One Teacher's Impact on an 8th-Grade Boy

March 12, 2011 - PRLog -- When I was in 8th grade, I had a teacher named Mrs. Dalit - she was very pretty, smart, and most of all, she really cared - and she made it known to us kids that we mattered, and that she really authentically cared. At 8th grade level, we were studying Biology, Algebra, Chemistry - all college levels - taught at a University with a high school program. Well, we were graded under 4 different grading periods. At one stage, the class did poorly overall. It was a class set-up where all the boys stayed in one classroom the whole entire time, and it was the teachers who switched from room to room. So we all boys got to know each other by the end of every school year. One afternoon, Mrs. Dalit came into our classroom. You see, every classroom of kids had its own teacher "in-charge" and oversaw the kids' performance in school. She asked the other teacher for a few minutes of her time so she could address the kids. And I remembered, Mrs. Dalit was the only one that did this. The other teacher complied. And I will not forget what happened next. Mrs. Dalit started speaking, "What's going on with you boys? I saw the report from the other teachers, and I was appalled! Your grades didn't match up with your capacities! I know and you know you could do better - what happened?" Then she started calling a few of us by names - back then, they called us by our last names. She continued..."Dancil, Soriano (my name), Adiao, and so on...what happened to you boys?" Needless to say, she expressed her disappointment, and it was clear that she expected way more from us. What Mrs. Dalit, my 8th grade teacher did, made a lasting impact on us, and to this day I am still touched by it. After that, my classmates and I competed for good grades, received merit cards every grading period and graduated with honors. We didn't have 11th nor 12th grades - all of us went right through college - that's when my family and I migrated here in West Contra Costa County.

 I never had a chance to say THANK YOU to Mrs. Dalit. So here, I will say it! On behalf of the 8th grade boys at the Adamson University Boys High School, I say, a huge THANK YOU, to Mrs. Dalit, and to all the teachers that leave a lasting impact on young people's lives. I have seen a teacher's commitment to my well-being and to my success. Thank you to our teachers, our educators. by Jojo Soriano, Hercules Chamber of Commerce, Director

On March 19th, Lynne Dirk of Hercules Middle High School will be honored as the EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR by the Board of Directors of the Hercules Chamber of Commerce Annual Awards Dinner night starting at 6:00 pm at the Hercules Community Center, 2001 Refugio Valley Road, Hercules. Join us as we come together to simply say, "We acknowledge the difference you have made in our community!" Tickets are $35 www.HerculesChamber.com  or call (510) 741-7945.

Other award recipients are:
La Strada Restaurant: Business of the Year
John Sherman Mills, Jr.: Citizen of the Year
Sylvia Villa-Serrano: Woman of the Year
Ian Baisas: Police Officer of the Year
Captain Darren Johnson: Firefighter of the Year
Melissa Camille Oliva: Youth of the Year
Yeuming Wang: Youth of the Year
Lynne Dirk: Educator of the Year
The Lions Club: Special Recognition

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