Teachers who made a difference

Tuesday 3 May 2011 - Filed under Journal

It’s National Teacher Appreciation Day. I thought I’d take a moment to remember some great teachers in my life.

Mr. Deseth (Roosevelt Elementary) He was cool. He was also firm but fair.

Mr. Moen (Kelly Elementary) He was funny but took his job seriously and expected you to, too.

Mr. Martin (Schroeder Jr. High School) He made it clear to me that knowing stuff is more fun than not knowing stuff.

Mrs. McCaffery (Schroeder Jr. High School) She taught us all that being a tiny woman does not make you one less bit intimidating. Really big burn-out dudes were afraid of Mrs. McCaffery.

Mr. Fosse (Red River High School) He was an excellent theatre teacher in a way that changed people. He was hilarious, unique, bold, creative and he made a big difference in a lot of people’s lives, including mine.

I could go on but I’ll do this again next year.

I think the teachers I remember are the ones that made me enjoy learning and/or made me learn about life, not just about the subject matter at hand. Being good at math, for example, is certainly a huge benefit to a math teacher. But inspiring kids, being a good example, rewarding creativity, teaching discipline and the other million things that teachers do — those are the skills that make a difference in the world.

2011-05-03  »  lolife