For nearly a decade we’ve gone through this same ritual:
“Hello, Mrs. Liebman.”
“Hi, Stan. Please call me Gale.”
“I can’t. I respect you too much to address you informally. Plus, I’m hoping that if my kids hear me call you Mrs. Liebman, they will, too. You know, modeling behavior. That’s what we teachers do.”
She just smiles in a way that lets me know that’s a bit much, but that she likes how it sounds.
Well, after decades of teaching at Brooks (formerly Emerson) Middle School, Mrs. Liebman is retiring. The irony is she’s still vibrant, optimistic, even looks young, but she feels “it’s time.”
My whole family adores Mrs. Liebman. My wife, Earlene, says she was like a “surrogate mom” to our now 21-year-old daughter, Lauren, who never did an extracurricular activity except when Mrs. Liebman was involved–such as a charity for the school in Haiti for which Lauren volunteered.
“Mrs. Liebman is so cool,” Lauren says. “She helped me connect with other kids in Haiti, even before mom explained we had relatives there.”
My youngest son, Jordan, says, “She always gets my name right. Other teachers get me confused with Amman [his twin brother].”
Amman says, “Mrs. Liebman told me if I ever need help with French, just to come in her office for help at any time. She’s fluent, you know. I haven’t visited her office yet, but just knowing she’s there inspires me to excel.”
After a summer in Montpellier and Paris with me, Amman went from his first semester in French to French 3, which he’s been placed in as an OPRF freshman. We were in France at the same time as Mrs. Liebman. The only reason we didn’t meet her during Bastille weekend (independence celebrations) was she got sick and had to be rushed to the emergency hospital. She’s fine, now.
Corny as it sounds, Mrs. Liebman is one of those rare individuals who make a difference in children’s lives. Partly, it comes from her ability to make all kids feel welcome. Part of it comes from her ability to have high expectations from all kids, including children from low-income households who may or may not have the educational support systems in place that others enjoy.
I think it also comes from her way of linking the theoretical to the practical and thereby turning seemingly pedantic academic exercises into lifelong service learning lessons. Her work in after-school activities is legendary. Many over 25 know her work as one of the creators of the Ethnic Fest (along with Delores Register, Al Gilliam, Bette Wilson, and Judy Morosky).
“Throughout the years, Gale has given of herself,” said Register, who added, “I’ve known her since 1979. She had organized a festival similar to the Ethnic Fest in Pittsburgh, and I had done a similar one in St. Louis. We were part of a team of committed individuals working on multicultural issues. I can honestly say helping to create the Ethnic Fest was a wonderful experience, bringing the different schools together to celebrate diversity and difference. People had attitudinal changes in racial and cultural difference–students, teachers and administrators.”
When I asked Mrs. Liebman what will she miss and what will be her legacy, she said she would only tell me if I promised to read it back to prove I got it right. Being a good student, I did what I was told:
“I’m going to miss working with colleagues who have collaborated with me to create great programs for our kids. Colleagues and friends like Joseph McCord, Karen Tokarz, Helen Chang, Kristi Murray, and many others helped make our Worm Composting Program, Ethnic Fest, newly formed Debate Team, International Dance Program, and Exchange of Hope project successful and meaningful to our students. I am very proud that these programs have continued (Ethnic Fest 27 years, Worm Composting in three more schools) and that they are socially and environmentally relevant programs. Students come back and visit, sharing how happy they were to be a part of these programs and how these programs have already affected their interests and future choices. I hope I have always been honest with students and maintained high expectations about what they are able to accomplish. I understand the importance of standardized testing and performance standards, but I believe that education is much more than that … all children have the potential to be successful … I hope that I have been a part of helping some children begin to reach that potential.”