I don’t know why this popped into my head, but I wound up trying to decide who was my favorite high school teacher. I couldn’t do it: too many candidates. But let me just name a few of them.
They all had one thing in common–they were enthusiasts. They loved their work and had a blast with their students.They didn’t know how to bore us!
*Dr. Fernandez (Spanish). She went to college with Fidel Castro–and don’t get her started on that subject! Other than that, she was a merry soul and knew how to bring that to her classes.
*Mr. Shepherd (English). We disagreed about nearly everything, but that never stopped him from encouraging my writing and serving as a mentor. I mean, how many teachers would find time to read a novel by some kid, and discuss it with you?
*Miss Haitch (English). After several decades of teaching, she still loved her job, still loved Shakespeare and Chaucer–and she enjoyed our term papers, too (imagine that!). Somehow she got me to enjoy memorizing and reciting Chaucer’s Prolog–and I still trot it out sometimes.
*Mr. Zisnewski (Social Studies). What can you say? Mr. Z. was outrageous, you never knew what he was going to come up with next. His analysis of the British royal family had to be heard to be believed. Oliver Cromwell couldn’t hold a candle to him.
*Dr. Fox (Geology 102). Honorable Mention: had him in college. You could often find him at his office in the Geology Museum, reading messages and updates from scientists all over the world–and he loved to share them with us. He was sort of a legend at Rutgers U.–and deservedly so. He always had extra time for his students.
Of course, this was all in the 1960s. Are there still teachers like this? I do wish I could give Mr. Shepherd some of my books that have actually been published.
If I had to choose my favorite teachers in high school and college, I simply wouldn’t know where to begin. I was blessed by having been at wonderful schools with teachers who knew and loved their fields. That was in the 1950s and very early 1960s. And I do have to add that my high school was a special one that we had to test into, and many of our teachers were also professors at the college that the high school was affiliated with.
Mr. Strange was my senior year in high school American History teacher, the only one to give me an A+ on my report card. I had his wife for my first grade teacher.
I had Mrs. Dennison for first grade and Mr. Dennison for high school chemistry. He gave me a D-.
I had some real gems among my teachers. I was able to thank a few of them, years after the fact.