+
upworthy
Education

Whole school gives teacher standing ovation on her last day after 50 years

The students and faculty showed their appreciation by giving this teacher a send off she'd never forget.

Whole school gives teacher standing ovation on her last day after 50 years

Sheridan Steelman started teaching high school English when she was just 22. After a a fifty-year career, she was finally ready to step into retirement – but not without receiving a standing ovation from the entire school and faculty. Here's how it went:


Dr. Steelman prepared herself for an emotional exit – it would be her finally time, leaving Kent County School in Grand Rapids, Michigan, after a fifty year career. Her daughter Katherine, had come to help her celebrate her last day and there was no doubt that it would be emotional. But she never expected a send-off like this.

Wholesome teacher content 🥺❤️ love you mom!!!! #teachersoftiktok #teacherappreciation #mymom

@katherineinmanhattan

Wholesome teacher content 🥺❤️ love you mom!!!! #teachersoftiktok #teacherappreciation #mymom

As she walked toward the exit she was greeted by the entire school and faculty who stood an applauded her. Like the millions who watched her daughter's video afterward, it brought tears to her eyes and theirs!

As Dr. Steelman left school for the very last time she waved to her students and hugged her coworkers, even twirling down the aisle of applauding pupils. After five decades, the now 72-year-old left a legacy of thousands of students who matriculated through her classes.

One of them, Jake Kooyler, commented on Katherine's viral video saying:

"I was her student 5 years ago, she is a wonderful woman with so much passion for her work and love for her students. Send my best to your mom :)".

assets.rebelmouse.io

Dr. Steelman taught both advanced placement English and English 11. She was very involved in her school and departments and was a Curriculum Teacher Leader, Department Chairperson, a Co-Chair of the District Language Arts Committee, and the facilitator of the West Michigan AP Language and AP Literature Networking Group.

While teaching has no doubt filled a large portion of her life, Dr. Steelman also raised six children during her career. At 67, she earned her PhD to "enhance [her] own learning to better prepare [her] students for today's world", according to an interview she gave to Western Michigan University's Bronco Spotlight column.

As for how she's managed a career in teaching for fifty years, Dr. Steelman had this to say about her greatest challenges, successes and her advice to future teachers hoping to achieve a similarly longevous career:

"My students are by far the most rewarding and the most challenging part of the job. It takes passion, dedication, motivation, compassion, and a sense of humor to stay in teaching and to remain current. Today's students are connected to the outside world and savvy enough to use technology in both their personal and academic lives. Teachers who learn to facilitate learning in today's world with the demands placed upon our young people will be the most challenged and the most fulfilled."

As for what's next in Dr. Steelman's retirement plans there's still some things we don't know. We do know, however, that the 72-year-old is publishing her first book this year! Which leaves us thinking that maybe, just maybe, there's still a few things she'd like to teach us...


Community

How to end hunger, according to the people who face it daily

Here’s what people facing food insecurity want you to know about solving the hunger problem in America

True

Even though America is the world’s wealthiest nation, about 1 in 6 of our neighbors turned to food banks and community programs in order to feed themselves and their families last year. Think about it: More than 9 million children faced hunger in 2021 (1 in 8 children).

In order to solve a problem, we must first understand it. Feeding America, the nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief organization, released its second annual Elevating Voices: Insights Report and turned to the experts—people experiencing hunger—to find out how this issue can be solved once and for all.

Here are the four most important things people facing hunger want you to know.

Keep ReadingShow less
Pets

Family brings home the wrong dog from daycare until their cats saved the day

A quick trip to the vet confirmed the cats' and family's suspicions.

Family accidentally brings wrong dog home but their cats knew

It's not a secret that nearly all golden retrievers are identical. Honestly, magic has to be involved for owners to know which one belongs to them when more than one golden retriever is around. Seriously, how do they all seem have the same face? It's like someone fell asleep on the copy machine when they were being created.

Outside of collars, harnesses and bandanas, immediately identifying the dog that belongs to you has to be a secret skill because at first glance, their personalities are also super similar. That's why it's not surprising when one family dropped off their sweet golden pooch at daycare and to be groomed, they didn't notice the daycare sent out the wrong dog.

See, not even their human parents can tell them apart because when the swapped dog got home, nothing seemed odd to the owners at first. She was freshly groomed so any small differences were quickly brushed off. But this accidental doppelgänger wasn't fooling her feline siblings.

