May 6 to May 10 marks Teacher Appreciation Week in the United States, and as people across the country celebrate classroom heroes, Tiffany Haddish had a heartfelt surprise reunion with a teacher who changed her life.
During an appearance on “The View” Tuesday, the “Girls Trip” star revealed it was her 9th-grade drama teacher, Mrs. Grieb, who figured out the star couldn’t read.
“I was very good at hiding and masking and pretending, and she figured out that I couldn’t do it very well,” Haddish told “The View” hosts, reflecting on her experience at El Camino Real High School in Los Angeles. “So she would have me come to her class at lunch, in that 15-minute break, and she would give me magazines and newspapers, and she would sit with me to read. Basically, by the end of the semester, I was reading!”
Recalling how Grieb’s support led her to read books, Haddish expressed her deep appreciation for their student-teacher relationship.
While the actress and drama teacher stayed connected via social media, the two had not seen each other in person for nearly 25 years — that is, until “The View” revealed a special moment they’d arranged: the show’s co-hosts invited Grieb to the stage, where Haddish was able to tell her former teacher just how much she appreciated her.
“Thank you so much for being patient with me. Thank you so much for always encouraging me and taking time with me and listening to me,” Haddish tearfully told Mrs. Grieb. “You have no idea — during that time, I was really struggling a lot, and you [were] like the most consistent, constant thing in my world, next to my grandma.”
As the actress shared in her first memoir, “The Last Black Unicorn,” and continues to share in her latest, “I Curse You With Joy,” her upbringing and journey through life have been far from perfect. From mental health struggles to foster care to stardom, Haddish candidly shares the impacts and lessons she’s learned along the way.
“I haven’t had one year that was the perfect year,” Haddish said, as previously reported by theGrio. “I’ve had years that have some really amazing moments in them, but I have stumbled and fallen ever since. I’ve learned how to walk. I’ve tripped up. I’m not perfect.”
Having overcome substance abuse, miscarriages and more, Haddish told the “Today Show” that these experiences have helped her understand what joy is, leading her on a journey to peace.
In addition to saving Haddish from illiteracy, Grieb also helped the Emmy Award-winning comedienne/actress discover her passion for performing arts. After teaching Haddish how to read, the drama teacher coached the then-teen through various theater productions, like Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and “All in the Timing” by David Ives, a pair of plays Haddish remembers to this day.
“I’m so grateful for you, and I’m so glad God made you,” Haddish told her former mentor. “Thank you so much for being kind.”
“Great teachers, you never know your effect on a student,” added “The View” co-host Whoopi Goldberg. “ If you’re a teacher sitting out there, thank you for everything you do.”