Ask anyone about their school days and I’ll bet they could name a teacher — a very special teacher — someone who was an important influence, who made learning fun, who made you feel special and valued.
For me, that teacher wasn’t a teacher, but my elementary school’s librarian. Mrs. Kirsten had wonderful sunny smile and she always listened like every word you said was important. She allowed me special library privileges to take out more than the allotted number of books and once, when I was sick, she special-ordered books in for me because she couldn’t find any in the library that didn’t have my name on the card. She made learning a joy.
Now, through my kindergarten-aged daughter, I have had the opportunity to meet another wonderful elementary school librarian: Wilf Pauls.
Mr. Pauls, the librarian at Bastion and Grindrod elementary schools, is clearly a very special educator. He launches rubber chickens to teach physics, he converts the library into a game of table hockey. He does magic tricks and plays guitar.
Tuesday is always a very exciting day for my daughter, who doesn’t call it by that name anymore. Tuesday has become Mr. Pauls Day, because it is the day she gets to go to the library and spend time with him.
But this past Friday was actually Mr. Pauls Day at Bastion school where a host of children sported beards and glasses as they dressed up like their librarian to honour his retirement.
“I think he was really moved,” said Principal Alan Harrison. “He’s a very modest, very humble guy... He is such a positive educator, and his lessons are so interesting you can’t help but become engaged. We will miss him dearly.”
My first contact with Mr. Pauls was when he stopped me on the playground, saying he needed to talk to me about my daughter. I was quaking inside, wondering what mischief she might have been up to, when he instead told me about an insightful remark she had made, and added that I must be doing a very good job as a parent. As any parent will tell you, hearing those words was like liquid gold.
Through my daughter, I was introduced to his wonderful self-published book, Baby Brawn Hockey Superstar, which was illustrated by fellow Bastion teacher Cathy Steeves.
I was charmed by the book’s message, which tells the story of an infant hockey prodigy who wins Olympic gold, but, in the end, wants nothing more than to be with his mommy.
As Pauls previously told the Observer, “Children don’t need piles of organized activities to love life... They need close family relationships.”
It’s a simple message that can be trampled in the daily grind of life, work and parenting.
So Mr. Pauls, through your words, you’ve been my teacher too. Thanks for that lesson and for being that special teacher to so many of our children.
-Tracy Hughes is editor of the Observer.