698 Comments »

1. Michelle said,

   March 19, 2010 @ 10:58 am

   Mr. Bell my high school Chemistry teacher.

   One word – thermite

2. Amy said,

   March 19, 2010 @ 10:58 am

   Mr. Cerveti – Just because I remember him teaching us that “Math is Fun” in junior high. I believe that it takes a special person to teach junior high.

3. Susan said,

   March 19, 2010 @ 10:59 am

   My favorite teacher was Mr. Akers for high school math. He was a great teacher – it didn’t hurt that he was young and cute as well!

4. Carolyn said,

   March 19, 2010 @ 11:04 am

   Favorite teacher had to be Ms. Zonies in 8th grade. She thought everthing I did was wonderful..and gave me a pair of tickets to a Philadelphia Flyers game!

5. Kay said,

   March 19, 2010 @ 11:10 am

   My favorite teacher was my 2nd grade teacher Mrs. Campbell. For the life of me I can’t think of any other reason right now except that our reward for getting all our spelling words right was a pencil with an eraser. That was the first time we were allowed to use an eraser. Awwwww, the simple things…..

6. Erica said,

   March 19, 2010 @ 11:11 am

   My favorite teacher was Mr. Fisch for high school Algebra. He let me read books during his lectures and didn’t push group work. He also filled out the forms to get me into an honors class at the last minute during scheduling. He was part of the reason I became a high school Math teacher myself.

7. Jennifer said,

   March 19, 2010 @ 11:12 am

   I think it would have to be Ms. Scott, my 11th and 12th grade English teacher. She always made me look forward to what we were going to read next as we progressed through the decades of the 20th century!

8. Erynn said,

   March 19, 2010 @ 11:14 am

   Ms. Harpel, one of my middle school English teachers. She was so much fun and loved her students. We would all hang out in her room before school started.

9. Paulette said,

   March 19, 2010 @ 11:15 am

   Mrs. Dankers, senior year, literary teacher—both learning about great literature, as well as writing skills. She was a pretty tough teacher, but when you did earn a good grade it felt great! You knew you really earned it! She taught us alot of life skills—proper etiquette, etc — as well. Quite a memorable teacher!

10. Ginny said,

    March 19, 2010 @ 11:16 am

    Mrs. Lorz, my 7th grade teacher. She encouraged me to study German in Summer School and I discovered that I love learning languages. Also she taught me how to take notes.

11. Kelly S said,

    March 19, 2010 @ 11:17 am

    I really liked a lot of my teachers…I guess that’s one of the reasons that I always liked school. The teacher that had the most influence on me was my high school Chemistry & Physics teacher, Mr. Roush. Most of the other students found him boring and made fun of the stories that he told year after year, but I really enjoyed his love for science! When I was a freshman in a Physical Science class with him, he told me that I had a real mind for science and would make an excellent Chemist. That kind of thing sticks with you, and I eventually went to college and earned my degree in Chemistry.

12. Kerry said,

    March 19, 2010 @ 11:18 am

    It’s really hard to choose a favorite because I had so many great teachers growing up. What a great problem to have! I guess if I have to choose I would say Mr. and Mrs. Fogarty. He taught Earth Science my freshman year of high school and did it with an enthusiasm that was out of this world. He kept us interested and was always there when we had questions and needed help. He was kind and patient and FUN. She taught high school math (I think 10th grade) and was every bit as amazing as he was. She had a way of teaching that made learning easy. They still live here in town and I still get to see them from time to time. And I still have a great deal of respect and love for both of them to this day.

13. Robin said,

    March 19, 2010 @ 11:22 am

    My favorite teacher was Miss Aaron. She was strict, treated everyone the same, and taught my favorite subject–History.

14. Gena said,

    March 19, 2010 @ 11:22 am

    Mrs. Harmon, first grade. I was very shy and she was kind.

15. Mary A said,

    March 19, 2010 @ 11:23 am

    Mrs. Bryant,a first grade teacher, made me feel normal even with full leg braces fifty plus years ago.

16. Jen T. said,

    March 19, 2010 @ 11:24 am

    My favorite teacher would probably be my librarian in elementary school, Miss Freedman.

17. Jen said,

    March 19, 2010 @ 11:24 am

    Many of my top ten teachers were math teachers; they all saw more math potential in me than I believed at the time — and now I’m an accountant! However, my absolute favorite teacher was my Chinese teacher in high school, Ms Hsieh. She was always supporting our interest in Chinese culture with dumpling parties and extracurricular seminars on brush painting, calligraphy, and Chinese philosophy. Xue Lao Shi, wo hen xiang ni!

18. JoAnn-WI said,

    March 19, 2010 @ 11:28 am

    I had an American Novels teacher my senior year in high school. She was awesome, and if it wasn’t for taking her class, I probably would have never read The Grapes of Wrath and other classics.

19. Jen said,

    March 19, 2010 @ 11:28 am

    my 4th grade teacher, Mrs. Snyder, was by far my favorite. I didn’t always do well with the monotony of classroom assignments and she recognized this and found alternative options for me that were more challenging but more interesting. She set me up with my first research project, so I credit her with setting me on the path to eventually get my PhD and become a university professor where I get to teach and run a research lab.

20. Micki said,

    March 19, 2010 @ 11:28 am

    Mrs. Poduska in 4th grade was totally my favorite! She was always full of energy and got us really excited about science.

21. kittyfish said,

    March 19, 2010 @ 11:31 am

    Favorite teacher – Mrs. Malecion, 4th grade. I kept in touch with her until she died at age 97 a few years ago.

    My worst teacher ever, 8th grade math, had one of the biggest impacts on my life. He actually told me that I was “just a stupid girl” and should give up and take a D in the class. “Well, I’ll show YOU!” I got a tutor and started getting A’s on every test. He accused me of cheating several times until he had to be reprimanded by the principal.

    I’ve had a career in mathematics for 25 years – not so bad for a “stupid girl”!

22. Beth said,

    March 19, 2010 @ 11:31 am

    My second grade teacher, Mrs. Mange, was my favorite. She had a way of knowing what each student needed and made them feel special. From what my Mother has said, I had a rough time with my teacher in first grade but loved my second grade teacher. So much so that when my Father got a job out of town we did not move until after the school year was over so that I would not have to leave her class. My dad lived alone and came home on weekends for several months just so I could finish the year with my wonderful teacher. She truly had a gift.

23. Lilie said,

    March 19, 2010 @ 11:32 am

    My favorite was my 3rd Grade teacher too! I can’t remember her name but she let me teach the class to fold a paper crane. I ended up being a teacher too (grades 8 to 11 though).

24. Joni said,

    March 19, 2010 @ 11:35 am

    Mrs. Warner — who had the most amazing butterfly collection that she used in science. I think the whole class adored her. Once a year, she invited the entire class to her house to watch “The Wonderful World of Color” (Disney show for all you young ones) on her color television since most of us didn’t have color tvs at home.

25. Joanne said,

    March 19, 2010 @ 11:36 am

    Mr. Don Carrier, who was my 8th grade Algebra teacher. He was awesome!

26. Ann Rose said,

    March 19, 2010 @ 11:38 am

    My favorite K-12 teacher was my junior high and high school choir teacher, Mr. James A. Taylor of Bellevue High, Bellevue WA. He worked us all hard, expected a lot, but after a concert or a song during a concert, he’d give us a little smile and a thumbs up that the audience couldn’t see, telling us he was proud of us, and just that one little gesture made it all worth it. Really innovative teaching styles, too — we learned via the sole-fledge scale” (spelling?) — everything was initially translated into do-re-mi when we started learning a piece, and then we’d memorize our parts and perform without the sheet music. I can still recall, 20+ years on, most of the alto parts for the songs we sang.

