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They taught you. They challenged you. They changed you. They’re the memorable teachers in your life. The other day I heard the rumble of a school bus and thought of those educators who made a difference. What made them special? What made them succeed? How did they get under that “school-sucks” barbed wire? Maybe it was these five qualities…

Kindness – First grade was horrifying. We had to sit in rows of desks instead of circle time like kindergarten. One day I’m sitting there and have to go the bathroom. I know I should raise my hand but I’m too shy.

Instead, I hope no one notices the little puddle under my seat. Of course Mrs. Wilkinson does. She discreetly asks to speak to me in the hall. I follow, wanting to die. Once there she crouches down to my level. She asks in a soft voice if I had an accident. I nod, mortified. She smiles, touches my cheek and tells me its okay. We all make mistakes. I still remember that moment. I remember thinking that despite all those hard desks in a row, parts of school were soft and nice.

Fun – Seventh grade English teacher Miss Carlson is plump and blond. She tries hard, sometimes too hard. For Halloween she dresses as a goofy witch. She calls her students, “My Chickadees.” She hands out candies to pupils who make an effort. We roll our eyes. We’re not kids anymore. And yet something strange happens.

I want to do well for Miss Carlson. I don’t care about subjects and predicates and passive tense. But when I ace a test, she stamps pictures of happy cats up top. She jumps up and down when the class does well. She tries to make school fun and in her own way she does. I like to see Miss Carlson laugh. I try harder.

Inspiration – Mr. DeWolfe is tall, rangy with crazy dark hair and a black beard. He’s been teaching high school freshman writing since the Pleistocene Era. At first I don’t care. I do his homework quickly. But one day he assigns an essay. What’s a favorite place? I choose Cape Cod. I describe how the water’s blue-green and the beach smells like Coppertone suntan lotion.  I write how I love walking barefoot on the cool sand.

And later I get back the paper with an A. “This is Laurie” is written up top. I stare at those words. Mr. DeWolfe sees something I don’t. From then on, I start paying attention. Mr. DeWolfe lights a fire that lasts a lifetime.

Humanity — Senior year of high school. I can’t wait for all this to end. College beckons. But then one day the world shifts. New teacher Mr. Proudfoot strolls into English class. He’s young and blond, wears turtlenecks and love beads (yes, this was the early seventies). Sometimes he sits cross-legged on his desk.

He talks about feeling depressed and what it’s like to love someone and lie in bed at night, listening to the rain. After brain-numbing math and science classes, my seventeen-year-old soul rejoices. Mr. Proudfoot talks about cool, poetic, interesting things. He helps me realize my feelings aren’t odd. Others feel isolated, insecure and out of step. We’re all scared. We’re all doing our best, he tells us.

Passion – I’m not sure what to expect in Freshman Shakespeare. And when I see Father Lynch, I’m even more befuddled. Somehow I ended up in this small Connecticut Jesuit College. And since I don’t go to church often, I haven’t met many clergy. This one’s different than expected. He leans on his podium, taking long drags from an unfiltered Camel. (Yes, in the seventies, people smoked in class).

Father Lynch has this intense Spencer Tracy quality. Between puffs he quotes from “Hamlet” and “Romeo and Juliet” with such vigor, he almost spits out the words. We sit rapt. By the end of the year, I’m smitten. I want to love something as much as Father Lynch loves “King Lear” and “Twelfth Night.” I want to find my passion.

The years go by. I hear those yellow buses and think of those people sometimes, those memorable teachers. The young ones are old. The older ones are gone.

Yet they left their mark. Maybe it’s not what they taught, or how they taught. Maybe it was who they were. All I know is I wasn’t the same person when I left their classroom. I was better.

I wish I had told them thank you.

 

What teachers changed you? I’d love to know.  If you like this piece, please consider pressing one of the magic buttons below.  If you’d like to receive posts by email, just hit the subscribe link above.  Thank you!

Comments(28)

  1. Your memory is better than mine, or perhaps you had more teachers who left a lasting impression. I admit that during most of my school years my mind was occupied with getting out and getting away…

    I did have a 6th grade Science teacher, Mr. Wilson, who taught me to love Harry Chapin while teaching me how to build a terrarium. Mrs. Shuford, my 12th grade English teacher, recognized a talent and love for writing that I tried to keep hidden. I moved twice during my senior year, and by the time I got to the school I graduated from it was too late to get into the AP English class. She had me do all of the reading and assignments in addition to my regular English class. I was granted permission to take the AP exam and scored higher than anyone who actually took the class. Thanks to Mrs. Shuford I won the “Most Outstanding Senior in English” award that year, and I began to believe in my own abilities.

      • Laurie Stone

      • 8 years ago

      Sounds like Mrs. Shuford had quite an influence on your life and belief in yourself! After I wrote this, I realized these were all English teachers I’d written about. Go figure!

  2. My junior year English teacher. I learned so much from her, more so than any other English teacher. Or maybe she presented the material in a way that stuck. Regardless, I believe my passion for playing with words and sentences was sparked during her class. And I loved my calculus instructor, Ms. John, at the junior college. I didn’t know how good I had it until I was in whatever math class at the much larger university the next year. I’m so glad I ran into Ms. John to be able to tell her how much I loved her class and the university professors couldn’t compare. I could tell she was taken aback but also happy to hear praises from a former student.

      • Laurie Stone

      • 8 years ago

      Words and math, Karen? You’re a double threat! I was in the remedial math class all throughout high school. Thank God I loved words… and my english teachers.

