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Inspirational Piece

What Does Perseverance Look

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By Priscilla Smith
At the corner of Lake Miriam Drive and Lancelot Lane
is a street sign that recently began to lean slightly. I pass
this particular sign 5 days a week to attend church and
fitness classes. After the last storm in our area, I realized
that the spider web at the top of and just below the street
labels of the sign now resembles a four-story apartment
building. Has the original spider caught so many tasty
bugs that he has attracted a mate? Have they had babies?
Are the babies now teenagers and need that much more
space? Or is there now a cluster of spiders?
Horrors!!! This is the stuff of Hollywood, not
Lakeland, Florida.
Nevertheless, through the years, this resilient,
persevering spider has weathered many torrential
downpours, severe storms, and yes, hurricanes. A Florida Spider of Sagrada Familia © Photograph by
spider’s web has individual strands of silk, which are Ashlee Taylor Layton, North Carolina;
thought to be stronger than steel of the same diameter. Fall 2024 Art Gallery
What is this spider’s secret? Perhaps the signpost
gives a clue! Sir Lancelot was the close companion of King Arthur and one of the greatest Knights of
the Round Table. He was famed to be a nearly unrivalled swordsman and jouster. He was the personal
champion of Arthur’s wife, Queen Guinevere. OK, then there was the affair and the total destruction of
Arthur’s kingdom … but this spider probably doesn’t intend to bring Lakeland to wrack and ruin.
The other side of the signpost is marked “Lake Miriam Drive.” Lake Miriam covers 23 acres and is a
private lake. Spiders can swim, eat, breathe, and reproduce underwater, too. So, we absolutely know now
that the corner of Lake Miriam and Lancelot is an excellent place for a resilient, persevering spider to
make a seemingly indestructible web.
What does this have to do with an educator? Every educator has to persevere with the academic needs
of students, curriculum, parents, administrators, weather, building security, technology (or lack thereof),
limited supplies, health issues, and on and on.
In many schools, the educator wears multiple hats, such as teacher, counselor, disciplinarian, and too
many more to mention. Spiders don’t worry about benchmarks or testing. Unruly children are eaten in
some species. Talk about harsh discipline!!
Back to our educators: We persevere because of a genuine love of our students. We show up, rain or
shine. We overcome obstacles and make a way when it seems there is no way forward. We present the
curriculum students actually need so they may become the best citizens and people they can be. It is a very
competitive world out there. We persevere so they can succeed.
Do you want to see true perseverance? Gaze upon the face of a teacher.

Priscilla Smith, member and past president of Delta Beta Chapter in Florida State Organization, holds a master’s degree in
early childhood education and a Middle Childhood Generalist Certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching
Standards. She has taught in multiple locations around the world, with students ranging from Grade 2 to elderly grandmothers
learning English, and has presented workshops at the state organization level. barharborgirl151@gmail.com

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