    Favorite undergraduate professor? Tim Hansen, American Literature professor who opened the door for my pursuing disability studies. then kicked me through it into graduate school. Love you, Spud.

27. Marie said,

    March 19, 2010 @ 11:38 am

    My high school business teacher – taught shorthand, typing, accounting and business practice. She really went the extra mile to make sure that everyone felt included and was “getting” the subject matter. Her door was always open if you were having a problem or just needed someone to talk with. She was an all round great human being first and foremost and a very talented “TEACHER” as well. Unfortunately I also ran across a ton of people who never were and never will be a “teacher”.

28. Abby M said,

    March 19, 2010 @ 11:40 am

    Mr. Durst from Wausau Newman High School. He only taught there 2 years (I think) but made a huge impression on just about everyone that had him as a teacher. He taught history and civics and psych. I loved that he taught us to push ourselves and think critically about current issues and not just believe what out texts said about everything.

29. suzanne said,

    March 19, 2010 @ 11:40 am

    My orchestra teacher, Mr. Kellner. I had him for 6+ years through middle and high school, plus all of the school productions. He was the soul of patience, and the stability of his class really helped me to survive high school. I am sure that the administration hated him, yet he kept going and teaching and encouraging us. I will be forever grateful.

30. mellenknits said,

    March 19, 2010 @ 11:41 am

    I was lucky to have some really great teachers starting in elementary school and running all the way up through high school… Looking back, I can pick out different teachers and recognize the small things they each did that made me feel special as a young person, and helped me to grow into a more independent learner and a more confident person overall. I think my favorite teacher was the one who treated us kids the most like adults…Mr McCann ran his HS English class as if it were a college course, and treated us accordingly. He was also slightly batty, but that just added to the fun!

31. Debbie B said,

    March 19, 2010 @ 11:43 am

    My favorite teacher was when I was in the 6th grade. She used to bring in her guitar on Fridays and we would sing. She allowed us to have puppet plays and I was kind of a teacher’s pet. I used to go to the office and run copies on the carbon copier (dating myself, I know) and bring the erasers outside to clap together. I loved school and enjoyed going everyday because I loved her so much. I wish I could go back and thank her and tell her how much she meant to me.

32. Kathy said,

    March 19, 2010 @ 11:43 am

    My favorite teacher was Mrs. Ringo at Sunnyside School in New Castle, Indiana. She taught me how to knit! I was nine years old and my favorite yarn at the dime store had about every color in the rainbow in it. The bright color combo is still my favorite, as you can see from my “Spring Forward” socks in the Loopy Ewe gallery. Some things never change, I guess. But I often think how much different– and less fulfilling– my life would be if I hadn’t spent the fourth grade with Mrs. Ringo.

33. Jane said,

    March 19, 2010 @ 11:43 am

    My English teacher, Mrs. Hurst, in 9th grade who taught us an appreciation of poetry and Shakespeare that has always stayed with me. I hope I was someone’s favorite English teacher or history teacher in some way also. Even though I am no longer a school teacher, I am still a teacher!

34. Amy said,

    March 19, 2010 @ 11:44 am

    My favorite teacher was Mrs. Brown, my high school art teacher. I had her for four years (she was the only art teacher at my school) and I loved her. She let you be creative and made you want to make things. She really brought out the best in her students.

35. Pamela said,

    March 19, 2010 @ 11:45 am

    My sixth grade teach, Mr. McGrew was my favorite. He was a rookie that year, and so got to make all his mistakes on us. It was my first male teacher, and although I was afraid to have a man teacher at 12 years old, he was wonderful, and put those fears to rest very quickly. The best part was that he allowed us girls to comb each others’ hair during class!

36. Bonney said,

    March 19, 2010 @ 11:45 am

    My favorite teacher ever was my kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Mayer. Her son was friends with my older sister so she really looked after me; especially those first few weeks when I threw a crying fit for the ages when my mother dropped me off. She taught us French and we all learned to play a simple song on the piano. And those fat crayons? And finger painting? And Dick and Jane? Nothing was ever so exciting!

37. Kathy said,

    March 19, 2010 @ 11:47 am

    Mr. Thomas my h.s English teacher (a former actor who always reminded us he was in the original cast of the Fantastiks, yes, along w/Jerry Orbach!) He required us to write at least 500 words a day, on whatever we wanted. For me this was a dream assignment, instilling discipline and forever banishing “writer’s block.” It has served me well my entire working life as a journalist.

38. Laura said,

    March 19, 2010 @ 11:49 am

    Mrs. Green – 2nd Grade She always pushed the class to do their best, had us memorize the 23rd Psalm as well as our multiplication tables and loved us. She also shared her love of birds and nature. Our class took a field trip to a local park to pick out the different species.

39. Lisa in Los Angeles said,

    March 19, 2010 @ 11:50 am

    Mrs. Brockner in 6th grade. She was so creative and a tad unpredictable. She team-taught with another teacher and for math class, we learned geometry by assemblng dodecahedrons; we square-danced inside at recess on bad weather days (and she picked the most complicated ones she could find!); and had us all learn a new word every day. I also remember her teaching us about nutrition and saying, “Now, if you’re diving out of an airplane at 20,000 feet and your parachute doesn’t open, don’t come crying to me, ‘Mrs. Brockner! I’m eating a carrot!’ ” (Imagine the “carrot” part said with the Dopler effect – car-roooooooooooot!”

40. Suzie said,

    March 19, 2010 @ 11:51 am

    Miss Neal, one of my 6th grade teachers, was my favorite. She planned such fun things! My teacher with my favorite name was Mrs. Vanderslicer, my chorus teacher.

41. Marji said,

    March 19, 2010 @ 11:52 am

    My favortie teacher was Mrs. T who taught me math in grades 7-1. I would select my courses by what she was teaching and when and fit everything else around that.

42. Elizabeth D said,

    March 19, 2010 @ 11:52 am

    Mrs. Mack, 3rd grade. She brought in an electric oven and we baked bread, and we covered the windows with waxed paper to give us an idea of what kind of light came into a pioneer cabin.

43. Bonnie H. said,

    March 19, 2010 @ 11:57 am

    I have two favorites: My first grade teacher, who was my teacher again in third grade, Mrs. Girton. She was just SO nice. And then I loved my high school algebra teacher – his teaching methods were just so wonderful and worked very well for me.

44. Julie Poole said,

    March 19, 2010 @ 11:59 am

    My favorite teacher was Mrs. Curry, 2nd grade at Forest Hills Elementary in Florida. We had just moved from Georgia to Florida, and all the kids thought I was some dumb hick. Mrs. Curry really took me under her wing and made me feel special
    Thanks, Mrs. Curry!

45. Sheri said,

    March 19, 2010 @ 12:01 pm

    My favorite teacher was Mrs. Police. She always took the time to help me with whatever I needed.

    Sheri from KY

46. Aimee said,

    March 19, 2010 @ 12:03 pm

    Mrs Alford was my favorite teacher. I learned how to knit from her during 6th grade recess. And she sparked my interest in science, which led to my career today.

47. Lisette Luchini said,

    March 19, 2010 @ 12:03 pm

    Mr. Lumien in college for History. He made the class so very interesting and would be available if you needed extra help. Do remember the ruler in grade school. Sister DeSales used it several times on my hands. Don’t know iif it was the times or a nun thing. Did finally make me pay attention though.

