Tribute: To Mr. Joseph Buccellato

"A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops." author: Henry Brooks Adams

   I believe I am taught a lesson, no matter how great or small, by everyone I come into contact with. We all have the ability, on a daily basis, to enlighten those around us. School teachers have the more obvious opportunity to mold minds, though some are not interested in making the extra effort. I am incredibly lucky to have had a teacher who made challenging his students a mission; he not only taught us about English and history, but about life.

   Joe Buccellato, or "Mr. B." as we called him (and still do...), was my 5th grade teacher. He is also the most influential teacher I have ever had. Although he no longer teaches, I know there are many of us, students and parents alike, who celebrate him.

   Mr. B. felt he had a responsibility to teach kids about believing in themselves. He enforced communication, individuality, and building self-esteem. He realized that sometimes the most important lessons one can learn are not always from textbooks. By the end of 5th grade, all of us in Mr. B's class had to complete a project called, "Me, Myself & I." It was a self-portrait album that made each of us get acquainted with ourselves. (I have included a few excerpts from mine...)

   Mr. B. was one of the teachers who supported me and my career from day one. He made sure I could juggle my education and my work simultaneously. On top of that, he treated me exactly the way I wanted him to~normally. He had the uncanny ability to find the special needs of each child, and to give them the attention they deserved. Everyone I know who had him as a teacher, to this day, holds him in the highest regard. He gave all of us important gifts~respect and patience. He also challenged us. We received brain-teasers to work on when we finished our homework, and on our classroom wall was a board with all our names. We got a star everytime we worked extra hard, or if he noticed one student lending a helping hand to another. At the end of the year, the child with the most stars got a gift. But it wasn't the gift that made us all diligent. It was this man's passion. He was our incentive to study harder, and encouragement to think for ourselves. He taught us to extend the small kindnesses that we sometimes lose sight of. He made a difference.

   In a society where teachers are afraid to show even the slightest bit of affection or special attention to their students for fear of the repercussions, (what a tragedy that the education of our children is threatened by the fear of being sued...) Mr. B. is a rare gem. To this day, I look forward to getting his cards, and to the chance of seeing him for a few minutes. He remains very dear to my family and me.

   After 35 years of teaching, the combination of health issues and being close to retirement, convinced Mr. B. to retire. However, these didn't prevent Mr. B. from continuing to donate his teaching skills to help out other teachers.

   I challenge more teachers to find Mr. B's passion~the love you have for your students is precious and does not go unappreciated. I hope that (someday) there will be someone with that passion instilling confidence in my children. I pray they might be fortunate enough to have a "Mr. B."

*A SPECIAL NOTE to MR. B.,
   Who I am is in part attributed to your creativity and passion. Thank you for challenging my mind and my spirit... This former 5th grader is a better person because of you...

Love, Jenna

**SIDENOTE: Mr. B. now enjoys writing children's stories, painting, reading, fishing, gardening, playing with his granddaughter.