Who is you favorite teacher

This is inspired by Awakening Mystic.

I know who my favorite teacher ever was, I feel very fortunate for the small town school I ended going to a lot.

There was one teacher who did things often very differently. He was my 6th grade teacher, and his name was Michael Williams. A little bit that I know about him is his mother was a somewhat accomplished author, he has at least one published novel called "Door Gunner" I think its a fiction story about viet nam (which he was actually in as a helicopter pilot.) He got out of viet nam with a scrape on his knee from tripping, being shot down didn't give him a scratch. He is one the funniest and most adventuresome people I have ever met, I think he had three kids. He was a survivalist semi-obsessed about the fear of WWIII, and a collector of war mememtos weapons. He was very much not a fan of violence but believed strongly in being able and ready to defend yourself.

This man was so special to me and many others, here is an attempt at a small list of reasons. He would do weird math games with crazy role playing scenarios that I'd didn't understand enough to even explain, but it was cool. I would get a foreign coin which he had tons for every 100% on a spelling test, I then had many. He made sure to find a gross story, really really gorey and gross sometimes (but always in good humor) right before lunch. He ran the chess club, he offered a fencing class (outta nowhere, he just happened to have the maksks and some sabres and foils) boy did I give some welts. He would take kids hiking, caving (yes spelunking, oh ya when we made it to the back, he always suddenly got a case of amnesia and we were forced to find our way back, I found the way), have us make up stories and act out our own movies, which was hilarious, we made an Indiana Jones spoof. A history test of his could involve a giant collection of weapons being brought in and us handling them till we found where they came from and what war they were used in, that was amazing. This man truly loved his students and we loved him. He was involved with just about everything, we met his mom once and she came and read to us, he would always read to us once a day or weak and he usually read a series called "Firebrats" about post WWIII kids surviving, not to just frighten us though, they were stories of adventure hope and survival, maybe a little to scare us but thats just fun.

One day I had my incident when I put a kids head through a wall, he happened to be acting Principal for the day or week, first my teacher came and asked me what happened, he laughed (my 8th grade teacher), then Mike came more serious looking than I had ever seen him, he asked me in a near shocked tone what I would have done if that kids head had been fragile or just ended up broken and I had killed or seriously harmed this kid, wi th the way he said it and the respect I have for this man espescially in a sense his feelings towards violence, I think I cried, but I learned, and I loved and respected him even more, it was a profound moment for me.

One day as a senior in high school which is 20 miles away from my little school, I was living with a friend as I couldn't handle living with my grandparents anymore and so I'm twice as confused as to how he found me, but I recieved a phone call out of the blue with him asking if I wanted to go with him to a bigger cave, one that he doesn't usually take students to and he thought I would be good to go with? I was dumbfounded. How the hell did he know where I was, I think I asked but I forget. It was another cool experience.

Oh, he pioneered our schools 6th grade student exchange with kids in mexico, where our whole class would live there for a week and we'd take some of theirs. My class was the first one.

But alas, if you've been wondering why it seems as if I refer to him in the past tense, yes there is a reason. All this took place in my home of Arizona, I was here in colorado like I am now when I heard, I cried as I'm trying not to now. The news of his death was so unexpected and shocking but paled in comparison to what happened. This guy was a volunteer fire and rescue person, a weapons expert on many levels, a trained soldier and survivalist, he was out hiking or waliking with one of his boys, he had a shoulder (I think, maybe hip) holstered firearm as he liked to have when venturing in the woods, which he never brought with the student trips, he did bring big knives that he taught us to throw though. Anyway, somehow, someway, the gun fell, hit the ground, discharged once.......... and shot the man straight threw his heart in front of his boy who had to run a couple of miles for any help. Out of nowhere and for no good reason one of the best men I have ever known was taken. I have never broken down at the news of anyone's death before, no one except him and my dog.

Awakeningmystic, I hope this cheers you up on the issue of people not remarking on the good. I have great respect for teachers, and even more so to the ones that can connect.

well i dont have an amazing story like leftwood, but many many teachers have inspired me over the years and ill take a moment to name the ones that jump out in my head.