48. Nancy said,

    March 19, 2010 @ 12:06 pm

    I have 2 favorites, Mrs. Hild, my fourth grade teacher. She’d always read to us for 15 minuites in the afternoon. Sounds kind of silly since we all new how to read of course, but there was something about how she read and her enthusiasm and her ability to capture the mood of the story that gave us all a great love of reading. She also put up a large poster board with columns and our pictures pasted on the left side. After we finished reading a book on our own, we would make a tiny book cover, print the name of the book on the front and paste it next to our names and watch all year as the line of books read got longer and longer.
    My second favorite teacher was Mr. Miller, my English literature teacher in high school. He was amazing. He gave me a love of writing.
    And yes, Sherry I had plenty of those ruler wielding nuns I’m sorry to say. If only they realized how wrong they were. Perhaps they were treated that way in school when they were children. Thank God that kind of behavior is now taboo.

49. Kata said,

    March 19, 2010 @ 12:07 pm

    My favourite teacher was my art teacher from 9th-11th grade, Mrs. Musto. Shes a teensy Asian woman with glasses and a firecracker! She was so talented and inspiring, she taught me so much about opening up my creative forces. I really adored her so much!

50. Julia said,

    March 19, 2010 @ 12:09 pm

    I was lucky to have several great teachers. One of them was a math teacher – strict but fair. She was encouraging, demanding and very kind. I am forever grateful to her.

51. Min said,

    March 19, 2010 @ 12:09 pm

    Mrs. Milby. She was my Biology, Botany, Anatomy & Physiology, and Animal Development and Behaviour teacher in high school. And she also went to hockey games with my family. She mentored me through some of the toughest times in my life, and I can’t imagine high school without her.

52. Cindy said,

    March 19, 2010 @ 12:09 pm

    Mr. Mardel, my 11th grade science teacher was my favorite. He was a first year teacher, and he related to the kids in his class and connected in a way that no one else had before. He made it fun, interesting, and really compelling.

    On the other hand, my worst teacher was my first grade teacher who made me put tape over my mouth for talking too much, and when that didn’t work, locked me in a closet.

53. Carol D in Zion, IL said,

    March 19, 2010 @ 12:09 pm

    I think my favorite teacher was my third grade teacher, Mrs. Gerth. Third grade was a traumatic time for me–I discovered that I needed glasses (I wondered what people were talking about when they talked about the stars and the moon in the sky!!) and being that my last name started with “W”, I was seated in the back of the class–we all sat alphabetically in order then (you know, way back then–lol!!) and I couldn’t see the chalkboard. Anyway, Mrs. Gerth recognized that I was “sight-challenged” and I thank her for recognizing it.

    My worst teacher was my high school geometry teacher, Mr. “what’s his name” (glad I can’t remember!!) Geometry is a difficult subject to grasp, and it would have help that the teacher spoke clear English. I think he was on a visa from Italy. His accent was so thick–every other word was italian. Maybe he was teaching Italian Geometry!! Anyway I got a D in Geometry–at least I passed.

54. Sandy said,

    March 19, 2010 @ 12:10 pm

    My favorite teacher was Sister Mary Jean. She taught math in 9th and 11th grade and made the entire experience a pleasure. I remember that she used to have a tennis ball that she would bounce onto the desk of anyone nodding off during first period. You weren’t punished. Just had to stand up and fetch the ball and give it back to her. That woke up a person! She had a sense of humor and a zest for living that she gave to all of us. What a gift.

55. Shannan said,

    March 19, 2010 @ 12:11 pm

    Mr. Bruch – He was my middle and high school band director/teacher.

56. Alex said,

    March 19, 2010 @ 12:12 pm

    Ms. Talbot was a high school physics teacher. She was witty, fun and inspired both genders toward her subject.

57. Issy said,

    March 19, 2010 @ 12:12 pm

    Mr Pullen. I was 11 yrs old at Roebuck Junior School in Stevenage England. Awesome teahcer. Treated boys and girls as equals, even when it came to punishment!! Enough said !

58. Kim said,

    March 19, 2010 @ 12:17 pm

    Miss Jackson. She was my 6th grade teacher and I remember on one piece of work I did she wrote “this may be good enough, but it is not good enough for you.” She recognized a huge problem in me and really motivated me to do better.

59. Jocelyn said,

    March 19, 2010 @ 12:19 pm

    I’m lucky, I’ve had several, but three stand out. Mrs. Lynn, who was my sixth grade teacher and who read the most amazing books to us (I still think that The Phantom Tollbooth and Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry are two of my favorite books ever), and who always saw things in students that they didn’t see in themselves. And Fr. Vaughan who taught English and Composition in seventh and eighth grade. Man, did he teach me how to write (and to this day, I still find myself unable to use the word “thing” in a paper because of him). He actually performed our marriage for us years later. And then in college, it was Professor Barber; I took one class in linguistics with her and changed my entire career. I think it’s safe to say that I’m a college professor today because of them.

60. Karen W. said,

    March 19, 2010 @ 12:20 pm

    My favorite theacher was Mrs. Schrank, who I had for both 2nd and 3rd grade at Anza Elementary School in Torrance, CA. She was a bit avant garde and I thought her completely glamourous. She had the knack of making all of her student feel special.

61. Laura said,

    March 19, 2010 @ 12:21 pm

    I love this contest, as I’m going to be a professor next fall! I’ve always loved teaching, probably because I’ve been fortunate enough to have some amazing teachers. My favorite was definitely Mrs. (now Dr.) Chamberlain, my 5th grade teacher. My love of reading began at a young age, but she really cultivated it (I think I had Anne of Green Gables memorized by the end of that year). We constructed a plastic “bubble” inside the classroom (with plastic sheets and a fan) and had classes in there some days. She taught me that I really could do logic problems–in fact, that I loved them! We performed Macbeth that year, and she directed me as Lady Macbeth. I have so many memories from that year, as do many of my classmates. About eight of us went back to see her when we graduated from high school.

    My current favorite, though, has to be my advisor. I’m one of those crazy fortunate people who is in a doctoral program with the best advisor in the world. He’s taught me so much–not only about my subject, and about writing, but just about being a wonderful person in the world. Dr. Black, I’m so grateful.

62. Ali said,

    March 19, 2010 @ 12:22 pm

    Dr Morgan, my 6th form (age 16 through 18) physics teacher, because she was unrelenting in her ambition to have me do better and better. I got a physics degree because of her encouragement. She was small but fierce, ruled the classroom with absolute control, and we loved her.

63. Rani said,

    March 19, 2010 @ 12:22 pm

    Mrs. Julien – my 6th grade teacher. She made school fun, safe and fair.

64. Cindy said,

    March 19, 2010 @ 12:22 pm

    I was fortunate to have mostly great teachers so it would be easiest to pick my least favorite! Only one stands out as bad, whereas there are at least a dozen I can think of that were great. Mrs. Sewell made me love school in kindergarten when I wasn’t too sure I wanted to be there. Mr. White and Mr. Walk were two of the most creative social science teachers, who really started me thinking and using my own mind to learn. Mrs. Dickinson, my German teacher, instilled a love of all things German. I leave it at that but I feel guilty for all the others that I really loved as well.

65. Lauren J said,

    March 19, 2010 @ 12:23 pm

    Mrs. Carlson. I had mono in third grade close to the end of the school year. She really helped me get through the grade so I could keep moving with my friends….and she kept TONS of pets in the classroom!

66. Robin said,

    March 19, 2010 @ 12:24 pm

    Ms. Hanes, my third and fourth grade teacher. An unfailing kind women, who liked to get her kids interested in school. Plus she had an awesome classroom:) Fishtank, reading area with beanbags and art area.

67. deb said,

    March 19, 2010 @ 12:24 pm

    My favorite teacher was Mr. Ward, my high school biology teacher. He always made learning a fun experience.

68. Kelsey said,

    March 19, 2010 @ 12:24 pm

    My favorite teacher was Mr. Greg Brown of A.J. Dimond High! He was my art history teacher (though he more notably taught AP Euro, Honors History etc) He inspired me and was the best kind of teacher, the kind you never wanted to disappoint. He could get his kids to accomplish so much and still love him at the end.

