For most of us, we’re at the dawn of a new school year. Kids’ crayons are still wrapped in paper, shoes are gleaming white, and there might even be a certain eagerness to waking up in the morning for a day of learning.
Perhaps you’ve even got a bouquet of newly-sharpened pencils. Who knows.
Even when I don’t have kids in school, this time of year always harkens a bit of nostalgia to my first days of a new school year. Now that my oldest is in kindergarten, those old school days have been on my mind even more.
Today’s Q&A asks you to reflect back on your days as a student.
Appreciating the teachers in your life
Sometimes you loved them, sometimes you loved to hate them. No matter, there’s usually a teacher everybody has that they’ve truly grown to appreciate as an adult. Now that you’ve moved out of your school years and are thick in the stage of being a grown-up, there’s something evocative about those teachers. Maybe they weren’t so (fill in the appropriate adjective) after all.
From preschool to college and beyond, who is one teacher that really made an impact on you? How did he or she influence you to be the adult you are now?
I’d love to hear your positive stories of a certain person that really gave you that nudge to better yourself, to push beyond your limits when your childish perspective thought you couldn’t.
I don’t remember a ton about my first-grade teacher, Mrs. Hull, except that I thought she was old. Really old. I laugh about that now, and told my husband yesterday that I bet she was only in her 40s, because she was still going strong when I was in high school.
She and I shared the same birthday, so for the rest of elementary school, she would find me somewhere in the hallway on our day and wish me a happy one.
She also marveled at my name, and helped me cross that bridge of how my name broke standard English rules. Several years after first grade, she’d ask me to pop my head into her class if I walked by, and would tell her students, “This is the girl I was telling you about, the one with no vowels in her name.”
Once I moved on to middle and high school, I did my best to swing by my elementary school on our birthday, just to give her a quick hello.
I remember her being one of my earliest positive adults influences in my life. Most of first grade is pretty vague to me, but Mrs. Hull believed in me, had enthusiasm for who I was and how I was gifted, and that spirit emanated out of her. A little six-year-old could feel it. What a gift.
Now it’s your turn. Who was one of your influential teachers from the past?
{ 39 comments… read them below or add one }
Lovely post, Tsh and so timely! I was just thinking about the influence my college prinicpal has had on my life as a mom and woman. She was strict, very strict, about tidiness, discipline, time, rules and as a collegegoer, I used to chafe against those. But now I’m so grateful to her for showing me that time, cleanliness and discipline are key to achieving anything in life.
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Sweet! How lucky for you.
Sadly, I can’t think of one teacher as a child ( other than my parents) who were even the least bit inspiring. I was an A student who learned mostly outside of school.
BUT of course, I have met some amazing teachers and adults who gave tremendously. I met two amazing teachers as a young adult ( who happened to be married to each other) that impacted my life ( and MANY more) in a powerful way.
Michael Howard taught acting ( to many famous actors) and at 90 something is still doing it. Betty, his wife, taught singing to many famous clients ( she was working with several people on Broadway when I was her student).
http://www.michaelhowardstudios.com/Michael_Howard_Studios/Home.html
But what they taught was more than acting and singing. They embraced the creative life and nurtured generations of young people. I feel very blessed to have had the opportunity to get to work with them and know them well.
Michael once said to me ” You must learn to say yes to yourself more often” and it is a saying I still use 30 some years later. I didn’t go to Betty to learn to sing, but to open my voice as I had shut down to a tiny whisper, so was shocked to discover that I had over a 3 octive range.
One of the things I adored about my years with Betty that impacted me greatly, is she taught me without ever once saying no or anything negative. She just kept finding creative ways to help me do what she was trying to teach me. Not only did she free my voice but she taught me much about creativity, freedom and how to teach.
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My 6th grade English teacher confirmed my love of Art and English … which I still love to this day! She created a most inspiring learning atmosphere. I can still remember her displaying our books on a washline across the back of the classroom. Her perfume and red lipstick were bold and beautiful. She read books aloud and held us spell-bound! We loved being with her.
I wonder what she would think if she learnt that my decision become an Art and English and History teacher was due largely to her passion and devotion?
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Wait for it…my Mother! Yes, as a homeschooler, my mom had the biggest impact on my life-from all angles. How she juggled everything and still had time to it down with all (40 of us is beyond me!
