Love Doll Tradition

When I was in sixth grade I had the best teacher, Mrs. Spinks.  I thought she was the greatest.  Before I made it to Mrs. Spinks' classroom, I was always in trouble for talking (go figure!).  But it was different in sixth grade - Mrs. Spinks would talk to me!  So I did not get in trouble for it!  Besides being a great teacher, Mrs. Spinks was a lot of fun.  I remember that she & another teacher had walkie talkies that they would use to talk to each other when they needed something.  They were always playing pranks on each other & keeping us entertained.  These two also helped to put on the school plays.  I remember one year the play was Peter Pan.  I tried out for the part of Tinkerbell (surprise, surprise).  However, despite my love of talking, I wasn't quite loud enough for the part.  Mrs. Spinks took me out into the hallway  & tried to get me to really get into the part.  But, I just didn't cut it.  I thought I had lost the chance, but Mrs. Spinks came to me later & told me that I was Tinkerbell!  The catch - I didn't have any speaking parts.  They decided to go with a narrated version of Peter Pan.  So there was a Tinkerbell narrator & a Tinkerbell actress (me).  If Mrs. Spinks had not believed in me, she wouldn't have found a way for me to be in the play. 

Besides being in Mrs. Spinks' sixth grade class, I was also her "helper", along with one of my best friends, Neena.  We went in to the classroom early every morning to help get things ready for the day.  I remember that Mrs. Spinks would also have to ask us where things were during the day!  I used to feel so special that I knew where things were & she needed my help!  There were also days that Neena & I got to eat lunch in the classroom with Mrs. Spinks.  I loved it!

Mrs. Spinks was one of the big reasons that I became a teacher.  I wanted to be just like her.  I wanted to make a difference in just one child's life, like Mrs. Spinks did mine.  She showed me that you can be a good teacher, as well as a friend. 

At the end of my sixth grade year, Mrs. Spinks gave me a special gift - a porcelain doll, with a special poem describing the Love Doll Tradition.  When she was a little girl, Mrs. Spinks' teacher gave her a porcelain doll for perfect attendance.  Mrs. Spinks was supposed to give that doll to her child in the future & also buy another porcelain doll to give to another special little girl.  Mrs. Spinks choose to give one to me, as well as Neena.  I still have my doll & I am very excited that one day I will pass it on to Nolin!  I also must find another one some day in order to pass on the tradition to another little girl.