69. Jane said,

    March 19, 2010 @ 12:24 pm

    Mr. Knaack, my 8th grade science teacher. He had a lot of kids of his own so I think he related really well to the students because of it.

70. Brenda J said,

    March 19, 2010 @ 12:26 pm

    I had three teachers in a span of four years who were tops. They had high standards for us and yet made us each feel special, Mrs. Schafer, Mrs. Came, and Mrs. Huckaby. I’ll always remember the “trip around the world” that Mrs. Came hosted in 4th grade. A world traveller herself, she put together slides and a souvenir shop and a whole host of experiences for us.

    We arrived at school the first day with our bags literally packed, just to learn how it worked. We went out to the lunch area for our “flight.” Then, over the course of the next few weeks, we had a different adventure every day. Someone fell off a bit of Hadrian’s wall and broke his arm. We had lunch at the Tour d’Argent. We went through Checkpoint Charlie. We had “money” we had to change in each country. What an experience to offer fourth graders!

    Thanks to all the teachers at Myron B. Green Elementary in San Diego. I recall each of you and bless you for the great start you gave me! (In addition to the above there were Mrs. Newman, Mrs. Malik, Mr. Strom, Mrs. Wichary, Mrs. Kenshalo, and Mr. Eppler.)

71. Frances said,

    March 19, 2010 @ 12:26 pm

    I had a lot of really fantastic teachers. One who stands out most is Ms. Townes. She taught high school English and Art. She was artistic and alternative and she was not afraid to express who she was. She didn’t just teach us the material, she really encouraged us to be creative, to think for ourselves and to challange the status quo. She really opened my mind up to the fact that there were infinite possibilities. She also did not laugh at my horrible painting.

72. Janice said,

    March 19, 2010 @ 12:26 pm

    My favorite teacher was Mr. Weber. He taught Government and actually made it interesting. Even more important we knew he really cared about us.

73. Kat Jorgensen said,

    March 19, 2010 @ 12:29 pm

    Mrs. Louise C. Frasier was my all-time favorite teacher. She was also the hardest, most demanding teacher I ever had. She was my favorite because she nutured my creativity and inspired my love of writing. Long after I was no longer her student, she sent me a book of Tennyson poems just to let me know that she was thinking of me.

    I still remember our final exam (3 hours). 3 questions. All essay. Everyone else groaned. I was in heaven.

    Thanks, Sheri, for giving me a reason to think about Mrs. Frasier today.

74. Helen said,

    March 19, 2010 @ 12:30 pm

    I had several favorites but the one I remember the most was Sister Rose Vincent from 2nd grade. Isn’t that a great name? She must have been in her 60′s by the time I had her. She was all business but she loved the children she taught.

75. Lya said,

    March 19, 2010 @ 12:30 pm

    Teacher Peggy, in Kindergarten. She taught me how to read and would give me a book if I could pull it off the shelf and read it to her without a mistake. She also used to walk us to City Centre every week or so and buy us lollipops from Laura Secord. I have very fond memories of her and love reading to this day.

76. Kiki said,

    March 19, 2010 @ 12:31 pm

    Hands down it was Mr. Worley. I had him for American History in jr high and then again in High School. He was the first teacher who made me feel like I was a smart PERSON, not just a kid. He never talked down to us and expected a great deal of effort and thought in his class.

77. kitrin said,

    March 19, 2010 @ 12:36 pm

    Mr. Dennis, who was my choir teacher all 4 years of high school. Mainly because through all the turmoil of my teenage years, I sought refuge in music and singing was the one thing I felt confident and competent at.

78. LittleWit said,

    March 19, 2010 @ 12:36 pm

    Mrs Hancock – 5th grade, she handed me my diploma when I graduated from HS. Miss Dorl – 3rd grade, Katherine – English TA freshman and senior year, Dr Kim and Dr White – Political Science Profs, Dr Richter and Dr Booth – History professors. I’ve had lots of excellent teachers and I rather enjoyed school most years.

79. Melody Bryan said,

    March 19, 2010 @ 12:37 pm

    Mr Gannon – 7th grade Holy Rosary Catholic School – he was the only lay teacher I had there and I was scared to death of those knuckle cracking nuns – y ou seemed to remember that too. Nothing against them – I rec’d a wonderful education while there but he was funny and light hearted and was the boys basketball coach and I was a cheerleader so it was just a fun time to remember back on ! HUMMMM Wollemeise – don’t guess I’ll ever get any – pick me pick me !

    thanks Mel

80. Wendy Wadge said,

    March 19, 2010 @ 12:39 pm

    It’s not quite Spring here, expecting 6 – 12″ snow today, already have about 3″. But that’s Colorado in the springtime!

    My favorite teacher was Miss.Dickinson. She taught English at my high school. We don’t have grades in the UK but I know I was 11 when I went into high school, so that’s when I first met her. She was very strict, very stern looking but very, very good at teaching. I always loved writing and I did so well in her class.

    At the end of term she would have us push our desks to the sides of the room, and made us play paper hockey indoors, using a rolled up piece of newspaper for the ball and cardboard poster tubes for the hockey sticks! It was so funny and regularly the teacher from the next classroom would come in and ask us all to be quiet!

    I always wanted to write a book and while I haven’t done that…………I do have my blog!

81. Wendy said,

    March 19, 2010 @ 12:39 pm

    My favorite teacher was my 4th grade teacher, Miss O’Keefe, who encouraged me to write. And I haven’t shut up since then.

82. pattie said,

    March 19, 2010 @ 12:40 pm

    my mom was my favorite, as I look back I often think things she taught, whether she meant to or not, were the ones that made a difference in my life. Knitting. Knowing when to stick up for myself. Knowing women sometimes aren’t treated well, that I could help change that.

83. Molly said,

    March 19, 2010 @ 12:41 pm

    One favorite was a grad school prof I had, Dr. Krute. Amazingly and kind of scarily smart (linguistics/grammar) but very cool and helpful. I also loved a history prof. I had in college, Dr. Kuroda. Another brainiac, but really accessible. I know…I put two. Hope that doesn’t disqualify me, but it’s really kind of a tie

84. Karin said,

    March 19, 2010 @ 12:42 pm

    Mrs. Bear 2nd grade in Doylestown Pa. She was big and cuddly and fit her name.

85. Jen said,

    March 19, 2010 @ 12:42 pm

    Enjoy the weather today. Here in the Chicagoland area the forecast is about the same.

    My fav teacher was my hs Spanish teacher. He was super hilarious and made learning fun and all that. And, he actually has gone on to become really good friends with my parents, so even though I have been out of high school for a long time, I still get to hang with him. But this time, with beer!

86. jaci said,

    March 19, 2010 @ 12:44 pm

    Mr. Burgess was my favorite teacher. I was lucky to have him for math in 8th grade and he changed how I felt about math. I finally felt successful. He moved to the high school the next year with our class and I was lucky to have him again in 9th and 10th grades.

87. Natalie said,

    March 19, 2010 @ 12:45 pm

    My favourite teacher was Mrs. Niesiobedski. She was my Gr. 4 teacher and I have so many more memories from this year than from any of the ones around it – reading The Hobbit, Lloyd Alexander’s Chronicles of Prydain, math exercises, making pottery, reading about Cleopatra, learning about Greek & Roman mythology, memorizing In Flanders Fields. I learned so many interesting things.

88. Carrie said,

    March 19, 2010 @ 12:46 pm

    My favorite is a tie between my 2nd grade teacher, Ms Erikson, and my anatomy teacher and football coach in high school, Mr Gleave. Oh! And my AP English teacher Mrs Ringen…haha I have so many favorite teachers as I really enjoyed all of elementary and high school, its hard to pick just one!

