Several teachers made a lasting impression on me—although not always a positive one!
Physical education was not my favorite class! But in my junior year, my PE teacher was my favorite teacher. I remember there were several students who called her “mom.” I don’t remember why...likely it was because we felt she cared about us, not just as students but as young women.
I wasn’t particularly interested in American
history, but my 8th grade teacher tried to make it as palatable as possible. He would start each class by reading a passage from It All Started with Columbus by Richard
Armour. If you are not familiar with Armour’s works, this passage will give you
an idea of how much fun this added to our history class:
In an attempt to take Baltimore, the British attacked Fort McHenry, which protected the harbor. Bombs were soon bursting in air, rockets were glaring, and all in all it was a moment of great historical interest. During the bombardment, a young lawyer named Francis "Off" Key wrote The Star-Spangled Banner, and when, by the dawn's early light, the British heard it sung, they fled in terror!
Another
8th teacher is memorable for his irreverent description of Forest Lawn Memorial Park Owl Creek Bridge
And finally, my 9th grade geometry teacher. I was
good at math and I was also precocious enough to correct my elders! On a couple
of occasions, I dared to point out (probably not too diplomatically) that he
had missed steps in solving a problem. Then I “aced” an exam. It came back with
the notation “Do you want to be the teacher?” For many years, I
would not venture a comment in any class that I felt was contradictory to the
instructor’s view.
Teachers impact their students in ways they probably never imagine!
© 2011 Denise Spurlock