My 4yo starts school on Tuesday, and I have to admit, I am stressing a bit over what teachers he is going to encounter. He’s such a sensitive little guy, with a creative side that needs to be nurtured. I can only pray that he is in the right class…the right school.
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Right now I would have to say my most influential teacher is my 9 month old. Since her birth Ive learned more about myself than I thought I knew over the past 29 years. Shes taught me patience, how to view something from another perspective (have you watched a baby play with a new object, its fascinating!) and how to slow down.
Watching her grow has made me reflect and change, to be more cautious, healthy and financially secure. I want to be a better person because of her
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How terrible is it that I don’t even remember most of my teachers? I did have a teacher at church who used to make us something for every lesson that she taught, something that tied into the lesson so that we would remember it. Little cut out people or little suitcases filled with paper clothes, things like that. I still have all of that stuff actually. She taught great lessons too about being honest and about standing up for what we believe in. So yes, she was a great teacher and was definitely influential.
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My Mrs. Bonte. How I loved her. I still love her. Writing her name takes me right back to the 3rd grade where she used to let me stay after school and “help” her with whatever important work she had to do. She used to share her Tab with me. Remember Tab? It was one of the first diet sodas and it came in a pink can and tasted awful. But, to the 8 year old me nothing was better than Tab with Mrs. Bonte after school.
My all time favorite teacher has to be Mr. Hall. Not that I was a teacher’s pet. In fact, he was probably the most strict and demanding teacher I’ve ever had, but this pushed me in the right direction. Thanks to him I (re-)discovered my love for reading and writing, something I’ll always be thankful for.
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I really didn’t have one teacher that made a major impact on my life. I think each one left a small impression on me and influenced my learning. Probably my most favorite teacher was the Home Ec teacher in high school. She taught me things I still use everyday.
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Sheri Mangold, my junior year English teacher, was amazing. Beyond making class fun, she was interested in me as a person and not just a student. For several years we corresponded when I had my own classroom. Thank you, Mrs. Mangold, for inspiring and encouraging me!
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I guess I’ve been fortunate, because I’ve had several wonderful teachers. My 9th grade English teacher, Ms. Rood, was the first person besides my mother who believed that I was smart. (At least that told me so.) My 11th grade history teacher made history come alive through historical novels like Taipan, my college English professors were amazing, and steered me towards literature that I would never have picked up on my own, but ended up devouring! Likewise, my college psychology professor made that subject the most interesting I’d ever studied, and even made the required “Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences” class palatable.
Mrs. Sara Jarvis was one of my teachers in 5th and 6th grades. Her love of learning and her joyful spirit made me love and appreciate learning more. She had a way of making everything that we learned fun. She made her students feel special. She made you want to do your very best. Through the years I have always kept in touch with her. She has been a part of my life sharing in my wedding and baby showers. I wish there were more teachers in the world like her and I’m thankful that she is not just Mrs. Jarvis to me, but she is my friend, Sara.
My senior year of high school I had Dr. Locke for English Literature. He pushed and pushed to get us to come up with our own ideas and wouldn’t accept simply answers. We had heated class discussions over the books we read, and he called on the students who didn’t speak up voluntarily. So we heard all different view points. When we wrote papers, he would look over the outline and tell me to take it further or explore an idea more. One of the most memorable things he did to open my mind was assigning Tom Robbin’s book “Even Cowgirls Get the Blues”. If any of you have read it, you know it would be the first to hit a book burning pile. It was not on the approved curriculum so he recommended we purchase and read it on our own for a discussion.
And I still remember what it felt like to have my mind blown wide open!
I actually just blogged about this yesterday…hands down the most influential teacher in my life was my German teacher in high school!
I blogged about it here: http://mealsdealsandsqueals.blogspot.com/2010/08/my-story-bilbo-10th-grade.html
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Miss Kathy. She took me under her wing, quirks and all, and remained in touch with me for many years. I remember her and her family coming to my wedding.
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I think my parents were my best teachers, but if I had to pick a school teacher, I would say my 4th grade teacher was the best. Mrs. Horton cared about her students and she made learning fun.
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I actually had two teachers who greatly influenced me. I know one of them is not quite what you had in mind, because he was an awful teacher. So awful, in fact, that he helped my decision to become a teacher so there would be fewer awful teachers out there! I did have a wonderful teacher at that time as well. She made lasting connections with most of her students- I think a lot of us are still in contact with her- and she had the ability make history come alive and inspire us. The bad teacher is the source of my determination to work towards becoming the best teacher I can (I’m still in college) and the wonderful one inspires me to find creative ways to do so.
