From Seed to Apple | Page 21

until he was 35. Then he went on and earned an associate’s degree at the community college because he wanted to show us how important it is to keep learning.” It was signed by Jerry and his sister. Sometimes, when my job seems hard, when I feel under-appreciated and frustrated, I pull out that yellow, tattered newspaper clipping to remind myself that the connections I make and the time I take with my students are the best paycheck I’ll ever get. Names have been changed to provide a measure of anonymity. Teacher of the Year biographies: bit.ly/2015ToY 19