Mrs. Ferguson (1st grade)
Mrs. Johnson (2nd)
Mrs. Hatchet (3rd)
Ms. Oakleaf (4th)
Mr. Schiola (5th)
Mrs. Steeples and Mr. Kulvany (6th)
Mrs. King, Ms. Cooper and Mr. Howarth (Jr.High)
Mr. Kreegan, Mr. Menefee (High School)
Mr. Ryan (College)

sorry if i butchered anyones name

i have been so fortunate to have so many wonderful teachers over the years!

"sorry if i butchered anyones name"

I doubt you have to worry, if there is something teachers are bound to have a great sympathy and understanding of, its butchering peoples names, every year they get to do it over and over again. As a way of meeting people during a period of trying to develop a trust and connection no less.


Names that stick out for me for list purposes would include

Mrs. Smith 3rd my first teacher crush
Mr. Wendt, for being so awkward and having such an odd accent, OK peopo, and his fasination with "Hoosiers", but had me read bridge to teribithia and charlottes web, and taught me that if you toss a pebbo into a pond it will make waves. And he actually suggested hugging trees, and looked like Herman Munster in as an accountant, go figure.
Mr. Hood Music, I think I said somewhere before how he got me and a friend of mine started into playing music, its actually a pretty interesting story (though I don't think I've ever told it well) again because of such randomness leading to such inspiration.
There are a couple others whose names I can't remember at the moment.

Mr. Collorusso, my HS biology teacher was perhaps one of THE coolest teachers around. He help us when we needed help, let us skip tests in his class so long as we studied for those tests and let him know how the makeup test was. He was an all around helpful guy, and I will never forget his class and what he tought.

My 1st Teacher Crush was my other HS Bio Teacher, Ms. Stroberg...she had a body that wouldent quit...
2nd Teacher Crush was my Spanish Teacher, I forgot her name but she was HOT.

Easy, my sensei, he was also my best man at my wedding.
What a fiasco that turned into so why dwell on bad times.

PS In going to college, I had an excellent US Government/History teacher, He had to be! I don't recall his name but I was really pissed to have to (required) take the course. Funny thing I found I really enjoyed his class, not only did I do the required reading but even started doing the optional work. Came to class prepared & all the rest of it. Still don't like government but I found his class interesting.

Pat Cahill is a name I was trying to remember, kind of a second mom for a while, or only mom at the time I guess.

Gosh, I can't remember way back then.

I think that who taught you to how to read should be one of your favorite teachers

I.E.: The teacher that taught me how to read is called Cristina Machado, I won't forget her

That is the easiest question possible for me. My favorite teachers and I have two favorite are my Elementary school science teacher and my past chemistry teacher. They both have done so much for me in the past. They know who they are. Unfortuneately the year in which I was graduating elementary school, my science teacher was forced into an early retirement so I never got to see her again or speak to her again. *frown* This brings me to my chemistry teacher. At the beginning of the year, she seemed so special and i didn't know why, I was longing for an answer and went from extremely active to very shy. Then near the end of the year, I found the answer at my old elementary school when I visited, and met two past teachers i knew. I then realized why my chemistry teacher was so special. She was a lot like my elementary school scienece teacher, and she broght me closer to the past that I missed so badly. It seems like the past should be forgotten, but the past is the key to all of us and our inner child. My chemistry teacher did so much for me as did my elementary school scienece teacher. It was hard to let go after i left elementary school, but now for at least another year or two I can hold on longer thanks to my chemistry teacher, or rather past chemistry teacher. And don't look at me like i am crazy but they are my favorite teachers and I love them a lot!! But the best part is, I have contact with my chemistry teacher so my past never has to die.

I don't have a favourite teacher and if I did it would be a games/sports teacher; at least they encouraged me and promoted competition which is honest at least. Teachers did more harm than good I am sure. There are a few I liked though. Lecturers....now there are good lecturers.

My all time favorite teacher is my art teacher. He's the best there is and he's helped me sooo much in developing my skills. He just has this totally laid back attitude and ppl can just drop by anytime they want or when they want to skip and we're trying to stay away from our teachers.