aluminum foil, paper towel rolls, and pizza rounds.  I also remember being crushed when I wasn't able to go to Mrs. Henrich's house for her homemade fried ice cream. (I think we were going out of town to visit my grandparents.)
     Mrs. Henrich also instilled the belief in ILAC (I'm Lovable and Capable). She believed that we all were lovable and capable. She spoke this truth into my life. She spoke it and showed it so often that I started believing it. It was more than a catchy phrase or motto. It was a belief that guided her teaching, our 4th grade experiences, and hopefully the rest of our lives.
     Thank you, Mrs. Henrich. Thank you for impacting my past, my present, and my future.