Giving teachers a big thanks

While stopped at a traffic light a few weeks ago I noticed the bumper sticker on the car in front of me.
The bumper sticker read “If you can read this thank a teacher.”
I assumed this was probably a teacher at the wheel of the car, but regardless of who owned the vehicle, the bumper sticker made a good statement.
It also brought back memories of the teacher who taught me to read way back in the late 1960s.
Fay Camp was my first grade teacher and she passed away recently.  I am sure the way she taught reading differs from the current method; but 43 years later I can still read.
One of the reasons she was special to me was that even up to a few months before her passing she still called me by my name.
Now some might say that I left an unforgettable mark on her but I prefer to believe that it was because she really loved teaching and her students were all special to her.
Mrs. Camp spent the last couple of years at the assisted living facility here in Hartselle and I was able to talk with her on several occasions.
She always referred to me as one of her students when in a group of other residents.  Hearing those words always gave me a warm feeling inside because to me that meant she kept a part of you in her heart.
So I would like to say thanks Mrs. Camp for teaching me to read and for being my first grade teacher.
I know you were earning stars in your crown by being the teacher that you were and showing the love to your students as you did so well.
Teaching is a very honorable profession and one that many times today may not be given the praise and respect that it deserves.
But looking back over the years I spent in school and even into college some of the most influential people in my life were teachers and educators.
Thanks to all teachers past, present, and future for the dedication to your profession.

Randy Garrison is the general manager of the Hartselle Enquirer.