This week is Teacher Appreciation Week. I know we have a lot of teachers in this community, so shout out to you all and all that you do. Teaching was the hardest job I ever had, but also the most rewarding thing I have ever done. Many of you pour your hearts and souls into your work, not to mention your time, money, and resources. Never forget that your jobs are one of the most important ones out there, you are shaping and molding our future generations!
In honor of teacher appreciation week I thought it might be neat to share a story about your favorite teacher, or the most impactful school experience you had as a child. I can't wait to read all these!!
The most influential teacher I know I met as an adult. She was my mentor my first year teaching, kindergarten in an urban charter school that was near failing. Her relentless pursuit of excellence for her kids, and the fact that she never gave up in the face of all the challenges that come with teaching in an underserved community, made me look up to her and want to become as great a teacher as she was. She is still a close friend of mine to this day, and I always look up to her as a wonderful role model and example of human kindness.
My most influential teacher was my high school band teacher. He was always willing to take extra time with you if you needed some assistance learning the music and still knew how to be fun in the classroom. There were those that disliked him because he would get mad if you didn't learn the music and techniques but if you paid attention to his actions and attitude you could always tell it was just because he wanted everyone to succeed. Everyone was sad when he finally retired and there were tons of former students who came to his final concert. It was heartwarming to see how many people realized how truly wonderful he was.
And I always like to give credit to my business and computers teacher in high school for helping reinforce that having a great work ethic and keeping on top of technology and software advances would be advantageous to me. She also instilled in her students that you don't no call, no show on jobs or interviews and you always keep a professional appearance at interviews and jobs, which is something I ended up really adhering to and appreciating after I got into the business world.
Love to all the teachers. Keep fighting the good fight, you impact more lives than you realize!
Post by raelynn71109 on May 4, 2015 15:20:16 GMT -5
Thanks to all the teachers out there for all your hard work!
My favorite teacher was my 3rd grade teacher. I had to move and change schools with very little notice in the middle of 3rd grade when my mom divorced my stepdad. My teacher (from the school I was leaving) gave me a small gift and she exchanged letters with me over the next couple of years. It was so sweet of her to reach out to me during that time and really meant a lot to me!
Post by shadesofgold on May 4, 2015 15:33:35 GMT -5
I fondly remember a handful of teachers who went beyond their classroom duties to help us actively engage in our community. My high school Spanish teacher lead a community service club, with students signing up for monthly shifts at the soup kitchen and as elementary reading buddies. Our English teacher helped us form a "students for peace" club my senior year (the year the Iraq war started), giving us the space to exercise our budding political minds. Other teachers led the student government and journalism classes where I learned how to work in groups and be a creative problem-solver. I believe these experiences were ultimately more influential to me becoming an engaged, active citizen than what I learned in their classes. The thing that these teachers had in common? They empowered us to know our own minds, explore our talents, and find our leadership voices. They didn't dismiss our ideas or our potential - they helped them grow.
Post by teachermomtobe on May 4, 2015 15:38:58 GMT -5
My sophomore year English teacher was also my homeroom teacher for all 4 years of HS. As an English teacher, she made English fun (something I had never experience prior to her class) and she helped me find my own voice. I still have my journal from her class. As a homeroom teacher, you knew she truly cared about you and the relationship she had with her homeroom students was important to her. We're Facebook friends to this day and check in once in awhile.
As a teacher myself, I hope that some day a student will think of me in this fashion. Like you said, teaching isn't an easy job but oh man it's a rewarding one! I teach 3rd grade and I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world, even on the toughest day. Well, on the toughest day I may trade my job for wine but ya know....
Post by requiressnacks on May 4, 2015 15:48:49 GMT -5
Thank you to my HS science teacher! I was going through a really difficult time in my life (issues at home, health problems and drugs) and he called me out on it and made me recognize that there was a problem.
And thanks to all the other amazing teachers out there!
Post by ohinvrtedworld on May 4, 2015 16:32:34 GMT -5
I love teachers!! My parents teach and many of my close friends do as well. They go above and beyond the call of duty with their own time and money -- one of my friends even took home two sickly stray kittens found on the school playground because she feels her students are even learning things like compassion from her.
It's one of the hardest jobs, one that I am not gifted to do, so more power to all of you who are great teachers.
My high school speech and debate coach my junior and senior years was really influential for me. He was young, excited, and truly loved his craft. He made us love it, too. He took an awkward, quiet kid and helped her find her voice and her backbone. He helped me find an outlet for my crazy competitiveness (besides music) and allowed me to explore who I could be, given the freedom to try. I am a much more self-assured, self-loving person because of him.
Betcha thought I was going to say my music teacher, didn't ya? (for those that don't know me, I teach band and orchestra haha)
Post by kawaiikitsune on May 4, 2015 17:19:04 GMT -5
Thank you to all the teachers out there working hard and making a difference in children's lives!
I had a teacher in HS. He was known for being a real stickler so when I was put into his class (Honor's Biology) I was super nervous. It was really hard and about half-way through the semester, I kind of gave up. I was dealing with a lot of crap in my personal life and was kind of suicidal. I'm guessing he noticed the change in me because one day after class, he asked me to stay so we could talk. He told me that he could see I was having a difficult time and that if I ever needed to talk, about anything, that he was there for me. He also said he knew I was smarter and more capable than I was giving myself credit for and that he wasn't going to let me fail his class. It really gave me strength and I busted my ass the rest of the year. Ended up passing with an 89. The sense of accomplishment I felt when he called me into his class to tell me my grade was amazing. He told me he was proud of me and wished me well with whatever I decided to do in the future. I wish I could tell him that he saved my life and I will be forever grateful for that.
