First Person: Mrs. Swanson: A teacher with vision

Abstract

Lita Kurth shares her recollections of Mrs. Swanson, her 3rd-grade teacher in rural Wisconsin. Mrs. Swanson helped her students learn about the world outside their small community by exposing them to things that many students did not have at home. Students without phones got to practice telephone skills, and students without books had access to a collection of classic novels to read. Lita was herself a curious student who snuck books out of the classroom to read at home, and Mrs. Swanson took an interest in her development, both by pushing her to find her own voice and giving her a boost when her self-esteem was lagging.