    • Jo

    • 8 years ago

    Ahh loved these stories about your teachers 🙂 What some inspirational ones you had. I can remember one very inspirational A Level English teacher, and one maths teacher who used to throw chalk at me!!

      • Laurie Stone

      • 8 years ago

      Jo, I’m sure some of my math teachers wish they could throw chalk at me. I was so bad. Thank God for the English teachers who spoke the language of words, something all writers grow to love.

  3. Just discovered your blog. It’s wonderful and now I’m an officially subscribed member. My favorite teacher and most influential teacher was Mrs. Barbee. She had the right combination of all of the qualities you mentioned, which made her a favorite by many. Thanks for focusing my attention on a beloved teacher today! Can’t wait to read more from you!
    Mona (M.L. James)

      • Laurie Stone

      • 8 years ago

      Mona, Thanks so much for reading. I think we all have our favorite teachers who taught and influenced us. They helped make us who we are today!

  4. I loved this post!! I have had so many wonderful and influential teachers, I don’t even know where to start (blessed, I know! 😊). As a former teacher myself, it was always my goal to be “that” teacher for at least one student each year. Thanks for writing this – you have inspired me to think about this more (and maybe even write about it!).

      • Laurie Stone

      • 8 years ago

      Thanks so much, Wendy. I have nothing but admiration for teachers. They’re the true backbone of society and so many times, unsung heroes. Thank you for reading.

  5. I think about one certain student-teacher all the time. Still. I’ve searched for him on Facebook to no avail. He said to me once, after reading some scribbles I’d written which I’d hoped some day to turn into a novel, you’ve got a gift.
    I don’t know if it was a passing comment. I don’t know if it something he’d remember. But those words changed my life.

      • Laurie Stone

      • 8 years ago

      Carla, I literally had goose bumps when you mentioned the teacher who changed your life. How lucky we were to have those special people who urged us on. Thank you for reading.

  6. Lovely post. And as a former teacher, I hope there might still be students out there who remember me. I loved my English and my writing teachers. Dr. Michael Fortune in college kept me under his spell with every word. Education was such a gift and I did everything I could to get every word and nuance. But the most memorable teacher in my life, the one who taught me about living, was my mother. She the ultimate teacher of all things–and that even included loving to read and enjoying music and art.

      • Laurie Stone

      • 8 years ago

      Wow Beth, how beautiful. Yes, many of us were lucky enough to have wonderful mothers who were the best teachers. I love that. Thank you for reading.

  7. I remember Mrs. Pinkenson in high school. She told me to keep writing. I’ll never forget. And my high school Art teacher Mrs. Ellis who convinced me I had talent. Life changers, for sure!
    b

      • Laurie Stone

      • 8 years ago

      Thank God for these wonderful educators, Barbara. I’ve had several bloggers say it was an English teacher who first lit their spark for writing. Thank you for reading and commenting.

    • Judi Back

    • 8 years ago

    Only female of four in all classes as an English/History major when Fairfield University went coed. I was the only female in all classes and Fathers John P. McIntyre S.J., Fathers Ollie Nickerson, Hanlon, Dr. Lou Barone and Dr. Nick Rinaldi helped me after I proved myself as a strong, competent lover of literature. They were inspirational, tough but there was authority and mutual respect throughout my career!

      • Laurie Stone

      • 8 years ago

      Wow Judi! I also went to Fairfield University (as did my husband Randy which is where we met). I also had Fr. McIntyre and Dr. Barone. I know Randy had Dr. Rinaldi. Such a small world and I agree with you. They were wonderful teachers whose words of wisdom stay with me till this day. Thank you for reading.

    1. Every single one!!! Loved school….loved teachers except for one and she was a fluke…knew nothing and I am serious#

        • Laurie Stone

        • 5 years ago

        Cheryl, I also loved my teachers, especially English teachers who I related to most. Glad you liked yours too!

  8. Amazing reflections!!!!

      • Laurie Stone

      • 7 years ago

      Thank you!

  9. The school thought I was retarded (their word) and should be institutionalised. I was dyslexic . My first-grade teacher, Mrs. Schwem spent hours teaching me to read and proving the school long. Now 54 years and 7 degrees later, I am indebted to her.

      • Laurie Stone

      • 7 years ago

      Wow, Beth. Got a little misty-eyed over that. What one person can do is miraculous. How lucky you were to have Mrs. Schwem.

  10. I absolutely loved this, Laurie! Teachers stand next to only parents in forming children into what they will become!
    Oooh! Where to start! Miss Woronoski loved me and taught me that reading was fun in first grade. Mrs. Haisworth inspired me to write. Miss Mueller furthered my writing by singling me out and reading things I wrote. Mr. Chipman was fun. Mr. Behrens fired me up to write plays. And Mrs. Wolersheim topped them all and taught me I had real worth! What would I have been without any of them?!
    P.S. I discovered the sharing buttons! Thank you for pointing them out! 😉

      • Laurie Stone

      • 5 years ago

      Diane, So glad you liked this. Yes, all us writers have those english teachers who first lit that spark. I’ll always be grateful.

  11. This was wonderful. And now I’m thinking about Mr. Sherburne who taught humanities my senior year of high school, and managed to bring together (bring alive, make us think about) far-flung worlds and ideas of art, literature, cultures, foods, geography, religion, social justice — especially those that so many of us, in our small
    sheltered white suburb, would never been exposed to otherwise.

      • Laurie Stone

      • 5 years ago

      Lisa, I always loved those teachers who talked about deep, interesting things. I was never good at math and science so was grateful to have subjects I loved. I also grew up in a sheltered, white suburb so happy to learn about the larger world.

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