Mama Lily
Her corner in her home is filled with Golden Globes of a different kind. These pictorial medals are a small representation of the many lives she has touched along her teaching journey, mine are among them.
I had never had much faith or trust in teachers. Throughout my school life I had many disappointing encounters with these authority figures, most had left me with a strong distaste for educators and the education system. My memory serves up a rather ugly helping of teachers who dripped with sarcasm, went heavy on the ridicule and gave me indications that my life wouldn’t amount to much. All except one, Mama Lily.
The first time I met this short, feisty, Italian I was apprehensive about my placement in her Grade 9 English class (1983). I even considered trying to transfer over to the other class, which I knew wasn’t going to happen. So, initially, trudging off to the course everyday wasn’t an uplifting experience. Mrs. Pentek was very disciplined, gave homework frequently and had high expectations for her students (something that I had not been accustomed to, I mean if my other teachers didn’t have faith in me then why should I?).
Then came those dreaded weekly journals, ugh! At first I completed them because they were required, then something extraordinary happened! I began to feel comfortable with this lady, which was something that I had never felt with any other teachers in my life. I was able to open up to her and communicate on a completely different level through my journals. I felt like I could truly trust this person. I would even write to her about things that I felt I could not tell my mother. Lily was, in no way, judgmental or a preacher. She briefly but tactfully replied to my concerns in such a way that I was left with time for inner reflections. This, I think, was intentional.
Through these journals she became a source of encouragement. My secret love of poetry flourished and so did the beginnings of my poetry writing.
Then came grade ten, which left me feeling lost and lonely. In a time where my life was beginning to change I was also suffering from withdrawal symptoms; I had been assigned to a different teacher for this year. I had begun to rely on my weekly, personal discussions with Mrs. Pentek and began to appreciate her moderate dose of solemn and wise words.
After this long void, the rest of my high school English days were greeted with the ultimate antidote, Mrs. Pentek. Over these next two years I felt that we had become close and that I had gained a fundamental piece of my life’s pie. Mrs. Pentek became my friend and confidant and eventually earned the highest honor (in my books) to be called Mama. She was, indeed, like having a second mother.
I had always embraced this person as my “special” secret. We continued to stay in contact after I left school and I was content to keep this information undisclosed. It wasn’t until years later that I visited her at her home that I realized my secret was shared with many other students. The pictures of previous student’s children that lined her walls were the result of her innate ability to connect to, understand and make each one of us feel unique.
Mama Lily was (and still is) a positive and influential person in my life. She is the picture of dedication, concern and kindness that can’t easily be replicated or replaced. I can’t imagine my life without her. She is one of the reasons for my continued perseverance in the writing field, for without her initial and continual words of encouragement I would not have had the ability to take the first steps. In retrospect, she may have been one of the reasons I became a teacher. She is the ultimate source of inspiration and I can only hope that when I end my teaching career that my students remember me fondly like I remember Mama Lily. This is the best award anyone could ask for.
I had never had much faith or trust in teachers. Throughout my school life I had many disappointing encounters with these authority figures, most had left me with a strong distaste for educators and the education system. My memory serves up a rather ugly helping of teachers who dripped with sarcasm, went heavy on the ridicule and gave me indications that my life wouldn’t amount to much. All except one, Mama Lily.
The first time I met this short, feisty, Italian I was apprehensive about my placement in her Grade 9 English class (1983). I even considered trying to transfer over to the other class, which I knew wasn’t going to happen. So, initially, trudging off to the course everyday wasn’t an uplifting experience. Mrs. Pentek was very disciplined, gave homework frequently and had high expectations for her students (something that I had not been accustomed to, I mean if my other teachers didn’t have faith in me then why should I?).
Then came those dreaded weekly journals, ugh! At first I completed them because they were required, then something extraordinary happened! I began to feel comfortable with this lady, which was something that I had never felt with any other teachers in my life. I was able to open up to her and communicate on a completely different level through my journals. I felt like I could truly trust this person. I would even write to her about things that I felt I could not tell my mother. Lily was, in no way, judgmental or a preacher. She briefly but tactfully replied to my concerns in such a way that I was left with time for inner reflections. This, I think, was intentional.
Through these journals she became a source of encouragement. My secret love of poetry flourished and so did the beginnings of my poetry writing.
Then came grade ten, which left me feeling lost and lonely. In a time where my life was beginning to change I was also suffering from withdrawal symptoms; I had been assigned to a different teacher for this year. I had begun to rely on my weekly, personal discussions with Mrs. Pentek and began to appreciate her moderate dose of solemn and wise words.
After this long void, the rest of my high school English days were greeted with the ultimate antidote, Mrs. Pentek. Over these next two years I felt that we had become close and that I had gained a fundamental piece of my life’s pie. Mrs. Pentek became my friend and confidant and eventually earned the highest honor (in my books) to be called Mama. She was, indeed, like having a second mother.
I had always embraced this person as my “special” secret. We continued to stay in contact after I left school and I was content to keep this information undisclosed. It wasn’t until years later that I visited her at her home that I realized my secret was shared with many other students. The pictures of previous student’s children that lined her walls were the result of her innate ability to connect to, understand and make each one of us feel unique.
Mama Lily was (and still is) a positive and influential person in my life. She is the picture of dedication, concern and kindness that can’t easily be replicated or replaced. I can’t imagine my life without her. She is one of the reasons for my continued perseverance in the writing field, for without her initial and continual words of encouragement I would not have had the ability to take the first steps. In retrospect, she may have been one of the reasons I became a teacher. She is the ultimate source of inspiration and I can only hope that when I end my teaching career that my students remember me fondly like I remember Mama Lily. This is the best award anyone could ask for.