Mrs. Snively

I had some wonderful teachers growing up. One of my favorites was Mrs. Snively. She was an excellent teacher who helped me develop my math and reading skills. She also taught us the importance of recycling and encouraged us to bring in our old newspapers and aluminum cans. The money our class raised through recycling these products helped build a school in Chile. Now how cool is that?

My least favorite part of her class was "clipping day." Once a week we stood in front of the class sharing a newspaper or magazine article. I was painfully shy and the thought of getting up in front of my class was mortifying. I know I always turned several shades of bright red when it was my turn. Those two minutes in front of the class seemed like two hours as I stuttered through sharing my noteworthy event.

My favorite part of class was right after lunch. Mrs. Snively would have us sit quietly at our desks and then she would pull out a book. One afternoon she pulled out a bluish-gray book. The pages were yellowing. On the front cover was the title and the silhouette of a girl carrying a magnifying glass. It didn't look terribly interesting.

Then Mrs. Snively said something that seemed quite profound. "You can't judge a book by its cover." She opened the book and began reading the first chapter of The Mystery of the Moss-Covered Mansion. It was my first Nancy Drew book--but it wasn't my last. I probably read every Nancy Drew book available at the time. I collected Nancy Drew books. I have 26 in my bookcase today.

As I was thinking about Mrs. Snively, I picked up an old copy of The Secret of the Old Clock from my bookcase. I'm not sure how I ended up with this book--possibly a library used book sale. Inside the cover are the names of six girls, including myself and oldest daughter who read and loved this book. I am grateful for teachers who go beyond the basics of reading, writing, and math to help us grow and develop. I'm grateful for "clipping day" which helped me overcome my fears of public speaking. I'm grateful that she taught me the importance of recycling to help our environment, the love of serving others less fortunate, and the love of old battered books.

Thanks, Mrs. Snively.