Some teachers were different. Some inspired our young souls who had no clue about the world around them to follow our dreams, while others had to prove themselves to gain kids’ respect.
In some instances, teachers lost their trust, which was hard to regain. If teachers don’t act as role models, the whole dynamic collapses.
The thread on Ask Reddit gives us a glimpse into the memories of former students of their teachers. Someone asked, “What did that one teacher do to you that you’ll never forget?” Some of the most interesting ones were selected.
1.
We had an annual week-long science trip at my high school. Four people were selected to go each year. I was chosen in my sophomore year and I knew I wouldn’t be allowed to go. I had never been out of the state, never been on a vacation, and never been away from home for more than 24 hours. My parents said no immediately. A science teacher didn’t accept the no. He tried to convince my parents that he wasn’t giving up. When that didn’t work, he came to my house and had dinner with my family to convince my dad that I would be an asset and that he would be doing me a disservice if he didn’t let me go. He sat and ate my mom’s food and talked to my parents for over two hours. He kept following up.
I had never had someone who was willing to bat for me like that before. It was the best week of my life when he wore them down. I had never been to the ocean. I can still remember every detail of that trip 20 years later. It was a turning point for me.
2.
A girl is in high school. The teacher moved me next to her because I was quiet. I asked her out because I thought the chatterbox was cute. We have been married for 54 years.
The most important people in our childhood are teachers. A combination of information-dispensing, custodial child care, and sorting out academically inclined students used to be a part of teaching.
The role of a teacher is rapidly changing, as they rethink every part of their job, from their relationship with students, colleagues, and the community to the tools and techniques they employ, as well as their rights and responsibilities. Judith Taack Lanier is a distinguished professor of education at Michigan State University.
3.
I fooled my way through 4th and 5th-grade math. I hid how to do long division from my teachers because I didn’t know how to do it, but I kept doing it until I got the answer.
My 6th- grade math teacher didn’t know how to divide anything because I was faking it. She had me come in one afternoon to help with cleaning the erasers, and she sat me down and taught me until I grasped the concept. Thank you, Mrs. Gillespie!
4.
My dad was diagnosed with cancer in sixth grade. I was caught copying my friend’s homework because my dad had a treatment the night before and I was unable to do it. She reassured me that I could submit assignments late if I needed to. I saw her again a year or two later and she asked about my dad. I told her that he had passed away and we cried together and I realized how much she cared about reading it.
5.
Freshman typing class was where I was placed as a senior. I put in a lot of effort because I wanted to learn to type, but everyone else was talking and goofing off. In my senior year, I only had two classes in the morning, and the rest of the day I was a waitress. I missed the final because I went to work and didn’t show up. I apologized to the teacher for missing the final when I showed up to class the next day. He asked me “do you want to know the grade you got?” When I replied yes, he said “I gave you an A because if you had been here, that’s what you would’ve gotten.” I always remember that. Thank you, Mr. Wyatt.
6.
A high school art teacher allowed me to stay in his classroom during lunch. I was always given half his sandwich and other extra food because he knew I didn’t eat much else.
Edit: I could grab something between classes if I needed it because he kept a drawer in the classroom with snacks and I never fell asleep after eating the sandwiches, and he never did anything questionable. He was a kind person.
7.
My teacher bought me clothes and sent me to another school because I was too smart to stay there. She gave me my life back after I was in a bad situation, and now I have been accepted into college as a student-athlete, with a nearly full-ride scholarship. I work two jobs, but I have a future because of my scurvy.
8.
We were penniless after my dad deserted us. Mrs. Jones paid my lunch bill all year. She didn’t say anything about it. Only found out later. Bless her
9.
When someone got a question wrong, I called them stupid and the teacher made me stand up and spell it backward. Got it wrong with the pressure and learned from it.
10.
When I was in school, I was anorexic. She told me that I was going to die if I didn’t stop doing what I was doing. My body was going to shut down, my organs were going to fail, and I was going to die.
Sometimes I slip back into that mindset ten years later. I will never forget that. She saved my life.
