This past week I was down at my brother's house and an older man was walking up the sidewalk. since I always talk to everyone I said a cheerful hello to this man. He mentioned he had not seen my brother lately, to which I replied he has been on a vacation. Anyways I said I was the sister and to my surprise this older gent said, I remember you I was your science teacher in 7th grade. To which I replied, I am surprised you remember me as I believe I flunked your class as I could not wrap my brain around all those strange concepts and words, to which he smiled, then laughed with me and said good day and continued on down the street. It seemed strange that he knew me for one and second he remembered me from school. I was not the best student, though I tried hard and studied but still did poorly. Back then after school tutoring went to the best and brightest and the rest fell by the wayside and just got passed grade to grade. However, I dearly thought well of my fourth grade teacher as she was very kind to me. Has a teacher ever remembered you or do you remember a favorite teacher?
On a good day, I can name every teacher I've had, except for some of the college ones. Of course, most of my teachers from elementary and high school are dead now, and I was related to some of them. One of the more memorable was Mrs. Gucky, my third-grade teacher. All along the edges of her blackboards and on high shelves, out of the reach of her students, were toy soldiers, toy trucks, and other toys that she had taken from students over the years. She could point out which toy she had taken from each of my older brothers, when they were in her class. During the school year, she would confiscate toys, marbles, baseball cards, or anything that anyone might be playing with when they were supposed to be paying attention in class. Then, one day near the end of the school year, during the lunch period, she would open her classroom window and throw all the toys out the window, while students scrambled for whatever they could get. She'd keep one toy from some of her more memorable students, which would be on display in her classroom. There were five boys in my family, with a seventeen-year span between our ages, yet she had taught all of us.
Oh sure, I remember all of my teachers- not in person, though, because I'm in a different state and haven't seen any of them in decades. Two passed away within the last year, and at least one is still alive.
Ahhh,.....the teachers! What a "can of worms' for me! Suffice to say at this point, that, I have learned much about the personal foibles of teachers in general over the years. For example, my high-school buddy Charlie, and his retired teacher friend, just finished a week-long visit here with us from Chicago. She is very, very, self-centered, accustomed to only being listened to, looks away when spoken to, while concocting return invective, headstrong but loving in nature, ignorant of imminent outside influence, just simply wrapped up in herself. Good person. But bad for Charlie. My own teachers? 6th grade Science, Mr. Switkin came to our house one late afternoon, to talk to my Mother. No "parent-teacher" meeting bravado here. He told her I should be encouraged strongly to enter into technical studies, college pursuing such study. 6th grade! This guy saw into my mind. Probably the best teacher I ever had, caring, concerned. Alas, though, the teaching profession has today been taken over by the bureaucrats, which entails mindless requirements beneath good intentions, but which won't work, teacher constraints making them automatons to the government, an overall scenario which will drive the youthful college student away from a teaching career. Teaching as a career is destined, IMO, to become a dinosaur, taken over by a bureaucratic convolution of miscreants, each seeking to become the "savior of the children". Frank
At one time I had the same teacher that taught my Mother and her siblings and also taught my older brother and sister By the time I got to her she was nearing retirement but I thank God I came to know her, she was exceptional as a teacher - a bit like judge Judy
Having survived the Catholic school system, I still remember all my teacher's names. They were all named Sister Mary, followed by something often unpronounceable. Most of them I'd rather forget.
'All named Sister Mary' made me laugh and I sure do understand yer post Fortunately the experience taught me that Nuns are not so special afterall ......
I remember those who inspired me - about 6 come to mind clearly and easily, including their names. It's sad really because I must have had over 40 or 50 (maybe more) different teachers over the years.
I remember most of my teachers. One of mine, Mrs. Luellen, sent me a card when I graduated from high school. That was a really sweet thing to do. I am sure she is dead now. I liked another one of mine Mr. Robasky who treated me like an equal. His wife who I had for gym class, was horrible, and he was a real sweetheart. I wonder if they are still married?? My college professors, were mostly unique, and I remember most of them pretty well.
One of my favorite teachers was Mrs. White in high school. She directed me in my first high school production and awakened my love of acting. I discovered that I was pretty good at it and went on to be in college and semi-professional productions. Thanks, Mrs. White.
Odd it may really seem how our brain works with all its complexities and memories. In my case, as a stroke survivor, the disease might have gotten into some of my memories for it kinda work so strange sometimes. I have developed the so-called SML or short memory losses. Although, I've learned how to cope and live with it (I think. lols!) I still get it once in a while. When it comes to memory, mine is kinda sharp still. I am now 52 but I still remember the EXACT name of my first grade teacher as well as my other teachers and classmates in grade school. On occasion and the weirdest part courtesy of my SML was that I don't remember who I have talked with or did 5 minutes ago. Thus, as part of my practice, I keep a notepad by my table where I scribble something that would make me remember the last thing I did. It work for me.
My Teacher story I had a teacher that we just did not get along nor mix, for me to breathe air in his class could be wrong but I got through it, some years later in law enforcement I stopped a vehicle and there was Mr Hill he did not seem to even know me but on his ID plain as day his full name, well now the ball was in my court, I checked him every way I knew how to, his vehicle after consent to search and of given a choice of the dog or me, called another unit in, he was detained and stopped for speeding and a rear light out, both legal. Being very polite and businesslike I informed him the approx cost of 2 violations which he almost sighed then wishing him a nice day and your are free to go, after a long stop checking everything, I could have really cost him but being the better person. The only thing mentioned upon releasing him was you were a teacher were you not? he said yes. Not sure if he ever knew me or not, my satisfaction was knowing what I could have done and did not.
There few teachers that I remember my kindergarten teacher, physical ed teacher, my Spanish teacher and an English teacher. I don't remember all of their names but I remember experiences with them, all good and brings smiles when I wonder about them. It's funny the things that bring them to mind, a color, an activity, writing. In phys ed Ms. Kirtsey taught us how to Indian wrestle. My sister and I had so much fun with that. My Spanish teacher always looked at me in a way that I knew she was going to call on me 'next'. My kindergarten teacher was just plain nice. My English teacher encouraged me to write after I turned in my sci-fi story and received a B+ on it. That I will never forget but I really wanted to write a romance novel. Oh hum.
I had many teachers whom I remember and only a hand full that I wish I had stayed in contact with. One dear lady, my typing teacher is not one of those I was particularly fond of. On our first day she told the girls that if they had long fingernails by the next class, she was going to snip them off one by one. On the next day, she was true to her promise because she had a huge pair of scissors which she went desk to desk cutting off fingernails and smiling the whole time. The fingernail event didn't really effect me very much but when she was finally finished with the girls she turned to me with those scissors and said, "I do hope you are nothing like your father and came to learn to type rather than standing in the hall the entire year". Not knowing if she changed her policy regarding punishment in the hallway or perhaps had another use for those tree trimmers in her hand, I learned to type and passed her course with some amazing grades.