May 7, 2018: In Appreciation

Ms. McGavin was my 1st grade teacher. Our school lived in a beautiful old mansion, and Ms. McGavin’s classroom was tucked up in the attic, at the top of what seemed at the time to be a steep staircase. It felt like a magical space filled with treasures and possibility, and Ms. McGavin herself, with her sparkling blue eyes, Scottish accent, and salt and pepper bun—always fixed tight with wooden sticks—was, I think for all of her students, the room’s ageless, almost mythical embodiment.

When Ms. McGavin told six-year-old-me that I could read and write very well, I believed her, and then set about the task of living up to her belief in me. After that, I never really looked back.

Thank you, Ms. McGavin. #teacherappreciationweek