Keep ReadingShow less
Family

15 best colostrum supplements

Invigorate your journey to optimal health with these wellness-enhancing colostrum supplements.

Editor's Note: Upworthy earns a percentage of revenue from items purchased on this list.


Embarking on a journey toward enhanced well-being is a rewarding endeavor, and when it comes to unlocking nature's potential, colostrum supplements stand as remarkable allies. Did you know that the global colostrum market is projected to experience a growth of over 3.5% in the coming years, a testament to the increasing recognition of its incredible benefits? Moreover, scientific interest in colostrum's immune-boosting properties has led to a surge in research publications, with a remarkable 37% rise observed in the last five years alone. As we delve into the realm of wellness-enhancing supplements, this article unveils an illuminating guide to the 15 best colostrum supplements, offering a chance to embrace vitality and invigorate the journey to optimal health.

15 best colostrum supplements

  1. Elm & Rye Colostrum Supplements
  2. Swanson Ultra High Immunoglobulin Colostrum Supplement
  3. California Gold Nutrition, Colostrum
  4. ARMRA Colostrum Immune Revival Unflavored
  5. Mt. Capra Goat Milk Colostrum
  6. PipingRock Ultra Colostrum Quick Release Capsules
  7. NOW Foods, Colostrum Powder
  8. Nature’s Sunshine Colostrum Capsules
  9. Ancestral Supplements Grass Fed Beef Colostrum Supplement
  10. WONDERCOW Colostrum Powder Supplement
  11. Symbiotics Colostrum Chewables
  12. Brain Basics Ultra-Pure Colostrum
  13. Surthrival: Colostrum Powder Capsules
  14. Double Wood Supplements Colostrum Supplement Capsules
  15. Pure Velvet Colostrum Powder
Keep ReadingShow less
Sandra Maria/Youtube, Official Lives & Music Videos/Youtube

You can't not sing this song.

The music of Queen has a profound visceral effect on everyone. Few pieces of art can cause complete strangers to put aside their differences and come together in song, but by golly, “Bohemian Rhapsody” is one of them. It would be cheesy if it weren’t so absolutely beautiful.

This pertains even to non-English-speaking countries, it appears. Recently, thousands of Harry Styles concertgoers in Warsaw, Poland, began cheering as those iconic beginning piano notes penetrated the air.
Keep ReadingShow less
Photo by Long Truong on Unsplash
woman in white sleeveless dress kissing man in blue dress shirt


"It may be the most important thing we do in life; learn how to love and be loved."

At least, that's according to Harvard psychologist and researcher Rick Weissbourd.

He's been collecting data on the sex and love habits of young people for years through surveys, interviews, and even informal conversation — with teens and the important people in their lives.

Through it all, one thing has been abundantly clear:

"We spend enormous amount of attention helping parents prepare their kids for work and school," Weissbourd says. "We do almost nothing to prepare them for the tender, tough, subtle, generous, focused work of developing mature healthy relationships. I'm troubled by that."

Keep ReadingShow less

Mom shares PSA on about being a sports mom while also working

Being a mom can be challenging enough, but when you add in working full time and kids activities, it feels like you need a few clones to help you out. Recently we signed our youngest up for soccer, he's 5-years-old and happens to be ten years younger than his closest sibling, so I've done the sports stuff.

At one point I was working full-time while my daughter took tap, ballet and jazz while also on a soccer team and my two older boys played soccer, baseball and football. We rarely saw the inside of our home unless it was to sleep, I'm not even sure I knew how my stove worked during those years. Now here we are starting all over again.

So when Mo, a mom running the TikTok page Rex & Mo posted a video ranting about how impossible it feels to add organized activities for kids into the mix, parents everywhere related, myself included.

Keep ReadingShow less
@mychal3ts/TikTok

This is "the power of the library"

Editor's Note: This story discusses suicide. If you are having thoughts about taking your own life, or know of anyone who is in need of help, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is a United States-based suicide prevention network of over 200+ crisis centers that provides 24/7 service via a toll-free hotline with the number 9-8-8. It is available to anyone in suicidal crisis or emotional distress.


Libraries aren’t just a place to score free books. For many, they provide safe refuge.

This secondary offering has lately been overshadowed by political controversy, as there has been a laser focus from conservatives on the types of literature libraries provide, especially titles that pertain to LGBTQ and racial topics.

But one librarian’s retelling of a life saving encounter reminds us of how essential these community spaces really are—and it has nothing to do with books at all.

Keep ReadingShow less