Home » Coaching / Mentoring Articles » Jean L. Smith, M.Ed. Looks Back on a Career Dedicated to Helping Kids Shine
Jean L. Smith, M.Ed. Looks Back on a Career Dedicated to Helping Kids Shine
A bona fide "Star Polisher," Jean L. Smith taught at Edinboro Elementary School for 44 years
UNION CITY, PA, July 16, 2010 /Coaching - Mentoring PR News/ -- "The Star Polisher," by Leah Becks, is a popular poem among educators. It compares students to stars, which come in all shapes and sizes, and describes the teacher as one that provides the luster they all need to take their places in the sky. Jean L. Smith was one such star polisher. Prior to her retirement, she logged an impressive 44 years at Edinboro Elementary School, where she helped countless third graders shine. A Golden Apple winner, she summarized her stellar career in an interview with Cambridge Who's Who: "I had to polish the stars, and the stars were the students."
Before she put away her proverbial "soft buffing cloth and bottle of polish," in June 2008, Ms. Smith was a solid, no-nonsense presence in the classroom. Known for her emphasis on practical, experience-based lessons, she most enjoyed implementing the year-long Mini-Society program, which allowed students to build a society from scratch. In the process of naming their new community, designing flags and stamps, signing up for jobs, establishing businesses and campaigning for places in government, the children learned valuable lessons about the money system, politics and consumer issues. Primarily an economics teacher, Ms. Smith relished Mini-Society's ability to integrate all subjects from math and science to spelling, reading and history. She also loved Market Day, the program's culminating event in which students set up their businesses in a "mall" (really the school gym). "One girl decided to bring her llamas in from the farm," she recalled, smiling. "She only brought two, but that was quite a thing in the gym, to see people's reactions to the llama store."
Ever the pragmatist, Ms. Smith steered clear of lectures as much as possible, opting instead to encourage her students to get their hands dirty. "I always wanted the children to have real-life experiences," she explained. "If they [have] a reason for learning, I think they learn better." She believes that her most vital roles as a teacher were to apply lessons to everyday living and to impart skills and values that would actually be of use later on. To her, Mini-Society was more than a class project; it was an opportunity to ensure that her students had what they needed to succeed in life - among them, professionalism, a sense of responsibility, and pride in oneself.
Remembering her galaxy of future stars, Ms. Smith maintained that every day as a teacher was fulfilling, from watching her students accomplish their goals to just seeing the looks on their faces when they understood something for the first time. "Everything was unrehearsed," she said. In many ways, educators' achievements are measured by the heights that their pupils reach, but there is some glory to be found in providing that all-important assist. Shortly after retiring from Edinboro Elementary, Ms. Smith received a letter from her school principal, part of which read: "In my book, you are the ultimate 'Star Polisher.' You gave so much to each student that was fortunate enough to be placed in your classroom. You had that special ability to make each of your students think that they were the most important and the best and the brightest...even when they really needed a great deal of polish!!"
Ms. Smith earned her master of education from the University of Pittsburgh and her bachelor of science in elementary education from Edinboro University. She may be reached via email at jlsmith@velocity.net.
About Cambridge Who's Who
With over 400,000 members representing every major industry, Cambridge Who's Who is a powerful networking resource that enables professionals to outshine their competition, in part through effective branding and marketing. Cambridge Who's Who employs similar public relations techniques to those utilized by Fortune 500 companies and makes them cost-effective for members who seek to take advantage of its career enhancement and business advancement services. Cambridge is pleased to welcome its new Executive Director of Global Branding and Networking, Donald Trump Jr., who is eager to share his extensive experience in this arena with members.
Cambridge Who's Who membership provides individuals with a valuable third party endorsement of their accomplishments and gives them the tools needed to brand themselves and their businesses effectively. In addition to publishing biographies in print and electronic form, it offers an online networking platform where members can establish new professional relationships.
Headquartered in Long Island's premier office building, RXR Plaza, the Cambridge Who's Who staff spans more than 10 departments and comprises a team of nearly 200 highly skilled and dedicated employees. Together they work to provide members with the recognition and exposure needed to further their careers, expand their businesses and network effectively in an economy where referrals are more important than ever.
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