Class of 2011 Graduates Inspire Teachers with Personal Thanks
August 18, 2011
Plano ISD Class of 2011 graduates Yichao "Teddy" Xiong of Plano East Senior High School and Michael McBride of Plano Senior High School provided motivational speeches during convocation, eliciting tears, cheers and laughter.
Teddy Xiong
2011 Plano East Senior High Valedictorian
 “We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude.”
This is a perfect description of the very dynamic relationship that exists between students and teachers. Despite our griping about classroom rules, our complaining about homework, and our poor judgment on when to stop talking back, I realize that teachers have taught us so many valuable life lessons over the years.
It's not just the math formulas, the scientific laws, the historical facts and the literary symbolism that always goes over my head, but more importantly, it is the character qualities I have learned and invaluable guidance I have received that I am most thankful for. (Along with the occasional interesting movie days)."
Read Teddy's full speech  | Watch his speech 
Michael McBride
2011 Plano Senior High School Graduate
 A teacher’s job is infinitely more important than teaching. It is helping children learn to live, to laugh and to love.
And that’s why I don’t like the word teach. The best teachers I’ve had didn’t teach me. They inspired me. They didn’t test my knowledge; they tested my character. They didn’t capture my attention; they captured my heart. And most of them don’t even know it.
My grandmother, a first grade teacher her entire life, once told me that the hardest part of teaching is that “you plant the seeds, but you don’t see the garden.” Teachers rarely feel their influence because it is not measured by test scores and essays and exams. It is measured by the decisions we as students make in the solitary hours of life when the scores have faded, the lessons have diminished and all that is left is the truth of teaching."
Read Michael's full speech | Watch his speech
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