Dedicated students, distinguished colleagues and dear friends,

Happy Friday! Happy Teacher Appreciation Week!

Every year this week, Teacher Appreciation Week, I think of the teachers in my life whose words, actions, and influence have lasted a lifetime for me. You know who I mean: teachers who believed in us before we believed in ourselves, who made us feel capable and able and then pointed the way. Those who deeply influenced our thinking and our approach, not only to schoolwork, but also to life and its challenges. They inspired us, supported us and pushed us to excel. 

I have no doubt that all of us can share our memories of teachers who have loomed large in our memories for years and decades. Teachers who have left etched impressions in our minds.

As I write this note in recognition of this year’s Teacher Appreciation Week, I reflect with fond memories on my fifth-grade math teacher and her genius in “herding cats” and teaching them math! She had figured out that the most critical aspect of teaching and learning is connecting. To converge and focus our attention, she started every class session by reading a five-minute excerpt of a year-long mystery story, always stopping at a cliffhanger point before starting the day’s math lesson. Eager to know what happened next to our favorite characters in the plot, we were focused and connected to what she had to say next. Only to hear about the next topic on the syllabus. Her approach, along with her high bar of performance expectations, resulted not only in great learning but also in a love of trying to figure out the “difficult” subject of math.

We’ve all had those influencers. In the classroom or at the gym, in music halls or marching bands. So, if you get a moment, think about your mind-altering, perspective-expanding teachers. Those with candor and contagious confidence that you trusted and respected. The one who made you believe that you can make a difference and, as a result, influenced the trajectory of your life. Better yet, send them a note to let them know that you appreciate them.

Incidentally, I thought you might want to know that the national teacher shortage persists. According to the latest analyses, 48 states plus the District of Columbia employed around 366,000 teachers who were not fully certified for their teaching assignments. Thirty-one states plus the District of Columbia published data on vacancies, showing nearly 46,000 unfilled teacher positions. Together, these estimates indicate that, at a minimum, over 400,000 positions were either unfilled or filled by teachers not fully certified for their assignments, representing about 1 in 8 of all teaching positions nationally.

Proudly, here at S&T, we work to be a part of the solution. We offer a Bachelor of Science in Education program emphasizing three distinct specialties: early childhood education, elementary education and middle school education. Our secondary STEM²education program prepares our students to become future teachers in their majors such as math, physics, chemistry or biology. Our science or engineering graduates can pursue their teaching licenses to become teachers if they so choose. 

Our teaching certificate programs include Certificate for Education of Young Children, Certificate for Teacher Leadership, and Certificate for Teaching and Learning. In addition, our Kummer Center for STEM² Education offers several programs and resources for preK-12 teachers. “Engineering A Better Future” is a fully funded, on campus, immersive professional development program designed for grades 7-12 STEM² educators. Teachers learn how engineers design and build solutions that shape our communities and bring that inspiration back to their classroom. 

Today, as I reflect on many pivotal points of my career, I realize that I have had the good fortune to be guided by remarkable teachers and mentors who have helped me gain clarity on difficult situations.

I have no idea if my fifth-grade math teacher, the petite, beautiful woman who was a giant figure in my life, is still alive. But I would love nothing more than to tell her in person that “you won’t remember me, but I want you to know how important you have been in my life.” Knowing myself, I can only imagine that my words would be mixed with tears and would be uttered as ineloquently as they are simple. On reflection, however, as a teacher myself, those words might be all that she would want to hear. 

Warmly,

-Mo.
 
Share your thoughts!

Read previous Friday morning messages.

Check out the latest news:

• Mother’s Day moment: An Army son surprises his mom at her college graduation
• NSF program to sponsor Missouri S&T ceramic engineering scholarships
• Supersonic success: Scholars sharpen wind tunnel simulations

Mohammad Dehghani, PhD
Chancellor
mo@mst.edu | 573-341-4116

206 Parker Hall, 300 West 13th Street, Rolla, MO 65409-0910
chancellor.mst.edu