When words are not enough...
It wasn't in what she taught but it was in the ways that she taught that made Cella one of my favourite professors at Dordt College. The first assignment I ever got from Cella was a very "Elementary Ed "one but also one that really spoke to me even after graduating. It wasn't in the assignment but in the words she used to describe it and the actions she requested afterwards. The assignment was to write a paper on our favourite highschool teacher; write about why they inspired us, how they helped us to learn and how they influenced our lives. Grumbling at the "waste of time" assignment but also appreciating the "easy A" introduction to college, I wrote the paper. Before handing it in, she challenged us to not only hand it in to her, but to send it to the teacher we wrote about. REWIND. With this new twist, the "easy A" assignment would take more thought and reflection than first anticipated. If I was to really send this to a teacher that inspired and instilled in me the desire to become a teacher myself, I'd have to make it more sincere without all the fancy words and sentence structures that would assure me an A. To be honest, I don't remember if I went the fancy way to ensure an A or if actually sent it to my highschool teacher. But it is through being Cella's "coleague" for 4 years that makes me hope I did the latter. She inspired me to be a teacher that my future students could write about in an assignment. She inspired me to strive for and carry with me the character traits that I found so appealing and so essential in the teachers that impacted my life. If given the assignment again, I'd have to write about her.
Cella was the type of professor that cared more for building relationships and dialogue with her students than she cared about the book knowledge. She taught through stories of her own experiences, through stories of other people's experiences and through the experiences we shared together in the classroom. She treated us not as students but as peers. I still remember one of the funniest classes I had with her. It was a night class and in our "Cella" classes, we often sat on couches and took turns bringing baked goods. It was a great way to spend a 3 hour class. lol. In this particular class, Cella was talking about respect and why in classrooms we call teachers by Mr. Mrs, or Miss and we use their last names. She was telling us an awkward experience she had not knowing what to call a teacher outside of school. I don't remember what she even said but I remember our whole class just erupting in laughter as she told the story. The story itself was not funny and she was so confused why we were all hysterical. I think that a friend (not to mention any names) even peed her pants from laughing so hard. It was so funny because we all had the same experience but with with HER. No one knew how to address her. Amongst ourselves, she was Cella but when it came to the classroom or writing her emails, no one knew what to call her. We all respected her but it seemed weird to call her Mrs. Bosma since we shared this unique relationship with her as a friend and not just a professor. After laughing for a while longer by her confusion, we let her in on our secret so she could join in. We admitted that most of our emails just started with the reason for the email and avoided a heading all together because of the awkwardness of writing Mrs. Bosma but not wanting to be disrespectful. She then told us that she was Cella to us and that it was not disrespectful because although we hadn't graduated yet, we were teachers just like her and so we were colleagues, working and collaborationg together. If that doesn't show how she viewed relationships amongst her students, I don't know what else could better. Cella taught me to become a teacher but inspired me to become much more than that. I don't know if I will ever get there all the way, but I will continue to strive because of the example I saw in her everyday.
I had the priveledge of working for Cella as a T.A. I got to photocopy and type up notes for her, mark papers, put grades in the computer, help "organize" her office and make projects for her. I worked for all the Ed professors but I got to work with Cella the most, I'd say. Working for Cella, I really got to know her. There was always someone in her office talking about a project or just stopping by to chat. She was constantly building and establishing relationships and so cleaning her office was out of the question. She would pick up a stack of random papers off her floor, pass them to me and say, "Can you straigten these out for me?" I'd find research papers for her masters classes, recipes for a good dinner entre, class record sheets of various classes, to do lists and lost assignments all in the same pile, turned upside down and backwards. I quickly learned that teachers are not perfect, even Cella. It was a great relief! After organizing her mess, Cella would be so appreciative. She'd make me a card, send me a note of encouragement, or take me out for dinner. She would never let anything go unappreciated even if it was the smallest thing that didn't need acknowledgement.
Cella shared with us her life. She shared with us stories of her past and hopes for her future. She shared with us her excitements, her prayers of gratitude, her struggles and her sorrows. We in turn, were welcomed to share our stories with her. She opened up her heart to us and to this day, I can't imagine how she could hold onto a heart so big and full. I write this now as her hopes for the future are fading and she struggles to fight the cancer that has consumed her body. Her stories and her hopes will live on in the people she has touched throughout her life. She has reached people all over the world and has been a blessing to so many lives. I will never understand why someone with so much life, so much love and so much hope would have to suffer so much. Cella, you are in my prayers always. You have been such a blessing in my life and I thank God that I had the priveledge and honour of meeting you and being blessed by you. I will always strive to bless others as you have blessed me. May God bless you and keep you in his arms forever and ever.
Love always
Your friend, Kimberly
