Teachers make a huge impact on their students. Today I’m
reminiscing about the teachers who played a role in guiding me toward my dream
of writing books. It begins with my second grade teacher who instilled a love
of language in my heart and gifted me a tin filled with words printed on pieces
of cardboard. I loved to grab a handful of words and try to make fun sentences.
Middle school saw three years of grammar instruction, some
of which remained with me. During those years, whenever I got bored, I wrote
snippets of a “novel” on any scrap of paper on hand. Those scraps are long gone
and never ended up compiled into one coherent story, but the dream remained. In
high school I was blessed with an amazing literature instructor and a creative
writing teacher who fed my love of story. Great teachers continued into my college
years, playing a part in honing both the love of language and the love of
writing.
After a brief stint student teaching, I gained a much, much
greater appreciation for the dedication and work that teachers put in each day. Teachers make a huge difference in the lives of their students.
Which teacher(s) made a big impact on your life?
In my upcoming April release, Mail Order Mix-Up, Pearl Lawson travels to her first teaching position
in a Michigan lumber town. She brings along her best friend who was recently
jilted by her fiancé and an advertisement for a mail order bride for a Mr.
Decker, who is located in the very same town. Pearl hopes a new relationship
will revive her friend’s spirits. She doesn’t count on competition in the form
of two other ladies responding to the same ad, and she certainly doesn’t
anticipate falling for Mr. Decker herself.
Christine Johnson
Mail Order Mix-Up
(#1, Boom Town Brides, LIH, April
2016)
Honor Redeemed (#2, Keys of Promise, Revell, July
2016)
Mail Order Mommy (#2, Boom Town Brides, LIH, Nov 2016)
Posts
Christine, I have a couple that come to mind. One was in junior high. I wrote an essay and my teacher liked it so much she read it to the class. I think that was probably the beginning of my writing career. The second teacher was our typing teacher, (yeah, I know, I'm dating myself). She was such an inspiration and she had a terrific sense of humor.
ReplyDeleteHa! I took typing in high school too. I love how your teachers inspired you to write. We never know how an encouragement will take root.
ReplyDeleteThey do! Great post here! My middle school English teacher instilled in me the love of literature and reading. She assigned great books that are still my favorites today like Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice and Jane Eyre. I was quite sad to find out she passed away when I tried to look her up while visiting my old neighborhood.
ReplyDeleteThanks again for a great post.