Debra Barta

Topic: Leaving a Legacy

From a young age, I grew up in the teacher's lounge at my mother's elementary school. I always remember how busy my mom was at the beginning of school getting her classroom ready for the next group of students she would view as family. Open House was always a favorite event for my mom. Each year, I remember her getting the children to draw self-portraits. She would mat them on black paper and carefully display them on her bulletin board ,using only clear push pins, for the families to view. She loved the self-portraits. Once my mother retired, she would often talk about her time in the classroom. She would still get together with her "teacher friends" and reminisce about past students. My mom watched my children as I went to work in my own classroom. I found myself having the children in my own class draw self-portraits. I would marvel at the way the drawings would change and mature as the year progressed. My mother's time on the earth has passed and my own children have grown; however, my mother's legacy continues on. These portraits were created by my students in honor of her.