How fun to reminisce! The one teacher that comes to mind when I consider all those that I’ve encountered is my high school chemistry tecaher, Mr. Tamminga. He was the first teacher that I met who truly embodied the word “passionate”, about chemistry, but more importantly about life.
He began every class session with some insight in the Word of God, sharing his deep reflections and radiating his child-like awe of the One who created everything. While very intelligent, he was truly passionate about chemistry and the creativity of God, broken down into each simple compound.
Myself being one who wasn’t too interested in school, chemistry became my best subject. Mr. Tamminga made it come alive and I couldn’t help but be drawn in by that passion to learn and see what he saw.
My husband
1. He is infinitely patient, even when sorely tried, and every day teaches me the value of not letting any frustration color my voice or actions.
2. He taught me to teach & counsel using the Socratic method, which leads the student/counselee to the answer by asking questions that force them to see the truth rather than simply telling them the answer.
3. He taught me to lead by the principle of empowerment. When a person that I want to see grow also wants growth in that area, I do everything in my power to give them the time, resources, and encouragement to realize that growth.
4. He taught me the power of genuine praise. Never, ever praise anything less than a student’s best work. Gentle encouragement is given for progress, but praise is reserved for excellence.
5. He taught me the little triplet that has become my homeschooling mantra: Expect great things. Express your expectations. Inspect what you expect.
Wow! What a great husband and teacher you have.
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My 5th and 6th grade teacher was amazing. We hatched eggs, disected owl poop, and kept the praying mantis in an aquarium. We would catch grasshoppers for it at recess. He had a great sense of humor and a love of teaching that was amazing!
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Great post Tsh,
I thin I also had many influential teachers in my life, from kindergarten clear through to high school, but one that stands out in my mind was Mr. Roundy, my 7th grade American history teacher.
He knew how to make everything fun. He was so full of life that I would look forward to going to his class every day and hearing the exciting history stories he would tell next.
When learning is fun then you enjoy it and remember it more. I try to remember that as a Mother, to make what I teach my children every day fun, not just a “why didn’t you clean your room?” or “you forgot to brush your teeth again!?”
That’s what I learned from this most influential teacher, to make learning fun and life enjoyable and not make it a daily “have to”.
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I love this post! It’s what I’m passionate about which is taking those early memories and recording them for our children to read and enjoy someday.
In third Grade Mrs. West encouraged me in my writing and I still love to write which is why I have 2 blogs.
Janna @ Mommy’s Piggy TALES – Record Your Youth´s latest post: Tenth Grade Memories- Homecoming Court 1995
Mrs. Bunce was one of those teachers that scares the bejebies out of little kids in her class. Her classroom was a model of efficiency and order and she looked every bit the part of a scowling, intimidating creature just waiting to swoop in on her prey. Once, I remember that I had forgotten my homework, a cardinal no-no in Mrs. Bunce’s class. I spent the bus trip to school and the few moments before class time worrying and constructing an excuse note outlining the reasons why I was unable to submit my homework as expected. The forth grade me didn’t realize that the note took three times the effort and mental expenditure than whatever was assigned that day. Well, the note earned a call to my mother, but not because I didn’t have my homework, but because she thought it was so creative and funny. I was shocked! As I learned from being her student, when you broke through the hard outer shell, the soft interior of the real Mrs. Bunce was the type of unvarnished encouragement that a child rarely gets when the world pushes them to grow up too fast. If she said you were good, you were good. A compliment from her was hard-earned, but it was sincere and not the self-esteem boosting fluff that I remember being cajoled with as a child. I’m sure I remember some of the grammar that I learned in her forth grade English class, but the thing I carry with me from her is that I am talented. I am creative and ingenuis. And when things get difficult in this life, there’s always a creative way to end up better than when you started. Even if you don’t have your homewok. For that I love and appreciate her. Thanks, Mrs. Bunce, wherever you are.
There’s a lot I could say. My 6th grade teacher told me to stick to my guns when I knew I was right. I always have.
