Obviously there has to be a good side to teaching, for if there wasn’t, no one would do it. There are many great moments in teaching. Many of those moments you will never know about, and that’s the hard part. So often it is years later after you were that child’s teacher that you realize the impact that you made on that child. And it usually never the kid you would have thought.
Case in point. I had a student when I taught 6th grade. Her older brother was in 8th grade and struggling something horrible in science. At the time the science teacher was what one might call technical(you might know it as dry and boring) and he could just not catch on. A very shy kid, he finally got the nerve to ask me after school one day for help while his sister was hanging out reorganizing my books(slave labor comes cheap when you have goodie-goodie’s in class 
). I was the type of person who likes to use more real life terms. I tell people the real term but I also translate to real people speak. You know like when I go to a fancy restaurant with my husband and the menu says Potatoes Gaufrette, I turn to my perplexed hubby and say “waffle fries” and he understands.
Apparently I had an impact. So much that his senior year of high school he nominated me for a state award for best teacher through out his years. I was not eligible as I was never his actual teacher but the high school was nice enough to forward me the 4 page essay about how my simple after school lessons shaped the boys life. He is now a science teacher in New Mexico.
But my proudest moment of all came of at all places the State Fair. My parents and I were in the livestock section watching cows be judged. We mostly wanted to just be in the shade as it was a balmy 95F in October in AZ.
My first year of teaching I had a student who was a pain in the ass to put it mildly. I team taught and so he was not actually in my homeroom, but I saw him for two classes. M and his dad lived in their car. I taught in a poor district where 96% the schools students qualified for free lunch. Many teachers coddled him because of his circumstance, which in turn made him be more of an ass. I rode him hard all year and he never rose to the challenge. I chalked M up to one that got away and one that made me drink a lot of beer after work. 
So imagine my surprise when a voice from the past spoke. “Hello Ms. G, it’s a pleasure to see you again.” In a slight state of shock that he even came over to say hi, I asked what he was doing here. He told me how he had gone to live on a boys ranch for homeless children and how to earn their keep they helped run the farm. He had raised a cow and was showing it and hoping to place so that the cow would sale, as he would get to keep the money. He asked if we would stay and watch his cow. I said sure. He was not up for about an hour. He sat with my parents and I going over all the things they look for in the judging and how things were in general in his life, including the program that he felt changed his life. Then when he got up to go and prepare his cow he said to me, “I want to thank you for never treating me different than any other kid in your classroom. That really meant a lot to me. “ I held back my tears when said that but they minute he left my mother had already pulled the Kleenex from her purse.
I watched M get first place for his cow that day. I pretty much was a ball of tears. So not what I thought my day at the Fair was going to be. So not the student I thought I would ever hear that from.
Speaking of good things….these Marshmallow Crunch Brownie Bars are so very fantastic. I made them for my husband but I am pretty sure I ate more of them then he did. You want to talk about a super after school treat…these are it!!!!
Marshmallow Crunch Brownie Bars
Brownie Ingredients:
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
2/3 cup unsalted butter
1 ¼ cups semisweet chocolate chips, divided
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
4 large eggs, room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
Topping Ingredients:
7 ounces mini marshmallows
1 ½ cups milk chocolate chips
1 cup Jif peanut butter
1 TBSP unsalted butter
1 ½ cups Rice Krispies
Preheat oven to 350F.
Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan.
In a medium saucepan, melt the chocolate, butter, and ¾ cup of the semisweet chocolate chips on medium heat. Stir occasionally while melting. Set aside and cool for 5 minutes. In a medium bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, place the eggs and whisk thoroughly. Add in the sugar and vanilla. Stir the melted ingredients into the egg mixture, mixing well. Stir in the dry sifted ingredients and mix well. Fold in the remaining ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and even with a spatula. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the corner of the pan comes out with moist crumbs.
Remove the brownies from the oven, and immediately sprinkle the marshmallows over them. Return the pan to the oven for 3 more minutes.
While the brownies are baking, place the chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter in a medium saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until melted. Remove from heat, add the cereal,and mix well. Allow this to cool for 3 minutes or so.
Spread the mixture evenly over the marshmallow layer. Refrigerate until chilled before cutting. Makes 12 3×3-inch bars.
Adapted from Buttercup Bakes at Home by Jennifer Appel
They look super, Peabody. Will try this soon
My goodness, this looks good. We made your pear upside down cake today, and it was delicious!
