Longtime Ignacio teacher and resident poet Burt Baldwin was honored Tuesday at the annual teacher tea hosted by the Ignacio Education Association.
Baldwin, generally known as Mr. B, is retiring at the end of this school year. He started teaching at Ignacio in 1980 and most recently has been coordinator of the district's gifted and talented program.
"Teaching is a hard and stressful job," he said. "You do it for the kids."
To the district's young teachers, he said, "Stay the course and know you're having an impact." His advice for dealing with problem kids? "You bombard them with love and they'll do anything for you, because they know you care. ... Stay the course, do the best you can, and don't be hard on yourself."
He concluded, "Thank you for being my friends and colleagues." He got a standing ovation.
School board member Agnes Sanchez, also a retired educator, agreed with Baldwin's advice. Students won't learn until they trust you and know you care, she said.
Superintendent Rocco Fuschetto added, "Young teachers, I want you to stay here as long as Burt - 34 years."
He presented Baldwin with a large photo of a mural painted in the high school art room by one of Baldwin's students, Mick Lorusso, who graduated with the class of 2000. Baldwin is one of the people in the painting. Fuschetto said it will be covered up when the high school is re-built. The district will have the photo framed for Baldwin, he said.
The teacher tea was held in the cafeteria of the new elementary school. Participants sampled several kinds of salads and a fruit punch. Chef Safari from the Strater Hotel provided the elaborately carved watermelons that no one wanted to cut into because they were so pretty.