89. Clara said,

    March 19, 2010 @ 12:48 pm

    My favorite teacher was my 4th grade teacher, Ms. Campbell. She was so smart and worked us hard, but so nice in many other ways. She was such an inspiration and she truly enjoyed her students.

90. Channon said,

    March 19, 2010 @ 12:48 pm

    I don’t know that I can pick just one! 5th grade… Mrs. Venning. Took literature to a new level for me with The Cay & The Hobbit. Middle school… Mr. Murray. Made dead poets awesome. High school… Mrs. Bailey. Tough as nails and full of love. College… Sr. Helen James John. Made classic philosophy a lifelong passion – and my major.

91. Brenna said,

    March 19, 2010 @ 12:52 pm

    Mrs. Sexton – She was my high school photography teacher. She taught me how to love photgraphy and take (and develop) great photos! We even went on a trip to Europe during my senior year. I wish there was a way I could get in touch with her as I would love to catch up!

92. Diane said,

    March 19, 2010 @ 12:53 pm

    I had a favorite in High School named Ms. Khoury…..I went to a Catholic School and she was one of the 1st lay teachers I had…and made us think outside the box…

    Rulers……I never learned piano because I couldn’t stand the constant wacking on my knuckles…I am so happy my children did not grow up in this hostile environment…….my son had a great guitar teacher, and still meets with him every Thurs just to Jam…….my son is 26 his teacher/friend 52……..

93. Debi said,

    March 19, 2010 @ 12:54 pm

    My college Calculus professor. I liked him so much that I married him.

94. Andy said,

    March 19, 2010 @ 12:54 pm

    My favorite teacher was Mr. Greenleaf, who taught algebra and higher math courses at my high school. He encouraged me in math but also to pursue my interests instead of merely accepting what others had planned and expected of me. When I was a junior, he asked me to sit in on the Algebra II class in a teaching-assistant role; something never done at my high school before and giving me a taste of teaching.

    I almost always liked all my teachers and instructors, all the way from elementary grades through graduate school. But now, looking back, it’s often the ones I disliked the most who taught me something difficult but ultimately important.

95. Kate said,

    March 19, 2010 @ 12:55 pm

    Mrs. Swenson in 3rd grade! With a very close second to Mr. Olson, my 11th grade Western Civilization teacher / Student Council advisor.

96. Diane said,

    March 19, 2010 @ 12:55 pm

    My favorite teacher was Mrs. Fanelli – my high school art teacher. I was able to take art as a major as I had hopes of going to a college of art (which never happened – long story) I was able and very fortunate to have her for a teacher for 2 years in a row. She was fun, very inspirational with each of us – encouraging us to improve and try new techniques and things. She knew what each of us was capable of and saw us as individuals with individual styles and gifts. It was a treasure to have had her in my life and I learned more than art from her. Her son’s were the same age (she had twin boys) and we were friends with them as well. And I remember Mrs. Fanelli’s husband coming by the school sometimes (he was a free lance artist) He would tap on the classroom window to say “Hi” to her. Was good to see how nice the entire family was.

97. Jeanne said,

    March 19, 2010 @ 12:56 pm

    My 7th grade life science teacher…because I still remember her “pithing” a frog. I think I became a biology teacher partly because I thought that was so cool! I don’t do that in my classroom, but as a 7th grader…it was COOL!! (I wish my over-worked brain could remember her name!)

98. Orghlaith said,

    March 19, 2010 @ 12:59 pm

    Mrs. Clay was my third grade teacher. She was small, round and formidable. I was a terribly shy little girl. My first and second grade teachers had decided I was slow and did not bother working with me. But Mrs. Clay gave me a love of reading and I bounced from far-behind to leading the class. I will be forever grateful to her. She really did change my life.

99. Amy said,

    March 19, 2010 @ 1:02 pm

    My favorite teacher was Freshman Chemistry with Mr Zebel. He made chemistry and experiments exciting and fun!

100. Rachael said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 1:03 pm

     I had Mrs. Hartman, and she was almost the only teacher I had through elementary school. I had her in some capacity every year from 2nd-8th grade. Homeroom 2nd-4th, and 8th, and the other years I had her for science classes. It’s a good thing I liked her, I guess. 4 years after I’d last seen her, my name was in the paper because of my SAT score, and she sent me a congratulatory note along with a bookmark. The bookmark was recently retired, as it was getting rather worn and I didn’t want it falling apart.

101. Erin said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 1:06 pm

     I’ve liked most of my teachers, but the name that came to mind for favorite was Dr Lachman, who taught high school chem. I had him two years; one for sophomore chem and then again junior year for AP chem. He really set me up to succeed through all my college science courses (which I had a lot of, majoring in engineering!). I -still- use his problem solving methods.

102. Mette said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 1:07 pm

     I had one teacher that I remember with thanks. I had bad grades in math when I changed mathteacthers back in 9th grade. I thought I just didn´t have the brains for numbers, and there was no way I was able to get a good grade. This new teacher turned that around, building my confidence and teaching me how to use numbers. I am very grateful for that.

103. regina said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 1:09 pm

     Arthur Feinberg, who was my freshman English teacher at the Bronx High School of Science. His appearance belied his gentle nature: he was built like a professional football player — a wall of a man, with enormous shoulders and hands, and a bit of a perma-scowl. However, he was the most sensitive, sweet man, and though I was always a passionate reader, he helped me to go outside of my comfort zone and read (and love) challenging books that I would never have chosen without his guidance. Of course he introduced us to classics that all high schoolers read: Vonnegut, Salinger, etc. — but he also got us to read Anthony Trollope and Thomas Mann and Henry James, and got us to really appreciate them. I loved going to class every day.

104. Annette said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 1:12 pm

     Mr. Perry – third grade. He had a way of engaging all of his students and making learning fun.

105. Bev said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 1:13 pm

     We moved so much when I was in school that I had more teachers than I could ever remember. One of my favorites was my 8th grade history teacher, Mr. Hudson. He was very difficult but fair. He was such a good teacher that you always tried to do your absolute best.

106. Syd said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 1:14 pm

     My favorite teacher was Sister Stephens, she made learing fun and was a heck of a Volley Ball Coach! My favorite memory of her was when she brought in a roulette wheel to the class room for our math class! Or when she had the class make space ships out of boxes that at least 4 kids could fit in. In addition to that she let me talk to her about my family problems and her love and concern helped a very confused and upset young girl (me).

107. Maria said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 1:16 pm

     My high school math teacher.

108. Beth said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 1:17 pm

     Mrs Sirna
     1st grade, she held me on her lap at recess, as I cried for my mommy.

109. Jennifer said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 1:18 pm

     Mrs. Fore, my government teacher. She made an impression on me because she cared about her students and made a difference in their lives.

110. Tammy said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 1:18 pm

     Mr. Elbert at Parkview High School. I had him for Algebra I, II, and Trig. He inspired me to become a teacher, but then when I did my student teaching, I decided that wasn’t for me. He always went out of his way to do the best for his students, and when my grade was coming up through the ranks, he and Mr. Smith went back to take a college trig class to prepare for us; until then we didn’t have math options beyond Algebra II.

     And we’re supposed to get the snow starting Saturday night, so you can blame us for sending it your way!

111. Rachael said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 1:20 pm

     I have had SOO many great teachers! I am listing them for myself here and I have 30 names written down!! One I think of often is Mr. Seig for AP Calculus. He was amazing at teaching accountability. He did not grade homework, but every person in that classroom learned how important it was to work through anyway! He was big on pointing out how concepts built upon each other – a favorite phrase was “Hellooooo Chapter Three!” (derivatives!) My husband and I still use the phrase “Hellooooo Algebra!” whenever we can sneak it into conversation.

