Steve Sikes Blog
Steve Sikes Blog
The year was 1961. I had just moved to a new school and had zero friends. Even worse, my fourth grade class had already started and I was behind.
On my first day in school I remember feeling lonely, nervous, and very uncomfortable. To top it off, my fourth grade teacher, Miss Gillentine, asked several of us to go up to the chalk board and work a long addition problem. To my surprise I finished first. (I’d learned a faster way of doing long addition at my previous school.)
The following day Miss Gillentine announced we were going to have a long addition contest on the board. I won. The next day she held the contest again. I won again. In fact, Miss Gillentine had us do long addition races for the rest of the year! Each race, my confidence grew and I took that confidence with me everywhere I went.
Yes. She knew. Miss Gillentine, a Christian teacher and a wise woman, saw a need and filled it. She saw a scared and lonely fourth grade boy. She found something he was good at and provided the opportunity for his success. Miss Gillentine is one of the souls I want to personally thank when I get to heaven!
Our church family has some teachers like Miss Gillentine! I’ve seen them work. Today, thank a teacher! IT WILL ALL ADD UP IN THE END! God is good!
Steve