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7 | W aterloo C hronicle | T hursday,A ugust 29,2019 w aterloochronicle.ca I've heard teaching de- scribed as "the profession that teaches all the other professions." Teaching has been on my mind recently as anoth- er school year for our daughters is about to begin. I was reminded of a great book I read a few years back called Signed, Your Student: Celebrities Praise the Teachers Who Made Them Who They are Today. Author Holly Holbert, in an effort to encourage her teacher husband, wrote to numerous celebri- ties asking them to share memories of their most in- fluential teachers. The re- sult is a powerful collection of heartwarming, inspiring tributes to teachers who transformed the lives of more than 60 notable men and women, from Jim Be- lushi and Rosanne Cash to Olympic gold medallists and astronauts. While reading about the numerous educators who dedicated their lives to helping students flourish, I found myself reflecting on the teachers who made an indelible impact on my life through the power of posi- tive reinforcement, like my high school English teach- er at Kitchener Collegiate Institute, Mr. (John) Wright, who I still see sometimes around town. He always greets me with a handshake and a warm smile - the same smile that greeted me as a student. Through his belief in me - in spite of my under- achiever status for most of my high school life - he gave me a sense of self-confi- dence that I have never lost. With our daughters go- ing into Grade 8 and Grade 12 this September, I am cer- tain teaching children is one of the most complicat- ed professions in the world, as it demands a mix of en- thusiasm, dedication, knowledge, authority and a desire to make a difference in children's lives. In the chapter Tell Us a Story in Holbert's book, Irish author Patrick Taylor writes: "Teaching is an un- dervalued profession, and yet almost everyone owes a great deal to at least one, and often many, teachers." As I reflect with appreci- ation for some of the bril- liant teachers my daugh- ters have had over the years at the K-W Bilingual School - Madame Davitsky, Ms. Scotchmer, Ms. DeFehr, Madame El Kibbi, Ms. Wid- meyer, the list goes on - I wonder: how do you identi- fy those teachers who can positively and profoundly affect students' lives? I'm certain it has little to do with where they work or how many years they've been on the job. The an- swer, I think, is that great teachers have something special within them - some- thing that compels them to do what's best for their stu- dents. They realize education is about more than reciting facts and figures. It's about guiding a child's intellectu- al, moral and personal growth. They expect all stu- dents can and will achieve in their classroom, and they don't give up on the un- derachievers. Dedicated, compassion- ate and hard-working teachers like Mr. Wright didn't give up on me, and for that I am forever grateful. Marshall Ward is a freelance writer and artist. Email is welcome at mar- shall_ward@hotmail.com. TEACHING IS AN UNDERVALUED PROFESSION OPINION MARSHALL WARD THANKS TEACHERS WHO MAKE AN IMPACT MARSHALL WARD Column A cyclist was airlifted to Hamilton General Hos- pital in life-threatening condition following a crash in Kitchener on Sat- urday. Just after 3 p.m. police were called to River Road and Kinzie Avenue for a collision involving a gas- powered bicycle and car, said Acting Sgt. Tim Boni- face with the Waterloo Re- gional Police traffic divi- sion. Boniface said the gas- powered bicycle is not a le- gal vehicle. He said the cyclist was travelling west on River Road when he tried to make a left turn onto Kin- zie Avenue and was struck by a car travelling east on River Road. The man on the bicycle suffered critical injuries and was taken to Hamilton General Hospital via Ornge air ambulance. The woman driving the car was not injured. KITCHENER CRASH SENDS CYCLIST TO HOSPITAL WITH CRITICAL INJURIES PROMOTE IT TODAY FOR FREE WATERLOOCHRONICLE.CA/EVENTS HOSTING A THANKSGIVING EVENT? MAKE IT A SUCCESS! Waterloo Region Landfill Liaison Committee Meeting The Region of Waterloo has established a Landfill Liaison Committee for the Waterloo Region Landfill Site. All members of the public are invited to attend the committee meetings. The goal of the Committee is to identify operational problems that affect local residents such as litter, odour and noise and to resolve those issues in a cooperative manner. The next meeting of the Waterloo Region Landfill Liaison Committee is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 3, 2019 at the Waterloo Landfill Administration Building, Gate 1, 925 Erb Street West, Waterloo. If you require any additional information on the Liaison Committee or require accessible services to participate, please contact Linda Churchill at 519-575-4400 ext. 8421 between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday or email lchurchill@regionofwaterloo.ca. Under the "Municipal Act", personal information such as name, address, telephone number, and property location that may be included in a submission becomes part of the public record. Questions regarding the collection of this information should be referred to the person indicated above. NOWOPEN!! Large Indian Buffet! All You Can Eat Buffet Open 7 Days a Week Lunch 11am to 2:30pm • Dinner 3pm to 9:30pm TAKE OUT MENU AVAILABLE ALL DAY TAKE OUT BOX $9.99 519-742-9000 700 Strasburg Road, Kitchener (Forest Glen Plaza) www.spiceindia.ca CUSTOMER APPRECIATION MONTH LUNch $1099 DINNEr $1299 Valid until August 31, 2019