     Mr Parsons was probably my favorite – AP Literature. I got my very first C in his class (I had only received A’s up to this point) because he expected very different things from his students. His class was HARD – no tests – you had to demonstrate comprehension skills through special projects and classroom activities. I ended up with my A, but this is probably the class where I learned “how to learn.” No memorization, only thinking for yourself. He had a lot of pressure put on him to change his curriculum to something more standard and mine was the last AP class he taught. He saw my graduating class through our ceremonies and then left to teach with his wife at the brand new elementary school. Those are the luckiest kids in the city!!

     And I have to mention Mr. Hayes – I thought history was the dumbest topic ever until his class. He told us we did not have to memorize dates – only learn timelines and cause and effect. That completely changed my perspective on the world and now I LOVE history!

112. Holly H said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 1:21 pm

     Mr Demontigny, my grade 5 science homeroom teacher. He didn’t make me feel weird for being a girl who was interested in science and math!

113. Debra I said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 1:21 pm

     Mrs. Christianson, my high school English Lit teacher. She was very enthusiastic about her subject, didn’t tolerate any monkey business in class but wasn’t overly strict, and had a very warm heart. I think she was such a fine teacher because she welcomed all of her students and even the most uppity kids respected her. Those were the days when we’d have field trips to San Francisco to see a play. That was so cool!

114. kelly-ann said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 1:22 pm

     In 8th grade, I had this teacher called Mrs. Brumfield for math. She was quite stern and you had to be in class a whole minute before the scheduled time or you were late – very odd and strict. Anyway, she caught me chatting one day and moved me to the very front of the class. After that, I couldn’t help but focuse on math…I excelled and loved it. In fact, I ended up getting a Masters in Math and a PhD in Engineering – I like to think Mrs. Brumfield had something to do with setting me on the right road

115. julie said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 1:22 pm

     Well, there was that really cute economics TA that I had in college (A foreigner with an accent none the less!)…… But, I guess, really, I would have to say Mrs. Peale – my third grade teacher who I will always remember because she did such great projects with us AND was just about the nicest teacher ever.

     And as a (preschool) teacher myself, I have to say that I AM looking forward to Spring Break which is next week. I am hoping for a little extra knitting time

116. Christy S. said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 1:23 pm

     Mr. Vitale, our high school history teacher. He had to be the most eccentric teacher in town, but he was a great teacher and made history interesting. Class was never boring. And not least, he introduced his students to Moxie (tasty fizzy beverage) and Chester Greenwood (inventor of the earmuffs) every December!

117. Janie said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 1:25 pm

     Mr. Badger…college journalism professor. Was a great, great teacher!

118. kelly said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 1:26 pm

     Mr. Davis, my college architecture history professor…gah, i miss college.

119. Michele in Maine said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 1:27 pm

     I was lucky to have lots of good teachers throughout school. Two of my favorites were Mr. Fisher, my 11th and 12th grade English teacher who encouraged me to apply to his alma mater (because no one from my high school ever had, and I did get in and go there); and Mr. Siedenstucker, my high school history teacher who made history so interesting I eventually majored in it.

120. Kim in Seattle said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 1:37 pm

     My favorite teacher was Mr. Knebel, my high school science teacher. He had a very special way of making us all feel like adults….a very big deal in those difficult teenage years….and this gave us all the motivation and drive to always do well in his class and make him proud.

121. Joannah said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 1:38 pm

     Mrs. Parker, my 5th grade teacher. My family moved ALOT when I was a kid. I was shy and school was torture because it meant always meeting new kids. Mrs. Parker helped me feel like I fit in to the class. She was really good at figuring out what my interests were and turning me on to how education could expand those interests.

122. Jessi said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 1:41 pm

     Miss Elder, my 2nd grade teacher, who was also my 5th grade teacher as Mrs. Walker.

     This is going to sound funny, but as a 2nd grader I loved getting her as my teacher, because she was the prettiest and nicest of all the teachers. LOL. But she was also a really good teacher who made class really interesting. But I don’t remember too much about elementary school to know why it was interesting.

123. Karin said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 1:43 pm

     My favorite teacher was my high school geometry teacher. He made me realize it was okay to be a math geek! Not cool but okay.

124. Miranda said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 1:44 pm

     Mrs. Ognosanti was my favorite teacher in 3rd grade. She was so wonderful and really helped me hone and develop the love of books I have today. She was always praising me and encouraging me to try new things.

125. DebbieO said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 1:46 pm

     Greatest teacher ever? Mrs. McGinnis. I took American Studies, Western Civilization, and Anthropology from her in high school. Not only was she an incredible teacher, she came up with the best “educational” activities. For example, for the annual creek clean up, the Anthropology class formed a “tribe”, complete with garbage bag garments and a trash bag dance. Love that woman!

126. Seanna Lea said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 1:48 pm

     I loved most of my teachers. I think it comes from being a geek.

     My favorite math teacher was Mr. Greer, who tried to get everyone in the class to remember what the parts of the triangle were called in geometry. He described the way the legs met at the vertices, and you had to be pretty dense to not get a sense of where he was going with that! I was the last class he taught the traditional way with proofs. The following year the students were doing these huge tesselation drawings.

     He was also the teacher that proved to me that my mother could not help me with math. It had officially become beyond her.

127. Jenna S said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 1:48 pm

     My favorite teacher was Mrs. Cwidak, who taught 11th grade AP English. She really challenged us as learners and prepped us for college and life beyond high school.

128. Sarah (potterknitter) said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 1:49 pm

     My favorite teacher was my 5th and 6th grade english teacher Ms. Croom. She was wonderfully alternative in a way that meant that her contract wasn’t renewed after two years! She taught us to think for ourselves, and not to worry so much about what others thought. 20 years later and 8 years after her death many of us still reminisce about our time in her class.

129. Angela said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 1:49 pm

     Mr. Burrows (but do gym teachers count?).

     We lived in a small town so he was there when my parents brought me home after finalizing the adoption when I was 3 months old. He pulled out a loose tooth for me in grad school when I couldn’t gallop without it hurting (after a call to my mom first of course to make sure it was ok). He taught me how to hit a fast pitch softball and cheered me on in every sport I tried. He wrote the best recommendation I have ever read when I was applying to colleges that I actually cried when I read it.

     Yup – Mr. Burrows for sure!

130. Lauren said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 1:49 pm

     My favorite teacher was Mrs. Fanstaski-Davis. She was my freshman biology teacher in High School and made me realize that I can have fun with science.

131. karen monroe said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 1:50 pm

     My favorite teacher was my 12th grade advanced English teacher. She opened my eyes to writing and literature. Karen

132. JulieM said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 1:51 pm

     Dr. Nina Cole, my fourth grade teacher. I was moved in to an accelerated learning class with all new kids. She made each of us feel a part of the group and brought out the best in each of us.

133. Holly said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 1:55 pm

     Mr Willis, high school math in Woodbridge, Va. He was retired military and a wonderful teacher. He taught us statistics by counting the chips in Chips Ahoy cookies and counting the color distribution in bags of M&M’s. Perfect for teens, eat and learn.

134. Arlene said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 1:55 pm

     Has to be Mr. Wade – my 6th grade teacher when we were stationed at Ft. Devens, Massachusetts. He was my first non-female teacher (I guess that makes him a male!), and he was just so sweet and kind – meant a lot to a kid who changed schools every year (sometimes twice!)

135. Hannah said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 2:01 pm

     Mrs. Lillian Aschenbach was my favorite at Pine Grove Manor Elementary School in New Jersey. She was a lovely, sweet woman. I have always remembered her with such fondness.

