Kerry Keenan: John’s creed: Life is what you make of it.
June 13, 2008
by Phyllis Bellofatto, Meredith Green, Kerry Keenan and Eileen Kenna
: as a teacher, John was a natural.
Meredith Green: his classroom is a warm and safe environment.
Eileen Kenna: John is an insightful teacher who cares about the whole child
Kerry Keenan: John’s creed: Life is what you make of it.
Phyllis Bellofatto: as a teacher, John was a natural.
I first met John Dever when he was a student teacher with Adrian McGuire at Grafflin Elementary School. I could tell early in his career that he was a natural. John and I taught fourth grade together for many years. Our rooms were side by side and we kind of grew together. John was a new teacher and I was a primary teacher suddenly moved to an intermediate grade.
We quickly became colleagues and friends. We would spend hours talking about reading groups and problem solving in math and fourth grade social studies, but we would also talk about how to bake a good loaf of bread, how to sew clothes to actually wear in public and real estate. Together we solved the world’s problems while perfecting our teaching.
John Dever is a wonderful role model for kids. When John first began teaching in Chappaqua he was only in his twenties, but he became a fatherly figure to his students, someone a child could count on at school. He respected his students and they respected him. He set high standards, but was always available to help in anyway he could. And he had a wonderful sense of humor that both kids and adults enjoyed.
I remember the years when we first taught together fondly. Later on when we were both assigned to Team A at Bell School I was delighted. It was like coming back home. These past five years together have been great and I will miss him a lot.
Meredith Green: his classroom is a warm and safe environment.
John Dever’s greatest accomplishment as an educator is his ability to make every child in his classroom feel loved and respected. He recognizes and celebrates the unique strengths of each child he works with from year to year. His classroom is a warm and safe environment where all students feel comfortable to take risks and strive to achieve their personal best, both academically and socially. It has been an honor to work with him. His compassion has not only touched the lives of the children who have been lucky enough to have him as a teacher, but his colleagues as well.
Kerry Keenan: John’s creed: Life is what you make of it.
Many of John Dever’s talents are apparent when you observe his day-to-day interactions with his students and colleagues, particularly his ability to use humor to lighten a situation. However, John has many interests and talents outside of school including woodworking, painting, listening to opera, gardening and spending time with his wife and two children. John is such an active member of his church that he volunteers his time to assist other families as well as sings in the choir.
In addition to these talents, one thing that really stands out about John is his willingness to put others before himself. He spends his lunch periods in his classroom offering a bit of extra time to a student working through a math problem or counseling a student or colleague with a personal problem. John has approached his final year of teaching with the same enthusiasm, dedication and humility that he has demonstrated throughout his career.
One story in particular comes to mind when trying to describe John’s dedication to teaching. Prior to the start of school just a few years ago, John arrived at Bell in a wheelchair and with his left arm in a sling. In over 30 years, he had never missed the first day of school, and this year was going to be no different. John had suffered a serious fall while painting. Despite his injuries, he came to school at the end of the summer to get his classroom ready and to greet the newest Bell students with a smile. When a parent, concerned about her son’s first year in middle school, inquired about John’s health, John smiled and exclaimed, “I feel great!” Although he physically was in pain, he really did feel great about the prospect of a new school year with new faces and new personalities. John never let on to that parent that this year was going to be as much of a challenge for him as it was going to be for her son.
John healed and was eventually back on his feet, but the lesson that he taught so many of us is that life is what you make of it. It is important to John to be the best teacher he can be, but he realizes that there is more to his life than the four walls and ceiling of his classroom. The life lessons that John teaches through his examples are what make him a truly successful and admired teacher. He brings out the best in those who have the wonderful opportunity to spend time with him.
Now that John is retiring, he will have more time to spend on his own woodworking, painting and gardening, but don’t be surprised if you find him assembling a piece of furniture for a neighbor, painting his daughter’s house or weeding his parents’ garden instead. Using his talents to help others seems to be what truly makes him happy!
Eileen Kenna: John is an insightful teacher who cares about the whole child
When I came to work at Chappaqua this year, I have to admit I was a little intimidated, since I had been out of the classroom for a while raising my children. That first day my head was spinning, trying to remember names and places and schedules; the list seemed endless. By the time I met with my team teachers, I was certain that I would not be able to do everything necessary to have a successful first day. I opened the door with heavy shoulders and I was met with a shining face with a reassuring smile. It was John Dever. From that moment and his first joke (there have been plenty) John instantly made me a part of Team A. I was never the new teacher or an outsider – John made feel like I was meant to be here.
John has been a source of inspiration to me. Yes, he is an excellent educator, but more importantly he is an insightful teacher who cares about the whole child. Shortly after the beginning of the school year, John told me he thought a student didn’t like school. John had noticed nuances in the student’s behavior and was worried about him. He went out of his way to connect to the student: getting to know the activities of the child and talking about them. Within a week, the student was coming to school with a smile and his homework completed.
I have also watched and learned as John spoke with parents during conferences. John came to conferences with such compassion and knowledge (and a whole bunch of stories) that the conferences were very successful. At Ashokan when we took our students on a two-night trip, it was John’s jovial and caring nature that reassured the students who were homesick and myself, who was sleep deprived.
John is such a genuine, supportive person that goodness surrounds him like a halo. I have relied on him for his knowledge of teaching and human nature. He has made me laugh when I have been too serious, he has reassured me when I have doubted myself and he has listened when I have been frustrated. He has shared in my accomplishments and really has been a large part of my successful first year back in the classroom. I can’t thank him enough for everything he has done for me, even if he did tell the students that I was older than I am.
Phyllis Bellofatto, language arts and social studies; Meredith Green, special education; Kerry Keenan, science; and Eileen Kenna, language arts and social studies; are the teachers on Team 5A at Bell Middle School.
John Dever but a few years ago
Sharing morning chats with Adrian McGuire
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