Speaker: BRANDI WATTS, Chicago
BRANDI WATTS: When I was a brand new teacher at Franklin Middle School in Dallas, there was a seasoned teacher on campus named Nan Fichtenbaum. And she was one of those teachers who lots of people look to for advice and for information, but mostly as an example. And that's what she was to me. She was an example of what a good teacher looked like. When I was still trying to figure that out. She was a US history teacher and she knew her content and she loved it, you could tell. And you could also tell she really loved kids. And as I watched her that first year of, my first year of teaching, I learned from her example that you can love kids and you can have high expectations and you can love kids and have rules and you can love kids and correct them when they're wrong, but you have to love them and they have to see that and feel that. And I think being able to watch her shadow her, my first year as a teacher helped me to eventually become a better teacher. And I'm really thankful for that. And I'm really thankful for that.
What would you say to that teacher right now?
BRANDI WATTS: bomb right now, I would say thank you Thank you for taking a new teacher under your wing. Thank you for being such a great example. When I eventually figured things out and then began to support new teachers who were coming behind me, they all got a little Nan Fichtenbaum. So thank you.