I’ve encountered some terrible “teachers” in college and beyond. Their behavior made me a better teacher than I would have been. What did they do? They insulted people who asked questions! They acted as though you should already know this stuff or that your question was an attack on them, or even that your question, if answered, would somehow take something away from them. What did I do about them? I ate lunch with a music major and learned from her what the teacher wasn’t teaching. The next class was advanced statistics. I taught the class the teacher refused to teach! Before and after that class I taught everyone the material and we all did so well . The man thought he was a genius. One of those I helped got me my next job! And, finally, when I started to put my hand down because asking a question of my programming instructor was not worth the grief it would bring…. I met with him after class and told him what he was doing wrong. He immediately began calling in every class member, privately, to answer every question. One by one they came out of his office with an enormous smile and they all said the same thing, ” Thanks, Flo. Why didn’t you do that, sooner?” lol Aside from being a mother, being a teacher is the most important job in the world, imho. I’ve brought light to children’s eyes and smiles to their faces. I’ve restored confidence in those who had none left. I’ve inspired and motivated, praised and prodded, ever so gently year after year. I’ve touched the lives of thousands and made those lives better.
FLO
My favorite and most inspiring teacher was my 2nd grade teacher, Miss Harper. Miss Harper always taught us to do our best and respect others. She had me during one of the toughest years in my family’s life. My younger brother, who was 5, was in and out of the hospital and had to have several surgeries, at a hospital 3 hrs away from home. My parents stayed there with him for the better part of 2 months. My mom would come home every other week for two days. My dad went back and forth every week, staying home and working and going back to see my brother. My grandma was diagnosed with lung cancer. I stayed at my grandparents’ house. Miss Harper was a friend of my grandparents’ and had started teaching when my mom was in elementary school. She would pick me up every morning before school and take me home after school to my grandparents’ house. Many mornings she dried my tears as I cried because I missed my parents and brother. She comforted me the day after my grandma died. She always had a smile for me and kind words. Miss Harper knew when I needed to laugh, and when I needed to be by myself. The best part of this story is that I would see Miss Harper from time to time after I finished 2nd grade and moved on in my school years; and 5 years ago when my husband and I bought our house I realized she lived in the apartment house across the street from us! She still does! She is in her 80′s now, long retired, but still smiling and still with a kind word when she sees me. I always point her out to my children and tell them that was Mommy’s favorite teacher!
Tsh –
My most influential teacher is also my 1st grade teacher, Mrs. Young. She also happened to be my 2nd grade teacher as well. We also shared the same birthday – September 9th. Even now (I am 25 and well past school aged) we send one another birthday cards on our birthdays. It is fun to have a special bond with a teacher.
– Katy
Hi! What a joy to think about my teachers. I can think of one or two who had a great impact in just little ways. In my 3rd grade year, our family traveled to South America for a short time. So, I missed out on some of my schooling and was put back a grade when we returned. (sad time for me!) However, I had a great 4th grade teacher who encouraged me…a quiet and very shy sad little girl. I remember one time in particular when he praised one answer that I shared with our group…wow, did it ever boost my spirits. Although I never made up for that lost time, I can look back now and see how God used that event in my life for many reasons. Several other teachers encouraged me in seemingly little ways but they were huge to me at the time and I remember those nice notes to my parents or praises and smiles to this day. By the way, I work at an elementary school now and purposefully am on the lookout for the child that needs a smile or a hug, a kind word of praise or encouragement. Blessings…Jackie
i was just talking to my son about this the other day. i have two teachers dear to my heart – interestingly enough on the bookends of schooling. my kindergarten teacher, mrs. higgins, was inspiring. i went to a small montessori style school and learning was fun! i couldn’t wait to be at school and it gave me a solid foundation for when i started going to public school. for high school i was inspired by my choir director, mr. putnam. i love how he believed young people could make excellent music, and we rose to the challenge and belief. because of the impact he made on me, i became a music major in college and music is a huge part of who i am even today.
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I have to say that I had decent teachers throughout my school years, but just a few were exceptional. First, at Montessori, my preschool teacher, Bess, taught me like I was her own child, and when she moved back to England, she mailed me a letter that I kept until high school. In elementary, Mrs. Philler, the gifted education resource teacher, gave us real life experiences that gave back to our school community and engaged us. In middle school, Mr. Brady, my English teacher validated my writing. In high school, Mr. Jackson, a summer school Algebra teacher, made math come alive and presented it to me in a verbal manner, causing me to almost make an A, where I often made C’s. In college, Dr. Sprague made my teacher certification classes practical and creative. Now, I pray every day that I can be the teacher that each of my students need. Happy new school year, and I hope you enjoy every step of your oldest child’s journey through school.