136. Doris said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 2:02 pm

     I had a lot of very good teachers, and my favorite was Mme. Bilsky, my French teacher. I had her for all four years of high school and she was great. She was tough, but made us want to learn French. She lived in Manhattan while we lived on Long Island and therefore was very glamorous. She would meet us in the city on a few Saturdays each semester to take us to cultural events outside of the limited field trips we could go on in high school. We saw a Moliere play on Broadway, ate in French restaurants (only ordering in French of course) and to the ballet. She gave us so much more than our classroom time. I hadn’t thought of her in a long time. I’m glad you asked the question!

137. Charissa said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 2:04 pm

     My favorite teacher was Mr. Fosse in 5th grade. We learned American history by acting it out – I still remember Erik the Red discovering North America from the jungle gym.

138. Katherine said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 2:07 pm

     My favorite teacher was my high school theater teacher Mr. Taylor. He really helped me to get over my stage fright and made being on stage actually fun.

139. Rita said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 2:08 pm

     I remember most of my teachers, but I especially loved Mrs. Riddle. She made AP Calculus fun. She taught with great clarity and enthusiasm. There was always that look in her eyes…of truly wanting us to love calculus as much as she did. To prep us for the AP exam, she scheduled study session on weekends, on her own time.

     Dr. Sheehan was an incredible professor too. She saw potential in me and was elated when I declared as a math major. Sometimes I wonder how my life and career would have changed had I stuck with it.

140. Suzanne said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 2:09 pm

     My Art teacher, Ms. Johnson. I always looked forward to her classes… she inspired all her students and made painting fun!

141. Carolyn said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 2:09 pm

     Mr Young, band director. We all had such fun in band.

142. Jen said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 2:17 pm

     Good question! My favorite teach was Mrs. Sherwin for grade 9 English and History. She was just. awesome. period. She cared about what she taught, she tried to make even the driest of dry stuff relevant and in general, was one of the few teachers who really cared about you learning that stuff.

     Even better- she could go OFF on a dime, screaming at a poor student- but she did it because she cared. Maybe I liked her because she never screamed at me? Haha

143. Brooke said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 2:19 pm

     All time favorite teacher: Mrs. Bowen at Brentwood Academy in Brentwood TN. She was my french teacher in 4 years and had a way of making her students really enjoy learning another language and learning it well. We still keep in touch on Facebook ) My least favorite teacher, who will remain nameless, liked to give us Calculus pop quizes on material that hadn’t even been covered in the homework or classes yet. She thought it was funny. Everyone always failed them completely, but she still counted the grades! On the bright side, I guess it taught me to accept that life is not always fair ;o)

144. Kim said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 2:21 pm

     Mrs. Glenda Thomas – 5th grade teacher at Isador Cohen Elementary in Sacramento, CA. She was the sweetest woman and made me feel special in a time when I didn’t feel like I was anything (elementary school was a tough time for me). My least favorite teacher was Prof. Cruz at UC Santa Cruz. He was my organic chemistry teacher first quarter and you could tell that he wasn’t there to teach, he was more interested in his research. The guy couldn’t explain things well to save his life.

145. Marianne Y said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 2:22 pm

     I had a number of wonderful teachers while I was in school. I don’t know how to classify one as a favorite, though. I will say that several of them taught me a ton in high school: Mr. Behrens, my AP Physics teacher taught me how to break down problems to solve them easily, no matter what subject they are in. Mrs. Seine, my AP Chemistry teacher was awesome, and had a hand in my becoming a Chemist. And, Mrs. Comstock, my Geometry/Trig teacher was awesome, as well, in helping to lay the very important foundation in math, that I later used in Calculus. I had other really good teachers as well. I also had a few who were good teachers, but made us work like the very dickens in their subjects. And then, there was the jr high middle school English teacher who dropped my conduct grade because I threw a piece of notebook paper in the wastebasket from the back of the room, and made it, ugh!

146. vismajor said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 2:23 pm

     I was so fortunate to have many memorable & wonderful teachers. It’s really difficult to choose just one, but here goes…

     Mrs. Franey, junior high literature – I always finished my classwork & tests early, so she let me borrow her huge copy of Grimm’s Fairy Tales to read until the rest of the class was finished with its work. At the end of the year, she gave it to me with this inscription: “To Amy – Remember that magic is everywhere!” I still have that book.

147. Heather said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 2:28 pm

     For me it would be Mr. Connard, my high school chem teacher. I loved chemistry and wanted to major in College, but he kept saying, “No! Go into food science!” I took his advice, and I gotta tell you, it was good!

148. Josiane said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 2:28 pm

     I’ve had so many great teachers, it’s really hard to choose! But my second grade teacher was just fabulous. We had a reading house in our classroom, and we learned through various unforgettable activities. He went on to teach in an alternative school, and really I should have gone to such a school too, as his methods were perfect for me.

149. Jessica said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 2:30 pm

     Mrs. Barden was my favorite teacher, and I was lucky enough to be in her class twice (3rd and 6th grades)! She had kind, twinkly eyes and would read to us after lunch, recognizing that full bellies made sleepy students. She was really great at changing her voice to match each character, which woke us up and got me so involved in the stories that I sometimes couldn’t wait through the weekend to find out what happened next; I’d go to the bookstore and devour the rest of the story before class on Monday!

150. Ann said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 2:32 pm

     Mr. Smith – my Latin teacher. He helped me develop confidence.

151. Rhian said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 2:33 pm

     Mr Noden, my technology teacher. I enjoyed the subject, but also really enjoyed just chatting to him while doing coursework at lunchtimes. He was very like my Dad!

152. Sue J. said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 2:38 pm

     My favorite teacher was Mrs. Betty Porter, my 11th grade English teacher. She instilled in my a love a reading. She exposed me to good literature: Twain, Hemingway, Faulkner. She gave be the ability to tell good literature from junk. And, she never gave up on a student. Tests were taken over over until everything was correct. She would stay after school every afternoon for students who needed help. Come in early in the morning. During the year I had her, she and her husband lost their beloved daughter to a tragic auto accident. She was in the grade behind me. All of us just assumed Mrs. Porter was done for the year. Two weeks later she was back in the classroom. She said her daughter would have wanted it that way. She was an amazing woman.

153. tamara said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 2:38 pm

     I really loved my astronomy teacher in college, when I look at a clear night sky I still like to try to pick out the constellations.

154. Larissa said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 2:38 pm

     My favorite teacher in high school was Miss Hughesdon. She taught French and German (maybe even English lit) – at one point, in my senior year, I had her for 3 or 4 classes. That was because she was letting me take German 1 and 3 at the same time, as well as French. She believed I was a capable student and held me to high standards – I appreciated that even then, and more now.

     I also remember she always knew where to find me! When I was late to class my senior year she came down to the senior lounge and “reminded” me that it was time for class…The Young and the Restless would have to wait!

155. Nancy said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 2:42 pm

     Miss Greenwood was my English teacher in high school and did more to assure our success in further education than any other teacher. She had us writing constantly–all types of papers and critical essays about books/stories etc. After I graduated and went on to school cannot tell you how many kids were not ready for all the writing assignments; but, thanks to Miss Greenwood I didn’t have to worry about that.

156. Cindy (maxfun) said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 2:44 pm

     Mr. Crawford, who taught mechanical drawing and crafts. I was the only girl in his mechanical drawing class and the boys were ruthless. Once he caught them harrassing me and quietly picked up two chalkboard erasers, went behind the main offender as he was working on his drawing, and soundly clapped the erasers on either side of the guy’s head. Then he told him to learn how to treat a lady or get out of his class. Ah, the good old days. Plus, he taught me how to tool leather and etch copper. Those were my favorite high school classes.

157. marianne said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 2:46 pm

     my favorite teacher was Mrs. Dawson in 6th grade. her teaching style just clicked with me.
     thanks for this giveaway!

