My inspiration to become a teacher is all due to Mrs. Grady Turner, my third grade teacher. She was a “Great Expectations teacher, before “Great Expectations” existed. She was compassion, yet stern. Strict, but loving. Kind and enthusiastic about even the tiniest accomplishment. She had polio as a child and her hands were somewhat crippled. She learned to write using a very large piece of chalk. What she could do with that chalk was amazing! What I am very sad to say will someday be a lost art, Mrs. Turner had the most beautiful handwriting I have ever seen! She challenged our handwriting skills by having a weekly ribbon contest. Blue was first place, Red was second place, White was third. I loved cursive handwriting and became one of the best in the whole class! You cannot imagine the thrill and pride I felt each week when I would win a Blue or Red ribbon and my paper hung in front of the class for all to see. I was a shy child and needed recognition from someone I admired. Well, I think Mrs. Turner knew this and she made my year one of the best! I will always remember her and I appreciated all the art projects, the soup party, the hotdog roast, (at her house), but most of all treating us as equals. I loved you Mrs. Turner and you are the reason I have to stop sometimes and ask myself, “What would Mrs. Turner do?”