Patti LaBelle has been a favorite vocal artist of mine since I began teaching at East Topeka Jr. High School in 1972. When among my friends, especially those who are educators, I frequently say, “My students at East Topeka Jr. High School taught me how to teach, but they also taught be more than that. They taught me we were more alike than different.” We often hosted community lunches at the school, where families would bring food to share. The majority of our students at the school … [Read more...]