CHARLES TOWN, W.Va. — West Virginia Superintendent of Schools Clayton Burch laughed as he recalled his favorite teacher in school, one who played a role in inspiring him to go into the education field as a young Hancock County boy.
“My favorite teacher of all times was my kindergarten teacher,” he smiled. “Mind you, I was 5 years old, and I also thought she was the most beautiful woman in the world. But I loved kindergarten. I loved everything about it. I remember her being so kind.”
He commented on the importance of kindness in a teacher before getting to an even larger point.
“Over a 30-something year career, how many students did she touch?” Burch asked. “What impact did she actually have on not just Hancock County, where I’m from, but our state of West Virginia, where those children went on to live? I think the power of the teacher is unlike any other field you can possibly imagine. We need folks to go into the field.” …
