In Praise of Teachers

I have always looked up to and respected teachers. Most of us can look back fondly on a teacher who saw more in us than we saw in ourselves. Or a teacher who sparked an interest or passion in us and then fanned that small ember into a flame of lifelong learning. At BootUp, teachers are absolutely central to our nonprofit mission of bringing coding and computer science to all elementary students. We cannot begin to imagine the fulfillment of our nonprofit mission without them. We are extremely gratified when we see truly empowered, confident teachers bring their own love for student learning and growth to make the magic of discovery happen. I want to spend a few minutes in praise of teachers!

As a student at Wasatch Elementary in Salt Lake City, Utah, my third-grade teacher, Mrs. Donelle Dickey, was that one teacher who played such a pivotal role in my life. Mrs. Dickey was a first-year teacher when I was in her class, but she was already a truly gifted guide, who she saw in me a love of reading and a desire to learn. She gave me the support, encouragement, and genuine care I needed to fuel my commitment to further education, teaching, and service. Mrs.Dickey came along at just the right time because I had spent all of my recess hours during the entire second grade in the principal’s supply room for some playground shenanigans. I am certain I was looking for a point of stability at school, and she stepped right up to fill that need.

When Mrs. Dickey saw that I was done with my work, she gave me more to do and did not let my idle time turn into a distraction for others. She made it fun by suggesting that I was given private access to a cache of knowledge that others were not, even though I suspect she saw the individual talents in all of her students and found ways to inspire them along their paths. I thought that someday I might want to be a teacher and be that kind of person for someone else.

My dad, Dr. Wayne Merkley, was a great biology professor at Drake University for almost 40 years. As a teenager, he would invite me to work in his lab and participate in his research trips along the Des Moines River and meet and talk with his graduate students. I could hear and see the genuine affection they had for my dad and their respect for him as a source of knowledge, motivation, and fun. Many of those students were invited into our home for a meal, an evening chat, or a holiday celebration when they were away from their own families. I watched and learned about the impact a great teacher can have on others, primarily as a role model example.

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