I would have to say my Greek professor in college who later turned out to be my husband and father of my children. The kindest and most gentle man, strong and true!
I am a teacher, so I think about this all the time… Thanks for the post!
My best friend died unexpectedly the summer after 4th grade. 2 weeks into 5th grade, I was moved to another school (one I was familiar with, but had been away for a year, so everything and everyone felt different to me). Mr. Vest (best in the West) never talked to me directly about it, but I’m sure he knew I needed some TLC. He was sweet with everyone, but it was just what I needed. He smelled like Old Spice and had Snoopy posters all over the room. He had a million books in the classroom, and about 10X more in his garage, so he kept switching them out and telling us about the new ones he brought in. He left prizes in my desk. I loved him with all my heart.
When I became a student teacher, I had to observe a bunch of different classrooms and grade levels. When I walked in to his room (he wasn’t told I was coming), he said, “Carol! What was it, 1978/79?” Yup, that’s what it was. Still smelled like Old Spice. Snoopy posters all over the room. Books everywhere. A beat-up paperweight on his desk that I had given him. His students were still crazy about him.
The teacher that influenced me the most was my 9th grade Spanish teacher, Mrs. Herman. She had a true passion for the language and a love for teaching. Although I did not pursue Spanish, I did end up learning American Sign Language and became an Interpreter. Her biggest lesson for me was to learn everything I could about a language, the users and the culture. In college, I did just that, surrounding myself with classes and getting involved in the Deaf Community. Thank you forever Mrs. H.!
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One of my best was my freshman year bio teacher. He was just so passionate about it. He found it so interesting that it was infectious. I also had an amazing senior bio AP teacher. I became a biology major in college!
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My senior year of high school was really full of drama and chaos. My boyfriend decided to break up with me right before Christmas, and I was a wreck. My grades fell, and so did my self esteem. Prior to all this, I was very studious, always striving for the A, and I had a goal to go to college for nursing. Well, my Chemistry teacher, Mr. Olson, was the only one who noticed; or at least the only one who ever pulled me aside and questioned me. He asked what was wrong as he noticed my grades had fallen. I gave a lame excuse about getting a part time job and not having much time to study, as I needed to save money for college. He in turn explained that there were many options available for student loans and grants, etc…and that my grades were important towards college acceptance.
I didn’t really think much about it then, but over the years, I have come to see him as someone who not only loved teaching Chemistry, but as a teacher who took the time to notice his students’ work and try to help those who struggled. He has inspired me to help others whom I meet or know who could use a shoulder to lean on, or an ear to listen.
What’s ironic is, I hated Chemistry!!! I just couldn’t get the hang of it, no matter how hard I tried. Yet, my Chemistry teacher is the one teacher to whom I owe the biggest debt of gratitude.
I can’t actually remember what grade I was in when I had Mrs. Lippert for a teacher but I’ll never forget her because I love to read and she loved to read to us. My fondest memory is of her reading us one chapter a day from Call of the Wild, one of my favorite books! I used to look so forward to those stories!
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My 12th grade English teacher pushed us all, but she was also eccentric and witty. One day she caught me impersonating her distinctive style. Some weeks later she had to leave the classroom and she said, “Elle, come up and be me.” And she left me to direct the class, ostensibly in her manner. I did and that was one of my most amusing and inspiring moments. She came back and hung in the doorway for a few minutes to take it in.
Oops sorry duh! I meant to end that story by saying that this past year a schoolmate from another year got on Facebook and announced that she was back in the area and wanted to hear from former students. He provided her mailing address. I thought about writing for three months before I finally did, but I sent her a letter telling her how much she’d meant to me and what I was up to. Maybe five weeks later classmates announced that she passed away.
Wow-lot’s of replies! I think my dad is the one that taught me to think-a very important skill-but my favorite teacher from school was Mr Martin, 4th grade. He used to be overweight and had lost so much weight by the time I was in his class that he was a trim runner. He would give our class extra recess time if we all engaged in a group activity. There was a group of us he’d take running after school (can you imagine that now-a male teacher taking a group of female and male students running after school?) I was a natural long distance runner and loved the whole thing! He also had a book of word puzzles he’d put up on the board for extra credit that were really fun. My love of running lasted until my infatuation with boys started-not a good exchange, looking back, but it did instill a love for health. The word puzzles are still something I enjoy!
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