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The thread on the students suspended for their my space site got me thinking. (uh oh)

I remember growing up there were times where a teacher, or teachers played important roles in my life and greatly infuenced me. These teachers sometimes went above and beyond the call of duty. So I thought maybe we could honor those teachers that influenced us.


I met Mrs Virginia Jessee (those that know her called her VJ) when I was in junior high school. She was the high school speach/drama teacher. A friend had an older sister in a play and we went to a few rehearsals and I was hooked. VJ not only taught us theater and speach. She also taught us about life. How to carry ourselves and interact. The trips we took to contest were such a learning experience. There's just so many baisic rules of etiquette she taught us as she knew we'd be placed in formal situations if we continued with the theater.

Another was Paul Lively. A wierd sort. He was one of the coaches of the golf team and taught algebra. He seemed to have an insight when his class was really having trouble grasping something and would spend extra time helping the class. Did I learn algebra? Not really but I'm not good at any math but because of his extra attention I did pass the class. And because of his patience I learned patience from him.

My Aunt Cherry caldwell!! Sixth grade was fun!1 She did thes wordpuzzle thingies and a quote of the day!! We read a lot and had a great time!!

My First grade teacher Ms. Entwhistle. She was amazing. So nice and such a good teacher. My parents loved her too. She has ended up becoming a family friend and I even got a letter from her a few months ago with a couple of pictures in it of me playing the hunter in our play of Snow White she found while cleaning out her attic.

Great teachers:

Mrs. Nelson 3rd grade
Mr. Drolette 5th grade
Mr Lamb High School

Terrible excuses for human being teachers:

4th Grade teacher (mental block keeping me from remembering this f*@king b*tches name)
Miss Kanfield-6th grade.

These teachers, good and bad are responsible for a lot in my life. The good teachers, not only taught me the facts in textbooks, they taught me self esteem and confidence and social responsibility.

My 4th and 6th grade teachers destroyed me or at least attempted to. They used ridicule and spite and shame as their teaching tools. I was probably what you would call debilitatingly shy and introverted after 6th grade and I really blame these two for much of what I really did not get over until in college. In fact still struggle with at times now

Steve Coverston, my drafting teacher in high school. He knocked my grade down from a B- to a C- because I was not applying myself to the best of my abilities. That REALY p$##@& me off! I enrolled and took a college architecture class in over the summer and at registration I dropped the report card with the A right in his face. He looked at me and asked if I could do it in his classes. Great life lesson. I’m sure there are hundreds of other stories like this. He’s quite a teacher.

I had two teachers that had a profound effect on me.....
one was my second grade teacher Miss Clegg.....I had just moved to Utah from Georgia....in the middle of the school year...brutal. She always helped me to feel so special. I can't really say exactly what it was about her....except that she cared so much.

the other was my HS english teacher, Mrs. Clayson....first, she was fun...great sense of humor...more importantly she believed in me, treated me like an adult and taught me never to accept second best. She was amazing!

Mine didn't appear until college.

Dr. David Block.

IF there was one before that, it was Mr. Schvinck in 7th grade english.

Cubbie Bear wrote:They used ridicule and spite and shame as their teaching tools. I was probably what you would call debilitatingly shy and introverted after 6th grade and I really blame these two for much of what I really did not get over until in college. In fact still struggle with at times now

I'm sorry, Cubbie.....
If there is something to be learned, it's that our words have such a powerful effect on children. Adults can *usually* brush it off with a returned expletive and a finger.....but kids take our words to their soul.
Thanks for the reminder......

this is a hard one for me.... there were so many great teachers who influenced me...

i would have to say these folks - in no particular order
mr. moore - high school marine science teacher
mr. javor - high school biology teacher
mr. geiger - high school band teacher
dr. james - master's advisor

they all pushed me to be the best. i owe a lot of the person i am today to these folks.

and the cool thing - is that they are all good friends now. nothing like hanging out with them at the state science conference (or other events) and having a few beers!

There was only two teachers in all my years at school that I can say remotely made a positive difference in my life. My third grade teacher (this was before teachers had subjects and you just had a classroom; didn't switch for subjects). She stressed, stressed, stressed the usefulness of phonics; and damnit, she was right. I will always thank her for that. She was also the teacher who forced the school to put me in advanced classes because I was completely bored with everything else. Best thing that ever happened.

Second teacher was actually a woman who taught one of my metalsmithing classes when I decided to follow jewelry as a side career, and she was younger than me. She was a bit fruity when the class started, and I had my doubts, but after the third class, I was hooked. She gave forth such a brilliance and creativity that just absolutely inspired me, and still does to this day. I still chat with her from time to time and am grateful I was able to be taught by her.