Wonderful that you could have such an effect on someone. You know you’ve made a difference in life.
(Btw, loved the brownies until you said peanut butter! Why must all the good looking things involve peanut butter!)
Nice post, Peabody. My life was changed by a fabulous French assistant teacher that came to my high school in Australia over 15 years ago – it started a passion for France that lead me here to Paris where I’m married to a Frenchman. I also taught as an Assistant teacher the first few years I was in France – I hope I returned the good karma!
What sweet stories! My teachers still influence me to this day, so glad that your students took the time to let you know what you meant to them! And the brownies are just fabulous!
That story just made me tear up! I had a teacher like you were, and it really did make a difference in my life. Kudos to you!!
I ran out and made these last night! They were to.die.for! Thanks for the recipe.
)
Yummy!
And keep at it: teaching is often underappreciated but it really is one of the noble professions.
I don’t know if I feel like crying because of such an inspirational story or because I can’t eat that delicious dessert!
We’d like to invite you to participate in our September apple and peach recipe contest (the recipe can be sweet or savory). All competitors will be eligible to win one of three prizes
! Please email me, haleyglasco@gmail.com, if you’re interested. Feel free to check out our blog for more details: http://blog.keyingredient.com/2008/08/29/september-kick-contest/
Thanks
,
Haley
KI Blogger
Oh my GAWD do those look amazing!!!
I’m loving the teaching stories as of late. I’m finally starting to hear some of these things, now in my third year. It’s my first time being at the same school as the year before, and I’ve already had students stopping by to voice their appreciation. It makes all the hard work worth it!
Your slice looks amazing, as is your story about your student!
These closeups are a bad idea when I’m about to go to sleep. Now I’m craving for a dessert all of a sudden
all i can say…. oh my god. amazing!!!
So here’s the deal. Last Christmas my boss brought in some treats over the Holidays, and they were fantastic….they had chocolate, peanut butter, rice krispies, etc.
I didn’t think about them again until I started my blog. And I went to him and said, “Those were so good, I’d love to make them and blog them”
He absolutely, totally refused. Adamantly. He said, “That is my wife’s family recipe and she would kill me if I gave it out”…… blah blah blah, (I mean, if you don’t SHARE recipes, what’s the point? Ya can’t FEED everybody)
Ok, so be it.
I think your recipe may SURPASS what he brought in. So, I’m going to make it, and bring it in to work, and let HIM decide….
LOL, thanks Peabody, as always, you ROCK!
http://themerlinmenu.blogspot.com
I missed this! Being a fan of bars (the cookie kind) this would be my kind of treat to enjoy. Though frankly I can’t imagine anyone not wanting to polish off a plate of these. I can always count on you to keep me well fed!
oh. my. word. your photos have got my mouth watering. and i just ate dinner! these look so delicious!
Beautiful story! It’s always such a joy to stop by and read what you have to share. Thank you.
And these bars look absolutely criminal! It’s like brownie meets rice crispy treat meets s’mores. Brilliant!
These were so freaky naughty!!!! My team loved them…there were even leftovers to share with my class too. They think I’m the best trainer ever!!! lol Next time I will make them in the right size pan (mine was a little too small so there was some marshmallow overflow lol)..but other than that they were awesome…rave reviews from everyone. Thank Peabody!!!
– Tiff
PS – this was a beautiful story along with. I love happy endings
Thank you for sharing.
those look divine!
surely there must be a law against those? whay too indulgent! but just what i need. i don’t have marshmallws at home right now, but i’ll go out and get some because it’s just the right, dreary day for a pick-me-up like this one! thanks for this recipe and a beautiful story!
What a great story! I only teared up twice!
My goodness, you’ve got some amazing looking goodies here!
I made these to share with friends tonight, and I have to tell you they were… OMG AMAZING! Love, love, LOVED them!!
I just found your blog and i LOVE it!! you have some amazing recipes and i cant wait to try some of them, this recipe is now on my ever growing to-bake list!! thanks!
Just wanted to say this recipe is awesome and very much requested in our house. I first made it for my husband to take up north hunting. I’m currently making it this afternoon; my step-son requested it for his birthday cake.
I made these, someone pinned it on pinterest. All I can say is o—m—g—-insaneeeeeee!
Going to bake these tonight! They looks delicious!