Honoring teachers — with ferns

By Kate Miller, Record Staff Writer

Posted 6/11/16

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Honoring teachers — with ferns

Posted Saturday, June 11, 2016 1:00 am

By Kate Miller, Record Staff Writer

Stan Shelton left the third grade decades ago, but he comes back every year to honor teachers — with ferns.Shelton lives in Warrenton now. As a kid, his family moved a few times. From Arkansas to the city of St. Louis and then to Jennings in the summer of 1960, when he was either going to restart the second grade or start the third grade. It was still a question.“Miss Sanford was the third-grade teacher at Jennings. She was in her 60s. She was very warm, and she was willing to give me a chance,” Shelton remembered. “She said ‘Let’s see if Stan can do the work and if he can, we’ll keep him in third grade.’”Shelton said Sanford took time with him in the classroom and he proved he could do the work.He eventually graduated. He became a diesel mechanic for almost 20 years, then went into sales. Now, he works in customer service for Busch Vacuum Pumps and Systems.He also raised a family. He has a daughter who became a teacher and is a school principal in Texas.And he never forgot Miss Sanford.“She went out of her way to help me,” Shelton said. Unfortunately, “I never went back and told her what a difference she made.”When Shelton turned 50 a few years ago, he thought more about how Sanford changed his life. He credits her with teaching him skills and giving him confidence that improved his life. He wondered how could he honor great teachers.Shelton said most of his life he would see a fern plant and think of Sanford because she kept them in her classroom.Now, he raises ferns. For about seven years, he’s been bringing his plants into area classrooms to present to teachers.He tells them that 50 years from now, their students could be talking about how they made a difference in their lives.He also says this to students:“Fifty years from now, you might remember this teacher for being the best teacher you’ve ever had.”

Stan Shelton of Warrenton pays tribute to great teachers, like the one who changed his life, by delivering ferns to teachers. Here, he is surrounded by students at Warrior Ridge Elementary. Submitted photo.

Honoring teachers — with ferns

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Honoring teachers — with ferns

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Honoring teachers — with ferns