As for the lot of teachers I had in high school, I have nothing good to say about any one of them. They were more concerned with whether the 'cool' kids liked them and appeasing the idiot coddling parents than actually teaching something, and I regret ever attending that school.

Can't really think of any. Except for one professor in law school who I wanted to nail, but I don't think that's what you mean.

School was a very important influence in my life. ANd I could bore you with the names of 10-12 teachers that impacted me throughout the years.... but the biggest influence was that of my High School principal Fred Rozelle....

I moved to Clearwater @ age 16.... not very happy about being plucked from my comfort zone in Ft Lauderdal at aged 16. The first day Mr. Rozelle called my to his office to welcome me as a transfer student and asked me all about the first two yrs of HS in Laud. I went on about how active I was, what clubs I was in... it was obvious to him that I was one of those people others knew because I had so many leadership roles...

He looked at me.. and said Susan... you can spend the next two years in misery or spend the next two weeks finding out out all the activities we offer and jump in feet first. I chose the latter.....and spent my Junior and Senior years of HS in a whirlwind of constant motion. And Mr. Rozelle was with me all the way!

And the next year.....when 100 cases of fundraiser M & Ms were delivered to the school and put in his confrence room.... I was the first person he called out of class to ask what in the world had I done now....

Mr Rozelle retired the year I graduated......

I've had several.

Mr. Sidwell my 6th grade teacher who also became my 8th grade Science teacher.

Mrs. Reiber my Acting teacher.

Mr. Davis my Theatre Productions teacher.

Mr. Nelson my Social Science teacher.

Those are all that come to mind.

Haven't got time to go into it as it's near time to go home. (Wish I had seen this at lunch)

Oops, from the subject line I was thinking this was gonna be a thread about "Mrs. Robinson" type teachers.

Mr Powers in Algebra 2 (he was also the assistant basketball coach).

I was a really good student in Algebra, and always had my hand raised when questions were asked, though I seldom was called on. One day, Mr Powers called me up after class.

He told me that he hoped I would understand, but that he was unlikely to call on me for most of the year because he knew that I knew the answers, and his ego did not need to hear a student who was always correct. He said that the students in the back of the room, who were trying to "zone out" during class were his concern, that he needed to make sure they kept up and succeeded in class, and that they would remain attentive in class. He ttold me that he was likely to call on those students several times a class to keep them "on their toes" (which indeed he did).

Later in the term, he got me involved in tutoring a number of those students as well, which was a great thing for me to do, and one that hopefully helped some of the other students.

I never forgot him, or his technique, and always am amused when I see a teacher always call on those with their hand in the air.

I had two teachers who made a profound influence on me:
10th grade - Mrs. D. Lamore, US History (She teaches her students the importance of being a good person and a good American)
11th and 12th grade - Mrs. D. Rauch, English (I was so lucky to have her for two years... she was the first English teacher I had ever had that treated us like we were adults)

prrthd1987 wrote:I had two teachers who made a profound influence on me:
10th grade - Mrs. D. Lamore, US History (She teaches her students the importance of being a good person and a good American)
11th and 12th grade - Mrs. D. Rauch, English (I was so lucky to have her for two years... she was the first English teacher I had ever had that treated us like we were adults)

James Too bad you werent at LW for Mr. Niz.

Ask any teacher who has been there for about 10 years about him, and they will tell you what a great man he was.

Jahfin wrote:Oops, from the subject line I was thinking this was gonna be a thread about "Mrs. Robinson" type teachers.

Would you believe they are playing Jake's version of Mrs. Robinson on Radio Margaritaville!!!!

Hands down, Miss Lisa Sheffield. She's moved out of state and all now, and she only taught at my school for 2 years, but she was my favorite teacher ever. She had this kind of almost nomadic personality, she had been everywhere and done everything. One thing that made coming to school so interesting was hearing about some experience she had on the other side of the country or something. at the end of my 5th grade year, she was involved with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team in Training program to trek across Alaska. When she was teaching, she explained everything in such a manner that you always felt like you were the only student in the room. Wonder where she's at now...

Without a doubt, Linda Stroud, my High School German teacher. Huge influence in my life, became a great friend and is one of the primary reasons I am where I am.

Jim Casey, my first "real" flight instructor (after my dad). He took me from my initial Private, single engine land to my Commercial, instrument, and multi engine licenses and ratings. He has long since passed and it was years ago but every once in a while I will still hear his calm steady voice guiding me on the flight deck.