Mrs. Gleason, Teacher

(from the school's Facebook page, link below)

I recently read the obituary in The Scranton Times for Theresa (Tess) Gleason.  Instantly I knew who she was.  More specifically, she was one of my grade school teachers at John Adams Elementary School in Scranton.  As I write this, I can still see her face in my memories of back then, which is quite the accomplishment considering how long “back then” actually was, both in terms of years and aging neurons.  This kind of memory speaks to the power of teachers.

https://www.thetimes-tribune.com/obituaries/theresa-b-gleason-scranton-pa/

I have a theory of sorts:  The folks that publicly complain about teachers the most (think “…they get summers off”, etc.) have likely been cursed by not ever having had a really good teacher in their life.  If the spew from these folks wasn’t so bad sometimes, well, I’d likely have pity on them.  As it stands, I have been blessed in my life to have had really good teachers.  Including Mrs. Gleason.  I remember that she was positive, encouraging, and really good at teaching science.  If you know me, well, then you know how important the latter was in the grand scheme of my life.  As a youngster, I was something of a mess, in more ways than one, mostly because I think I was/am wired differently than most, at least in terms of how I think about things.  As an older adult, I see that now as a gift, and on many occasions, I’ve actually gotten compliments for my different approach to things.  In all likelihood, it was small acts of encouragement from teachers like Mrs. Gleason that helped me get from there to here with (most of) my marbles intact.

Now it would be true to say that I am prejudiced in favor of teachers.  My late ex-wife was an outstanding teacher.  My oldest daughter follows in those footsteps, teaching English to kids whom others would just as soon ignore.  I am absolutely positive that, just as I remember Mrs. Gleason all these years on, so to do/will countless other students have memories of my ex-wife and oldest daughter.  Great teachers have that kind of power.  This explains why some with egos that are fragile and a reach for power that exceeds their grasp are the loudest when criticisms are leveled at (especially public school) teachers.  They are simply jealous and…as noted above…they likely don’t have any teachers they fondly remember.

Rest in Peace Mrs. Gleason.  You’ve no doubt done well.