Teachers do so much more than they get credit for so to everyone on this board who teaches, thank you. It is a selfless job in a lot of ways but you do make a huge impact, probably more than you will ever know. You seriously rock.
Post by helloerrbody on May 4, 2015 21:15:30 GMT -5
Thank you akraus2015 for starting this thread! It's giving me so many feels! Teacher Appreciation Week is so wonderful, but I always gain about 5 lbs from all of the goodies and treats I get spoiled with lol.
I was blessed with many amazing teachers, but my classroom management college professor was so inspirational. She treated us with such respect and truly got to know us and showed she cared about us just as we would do with our young students.
Thanks for sharing your stories ladies. It's hard sometimes to realize that we teachers DO make an impact outside of the teaching we do in the classrooms. This has been a great reminder!
Post by BurritosAtEveryMeal on May 5, 2015 15:48:44 GMT -5
How thoughtful of you to start a thread! Our PTO is treating us like princesses this week. It's really kind and much appreciated.
My favorite teacher was a Friar from college. He has his doctorate in psychology and was just so passionate about everything he taught. He is down to Earth and always stayed late to help students. He is also a certified psychologist and clearly a great listener. I just thought he was the bees knees and think of him often. He's part of the reason I got into teaching- to make people feel like someone is listening and fighting for you.
My favorite teacher was without a doubt my high school Spanish teacher. I moved to a new school when I was a sophomore and I took Spanish all throughout high school, so I saw him every day for three years. He is one of the most supportive and thoughtful human beings I have ever met. He was always in a great mood, and was so down to earth when it came to school. Going to his class always put me in a better mood because of his outlook on life. He loved teaching and he loved his students. And some days, he would let me sleep on the floor while we watched movies he taped off of Telemundo.
I cried on my last day of school at the end of his class and gave him a huge hug and thanked him for everything. I dont think he realized how his welcoming attitude made it so much easier for me to be the new kid in a small town school three years earlier. He is the best. The really cool part is I still live in the town I went to school in so I see him around all the time.
My first-grade teacher, who made me so proud of how much I loved to learn that I didn't even realize it was uncool and I was a nerd until second grade, when I had a terrible teacher. She also taught me how to help others learn to read and made me want to be a teacher myself.
My fifth-grade teacher, who taught me to go above and beyond what I thought were my abilities and to find joy in the process of working hard.
My 7th-grade math teacher, who made me stop being afraid to try, even though math wasn't my strong suit.
My 11th-grade English teacher, who formed the basis of all the intellectual work I now do as a PhD student and who handed me the novel that would change my life, leading me to my current dissertation. He also supported me through a difficult year of my teenage life and made me realize that teaching was an amazing profession that I wanted to be a part of.
My college English professor, who taught me that if you go out on a limb with your ideas and argue something crazy from a place of passion, you can come up with something truly great.
My co-worker when I was a high-school teacher myself, who brought joy to every class with her students and treated each of them like fully-formed women, rather than obnoxious teenagers.
My current advisor in my PhD program, who has the grace and intelligence of about 100 people combined. She has taught me that you can always ask more of yourself as a thinker and a teacher, but that there are also times to give yourself a break and to create space for your own life so you don't burn out.
Thanks to all the amazing teachers out there! I think every one of my role models in life other than my mother has been a teacher. I hope I can live up to these people in my own career.
All the feels from this page Thanks for posting this!
My favorite teacher ever was one of my college professors. I first had him for 2nd semester biology, he taught the microbiology unit (3 teachers split this course and taught their favorite subjects). He briefly went over how some bacteria have 2 membranes and some have the usual 1 on the outside. I asked him which showed up pink and purple on a gram stain (I couldn't remember from my micro class from HS). He was dumbfounded I asked the question and was wicked excited about it. His enthusiasm for biology was contagious, and he had SO MUCH ENERGY. Like, ran around campus and you thought he was on 5 coffees and a few red bulls. It was insane.
I went on to take every class he offered and did some work in his lab. I took microbiology as a senior (along with many other seniors, it's really a sophomore level class) because we were all waiting for him to teach it again. He never used textbooks for his class and just lectured everything. His lectures were awesome due to his enthusiasm. My senior year he was denied tenure and we made a petition about it. Of course we didn't get it overturned and he's no longer teaching there, which is a shame.
He actually wrote me a recommendation to get into grad school, and I take a lot of my teaching practices from him. I'm friends with him on FB as well. He's the greatest.
My anatomy teacher in HS is the teacher that got me interested in science. She was young and treated us as adults, had high expectations for us to get our work done independently instead of relying on her for all the things. She also taught us how to take notes (which saved my ass in college). She was the first teacher I had that really did that for all of us. I took a second class with her my senior year.
Way late but had to add. One of my favorite teachers was my 3rd grade teacher Mrs. Maxwell. I just remember her being so kind, and encouraging. I moved and changed elementary schools the next year, but I do not remember any other teacher from elementary school that meant more to me. Her impact was more of a social development kind as opposed to scholastic. I remember the door to her class said Good To The Last Drop (like the Maxwell House slogan), but she encouraged my love of reading. I have a Christmas ornament from her still to this day which is amazing because it is ceramic (it is 33 years old!).
My second oldest son is named Maxwell and that is not why he has the name, but it didn't hurt the cause!
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