On my behalf of my principal, Monique Flickinger, and the entire staff at Lincoln Jr. High, we would like to thank you for recognizing teachers in our district. I represent every person in my building and we appreciate your public support.

I have been an employee of the Poudre School District for 22 years, and I am also a product of it. I went to Bennett, Blevins, and graduated from Rocky Mountain High School in 1981. During that time, I realized that no field of study or career was beyond my reach. Instead, I could choose my future because I had received a quality education. As a teacher, I could help provide the same opportunity for many others. I have never regretted my decision because I am honored to be a public school teacher.

After 18 years of work in elementary schools, a former colleague encouraged me to come to the junior high. Now, I won’t lie because I have regretted it a time or two, but I am grateful because the last five years has made me a better teacher and a better person.

I was shocked the first time two 8th grade boys said, “We’re not gonna do this.” I was used to smiling little boys and girls with missing front teeth who loved to please their teacher with dandelions and drawings – kids who accidentally called me mom and even one little boy who called me “grandpa”. Now I was faced with two teens who were taller than me and who probably drove themselves to school that morning…I’m just kidding about that last part.

Luckily, I remembered my dad’s 32 years of teaching advice sounding like an alarm in my head – “Whatever you do, don’t cry in front of them!” Since there was another adult in the room, I quietly said, “I need to leave for a moment.” I left out the part “so I can cry in the bathroom.” That was the moment when I realized that I had to find a way to connect with and bring out the best in my students - adolescents who are navigating the tricky and challenging path between childhood and adulthood.

My eventual turn around has been a result of Lincoln’s administration and staff. I could not do my job without the support of the people in the office. Monique Flickinger, Kathy Mackay, Casey Medlock and Officer Dawn Johnson, our SRO, work harder than any teacher in the building and together, they set an example of teamwork, accountability and commitment to our students. They deserve to be recognized today.

We have coaches at Lincoln who instill life long values like academic success, sportsmanship, sacrifice and staying out of trouble. Coaches Manzanares, Perez, Rice and Wilson, who coach multiple sports during the school year, set a positive example for our students both on and off the field, and I respect and admire them for the time, influence, and effort they make every day. They deserve to be recognized today.

Last year, I worked with a 9th grader who struggled with academics and issues at home – issues that a child should not have to face - issues that would break most of us. I worked with her so enough credits would be earned to go to high school, but unfortunately, she was suspended the last two weeks of school and I was devastated, like I had failed her. Then, a colleague said, “Melinda, don’t feel bad that your student didn’t make it to the end of the year. You should be happy that she made it this far.” That colleague helped remind me that we often witness miracles when our students come to school every day even though their lives may be unraveling. My colleagues help inspire and motivate me and they deserve to be recognized today.

Finally, I have learned a lot in the past five years. I’ve learned that many of my students face struggles with attendance, drugs, gangs, teen pregnancy, abuse and neglect. I’ve learned that many of my students have a parent who is absent by choice, a parent who has died or a parent who is incarcerated. I’ve learned that my bright, funny, resilient students can learn skills, gain confidence and achieve anything. I’ve learned that listening is an important part of my job. My kids mean the world to me because they make me laugh, they make me cry with pride, and they make me feel lucky to be their teacher and their educational cheerleader.

The best compliment I ever received from a student was “You know, Miss Danielson. You may be white on the outside, but you’re brown on the inside.”

Thank you for honoring our staff, our students and for allowing me to represent them all.