SUBURBAN WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.-- Kristen Patnode, a fifth and sixth grade science teacher at Berean Christian School has been reading comments posted on her Facebook page.
One of her former students followed in her footsteps. "Now, she works a couple of doors down from me, and it's exciting to see that she is a part of the team."
Patnode is talking about Victoria Skelton, who is a first grade teacher at the same school.
Mrs. Patnode is the teacher who wanted to have fun with you and not just watch you have fun. She wanted to know about you," Skelton said.
Teaching for more than 30 years, Lois Lantz also inspired former students. "I've got one who is a Navy chaplain now. And one is in the Air Force, one is a Coast Guard, some are teachers."
Sarah Starkey, who just graduated from college this week, remembers Mrs. Lantz as a teacher. "She was just so fun and she made reading so enjoyable. She was really encouraging to us, she still is. We still keep in touch."
Mrs. Lantz says there are three things her family lives by. "Love, serve, care, and so that's what I want to do for my students. And I want to see them reach their potential."
"You look for the days that even one student gets what you are teaching. And that light bulb goes off in their head and they get excited about what they are doing. For me those are the days that I cherish," Mrs. Patnode said.
Victoria says the things she learned from Mrs. Patnode she is passing on to her students. "I learned from her that I wanted to no matter who the kid was, if they are a hard kid or if they might be a kid who is scared to talk, which I was, as long as you show they are loved they are going to open up."
Starkey will always be grateful to Mrs. Lantz and says people should thank their teacher. "I would encourage them to reach out to their teachers,let them know the impact they made."
