From 1989 until his retirement this year, Michael Isaacson kept the same little yellow box in his desk at Cedar Ridge Elementary School. Its lid, long ago detached by time and wear, depicts antiquely dressed children walking hand in hand toward a red schoolhouse, with a barking terrier in tow. Michael’s greatest treasure lies just beneath.
“I joined Cedar Ridge the first year it opened,” Michael recollected. “I spent my first 22 years there teaching fourth grade, and the last 13 teaching fifth.
“Children that age live in two different worlds. Part of them wants to stay young, and continue enjoying games, activities and friendships the same way they always have. The other part – which only grows larger over time – wants independence, self-identity, and a place in the world. I’ve watched more children take their first steps toward adulthood over the years than I could count. It’s been a joy to help them on their way.
“My job was to get children ready for middle school. That meant plenty of reading, writing and arithmetic, of course. But just as importantly, it meant teaching them how to adjust to an environment where their peers’ opinions suddenly seem to matter a whole lot more than the adults’: to value what others say, but never at the expense of losing sight of their own uniqueness.
“And it’s not always easy. Fifth graders may still be young, but many of them have already mastered the arts of back talk and eye rolling. That’s why it’s crucial to treat them like the individuals they want to become – by conversing with them, instead of merely talking at them – and providing the structure they need to mature in a positive direction.
“My colleagues and former students tend to agree that I’m very structured when things are going well and calm when they aren’t. I believe this combination creates the best environment for learning. Students know what’s expected of them, and accept corrective consequences whenever they fall short of expectations. Give them the space they need to self-correct. They’ll use it.
“There’s one thing I can’t emphasize enough: I could not have been successful if not for Cedar Ridge’s exceptional staff. There is genuine love and respect in that building because there is just as genuine a family inside of it.
“The children aren’t the only ones who benefit from that. When a mitral valve issue sent me to open heart surgery last fall, Cedar Ridge staff stayed at my side. They took shifts caring for me during the first week following my surgery. They put together a meal plan, drove me to all my follow-up appointments, and made sure my transition would be smooth when I could finally return to work.
“I had always been a pretty private and self-dependent person before then. I believe I still am. But to have felt so much warmth from people who were, at the end of the day, just my coworkers … well, I guess they weren’t ‘just my coworkers’ after all.
“It’s always bittersweet to say goodbye to my students each spring. This past spring, which marked my retirement, was the most bittersweet of them all. I’ll always keep the best parts of my career close to me, in the little yellow school box I started using back when I was in elementary school. It’s filled with notes, letters and updates that students, parents and staff have sent to me over the years. I used to go through these mementos – affirmations, in a sense – whenever I needed to be reminded why I teach. I’ll still go through them from time to time, just so I can relive the most beautiful career a man could ever have been blessed to experience.
“It’s my hope that our community will continue to treasure its outstanding school system. I encourage you to support Eden Prairie Schools in any way you can. That can take the form of donating to the Foundation for Eden Prairie Schools, which does so much great work for our youth. But if your life has ever been touched by one of our teachers, then all I ask is that you reach out to them. Let them know they helped you become the person you are today.”
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