Dianne Forthman

Once while I was busy with other students and activities, a student said that I was his hero. I didn’t acknowledge this, being a bit overwhelmed at the moment. Over the next few days he repeated this, and I really felt that he was making fun of me. I surely don’t feel like anyone’s hero. When he said it again, I finally asked what he meant, ready for a joke or sarcastic reply, but instead he said, “You are my hero. You do what is right for you and don’t worry about what anyone else thinks.” This is what I would like to help instill in my students, the ability to do what they want and believe in, to live the kind of life that is right for them even if it departs from the norm or accepted. To help them know that they can do anything they want, that the only limitations that exist are the ones they place on themselves is the greatest service a teacher can perform.

I hope to encourage a sense of wonder and inquisitiveness in students, helping them see more as they look at the world. Whether in the backyard, the atrium at DWJH, or in the rainforests of Panama, there are amazing things to see, watch, and investigate, that inspire wonder and awe. I hope to help students realize just how incredible this world we live in is For additional information about Ms. Forthman's rain forests experience click here.