I became a teacher today.
I called out my students one by one: Litzy, Maria, Alannah, Sarahi, Anna, Karia, Anna, Paulina, Caelie, Lisa, Lydia, and Nathaly. “Who knows who Eleanor Roosevelt is?”,I asked. Blank stares, and enough silence to hear the lights in the art room buzzing, gave me my answer. “Well,” I started, “she was an orphan raised by her grandmother. She played field hockey, loved hot dogs, and hated cooking. But, she sure did love to talk!”
That day was the first day of Tea, Conversation, & Etiquette with Eleanor Roosevelt, a club I started and ran at Woodley Hills Elementary School for 4th-6th grade girls. The purpose of the club was to build stronger self-esteem and confidence in young girls, using Eleanor Roosevelt as a role model.
I told my students that one of my favorite Eleanor Roosevelt quotes was, “do one thing everyday that scares you.” This, I explained, has inspired me to get out of my comfort zone and to be brave. It doesn’t mean to jump off a cliff, but simply to raise your hand in class if you tend to shy away, to stand up for a friend, to introduce yourself to somebody new and become friends, and to ask for help. After we discussed this quote, I asked again, who is Eleanor Roosevelt? This time, bright eyes smiled back at me, and every girl’s hand stretched toward the ceiling. I smiled with them, because as I stood right there in front of them I realized not only was I going to change their lives, but they also were going to change mine.
Eleanor Roosevelt is my greatest inspiration. Her transformation from a shy kid who believed she was ugly, to a woman of great character and the wife of Franklin D. Roosevelt makes her a true role model. I attended a tea and conversation event at her summer home at Campobello Island, Canada and immediately wanted to spread her greatness.
At the same time, I was also brainstorming an idea for my Girl Scout Gold Award Project. I wanted a project I would enjoy since I would be spending at least 80 hours on it. A light bulb went off, and all at once I was frantically scribbling my ideas on a piece of paper. I would honor Eleanor Roosevelt by basing my whole project on her. I would include the value of conversation and how etiquette ties into it. And I would, of course, incorporate tea, since Eleanor had it every single day at 3:00 pm and would invite anyone around her to sit and chat about politics, family, books, or whatever was on their minds. And thus began the Tea, Conversation, & Etiquette with Eleanor Roosevelt club.
At 3:00 pm on that first day, it was time for tea and cookies. I placed teacups and saucers in front of each girl, and put teapots and a plate of cookies on each table. I told the girls to get to know each other, and to inspire conversation. Before I knew it, the sugar from the cookies and the tea settled in, and the art room was abuzz with lively conversation. I couldn’t believe my eyes; my passion was contagious and the girls got the bug!
Each Tuesday after school I got to be a teacher to these girls; I taught them not only how to answer the phone and set the table, but also to ask questions and make eye contact when carrying on a conversation. More importantly, perhaps, I taught them to let their inspirations guide them to become better people.
At the beginning of my 90 hours with the girls, I had no idea just how transformational the experience would be. By the end, however, I knew that I had become a teacher.