I already lacked assurance in my abilities and was understandably upset that I was held behind.

When I started the new school year I was assigned to Mrs. Posternack. She had flaming red hair, must have been in her thirties or forties and was one of the most compassionate, patient persons I had encountered in my short seven years. Mrs. Posternack would be my teacher for the next two years. With her guidance and patience, I developed the self assurance and tenacity to try new things that I now possess.

During the mid sixties musicals were the height of entertainment in the movie industry. Some favorites were the King and I, Oklahoma, Hello Dolly, and The Sound of Music.

Mrs. Posternack incorporated these into our daily classes, which included the basics of reading, writing and mathematics, art, drawing and music.

Being a natural born spotlight hog Mrs. Posternack used my willingness to perform in front of others to teach me.  She had me memorize lyrics to the King and I (I got to play Anna) as well as songs from Hello Dolly; Take me out to the Ballgame and several other songs from other musicals.

What I did not understand then was that memorizing these lines would help me with my class work over the years.

She also insisted that we all learn the poem that was in the auditorium written by Joyce Kilmer, A Tree. For years I could remember the poem - but at times would forget who the poet was.

The one thing I have not forgotten in nearly forty years is the warmth and love this woman gave to all the children in her class. Mrs. Posternack made learning fun and did not make any of us feel as if we were ever being forced to do something we did not want to do. Because class was fun, I never wanted to miss a day. Mrs. Posternack with her red hair, warm smile and hugs always made me feel cared for, energized and wanting to learn something new.

She made each of us feel as if we were important, her favorite and able to do anything she asked of us.

When, it was time for me to go to third grade, I felt lost at first, so I would occasionally sneak over to the first grade room, where she was teaching to catch a glimpse of her and say hi.

Perhaps because of her, I enjoy sharing my knowledge with others.  At work I supervise others and at times teach new employees what they will be doing when they are out of class about what the job entails. The biggest joy I get from it is hearing someone say “thank you, I never knew I could do that”, or “I had fun today - I learned a lot”. What they do not realize, is that I get to see my job through their eyes.

The same is true for any child who is learning and discovering their world. If you sit down with them at their level and watch, you can see them figure things out and put solutions together in their heads. It is as if you get to see the world anew, and remember what a huge place it is as well as that anything is possible. Just put one foot in front of the other and stay balanced.

Mrs. Posternack may or may not know how much I appreciated her, and there have been times I wished I could have thanked her personally. She influenced my life in so many ways.