158. Eunice said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 2:49 pm

     Miss Dykstra was my 5th grade teacher. Later we were neighbors and her youngest daughter and mine became great friends.

159. Jody said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 2:51 pm

     Mon Dieu – my favorite was my 10th grade French teacher, Mme. Edwards! She was so vivacious and fun-loving. The first week of class she announced that she would teach us all of the French swear words because she knew that the boys would never pay attention unless she got the “nonsense” over with. She was right, and it worked. We had one of the highest-graded classes she had ever taught. She was the main reason that I went on to major in French in college.

160. Cindy said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 2:52 pm

     Mrs. Brallier my junior year French teacher was the best ever. The class was fun and she got to know me as a person. She was soft spoken yet had command of the classroom and made learning fun.

161. sara said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 2:53 pm

     Arno R Minkinnnen.
     Photography teacher & mentor for me.
     His work is beautiful

162. Susan said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 2:55 pm

     Miss Murphy my first grade teacher. She put up with me (I can be a smartass) and taught me to READ. I haven’t stopped reading since. These were the long ago days when you learned to read in first grade, not in kindergarten like they do now.

163. Sue Apple said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 2:57 pm

     My favorite teacher was Ms. Weber, my 3rd grade teacher. She instilled in me a love of reading. She was the first to point out all the adventures you can go on when reading a book. She had a reading contest each year and I was the winner in my class – over 50 books – the prize, a handmade bookmark that I still have tucked away in my treasure box.

     Gee Sheri, I didn’t realize you grew up so close to me. That Catholic school wouldn’t be Mount St. Clare, would it? There were some mean nuns at that school!

164. allison said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 3:00 pm

     My favorite was Mrs. Edmier in 1st grade. She had a life size Gumby outside her classroom, 6 ft tall. Not sure why she was my favorite, but I always remember her fondly.

165. Dawn said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 3:01 pm

     Does a principal count as a ‘teacher’? I changed towns the summer between 3rd and 4th grade. The principal of my incoming school – in my current town- was WONDERFUL! I was a nervous nelly, spent my first few moments throwing up in her office from nerves after my parents left me there!
     She took me and gave me a tour of the school, introduced me to my teachers. I could go on, but I clearly remember her words at the end of the tour “You CAN do this!” That is a phrase she taught me that has stuck with me all these years.

166. ABitterKnitter said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 3:03 pm

     I have had many wonderful teachers… how about a list? Mrs. Ragland (2nd grade- I probably did more art than anything else in that class, but I loved it!), Ms. Welte (3rd grade-We got to do a lot of science… I still remember lessons from her class.), Mrs. Jonesrebandt (7th & 8th grade choir-Not only was I part of the chorus, but I also got to experience being an accompanist and assistant director.), Mrs. Higashida (8th grade computer science-She fueled my love for computers and pushed me, when most teachers were content with just ok.), Mrs. Bell (9th-12th grade choir- Again, not just in the chorus, but so many other opportunities), Mr. Thuleen (12th grade physics- Probably my most favourite academic class in school. Gravity at work!), Mr. Raymond (12th grade English- I credit him with my ability to write well.) Prof. Estes (history- the only time I have taken history and it hasn’t been total torture.) Prof. Ahlers (linguistics- Her classes introduced me to linguistics, which I now love!, and constantly make me think and learn. Easily the most intellectually stimulating classes I’ve taken.)

167. Kristie Hammond said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 3:07 pm

     My favorite teacher was Mr. Bowman, my math and science teacher in high school. He was strict, and more than once slammed the yard stick down on his desk to get our attention, but he he really knew his stuff. More than that, he knew how to convey that knowledge to us. I give him total credit for the fact I was able to go on and get a math degree. Sadly, he somehow seemed to miss passing on basic counting skills though. If I could count to 4 properly I would make far fewer knitting mistakes!

168. Donna said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 3:10 pm

     Mrs. Turturisi, my 2nd grade teacher.

169. Ellen said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 3:11 pm

     Mr. Hodges, a math teacher, who inspired me to major in math in college. Thanks, Mr. Hodges!

170. Wanda in AR said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 3:16 pm

     My favorite teacher was Mr. Smith. He was my kindergarten and 1st grade teacher. Back in the early 70s, he believed that small children so learn a foreign language, so we used to learn Spanish. In 1st grade, I knew the Pledge in Spanish and could have a conversation in Spanish. But then, we moved to a different town and my Spanish left me. How I wish I could speak Spanish today.

171. Kristin said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 3:16 pm

     I can’t pick a favorite teacher. I had so many of them. I’d have to say that it would have been either my 10th grade English teacher (who taught me how to write papers and love Jane Austen), or maybe my high school instrumental music teacher. Even though he was a percussionist by nature, he went out of his way to make sure that he learned techniques to help me excel on my flute. He comments on my performances at church still. A Mr. Holland’s Opus if I ever saw one!
     PS – then there is my late early instrumental music teacher, who was wonderfully patient with 4th grade instrumentalists! He made me love the song, “Sweet Caroline.” I thought we were hot stuff when we played that number in band!

172. Alexis said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 3:18 pm

     My fave teacher is a current Professor of mine. His name is Karl and his “Pagan Culture” class (on the Greek god Dionysus hence the name) is what got me to change my major into Classics. He makes you think, you make him think and every now and then he tells you to blow off class and get a glass of wine.

173. Jeanne said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 3:21 pm

     Sister Rose-Marie, my 1st grade teacher. She always gave me great reading material and math workbooks. She left the school when I entered 2nd grade and I continued to correspond with her while she was on a mission in South America. The cards and notes dwindled down to Christmas and birthday cards until I was in high school, when I received a letter from the bishop that she was one of the Catholic nuns who was kidnapped and killed in Central America. She was truly a lovely woman – I’ll always remember her.
     I have other fondly remembered teachers from various stages in school, including college, but none so influential as Sister Rose-Marie.

174. Patricia said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 3:23 pm

     Mrs. Toner. She was my third grade teacher and she taught me to love to read. Amazing how you remember after more than 30 years.

175. Alison said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 3:24 pm

     My high school chorus teacher was many students’ favorite! She made us strive for excellence.

176. Cathy said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 3:25 pm

     My favorite teacher was my 3rd grade teacher. Her name escapes me right now, but she was really nice!

177. Karen said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 3:30 pm

     Definitely Mrs. Giozzi!!! She was my second grade teacher at CTK in Yonkers in 1972 and she was wonderful. When we were learning how to write, she broke us into groups and had us write stories with conversations (one character for each person in the group). And all the while, her artist husband was in the back of the classroom doing something mysterious. After lunch, she had us all make paper bag puppets of our characters and then we put on puppet shows for each other in the amazing puppet theater he had built for us out of a refrigerator box. What she really taught me that day was that no matter how mundane a day may seem when they start, they all have the opportunity to become pure magic. P.S. She is still teaching (kindergarten these days) in Yonkers. I think I’ll go visit her next week.

178. MAKW said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 3:33 pm

     Ms. Manser, my 4th grade teacher. I just remember how hip and cool I thought she was. I don’t remember much about what she taught us, just that I idolized her

179. Lynne E. said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 3:37 pm

     Miss Volker, my 2d grade teacher. She was infinitely patient in teaching reading and cursive writing. There are others whose faces I remember vividly, associated with various grades, but their names have faded away.

180. Bad Mommy said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 3:38 pm

     Fave: Mr. Griffin (high school history) – He really pushed me. He gave me the first C I had ever gotten on a paper and when I arrogantly challenged him on it, he told me all the reasons it was only worth a C. I never took much for granted after that and I’ve certainly worked harder ever since!

     Least Fave: Ms. Maughm (4th grade) – Even at age 9, I knew snotty and mean when I saw it! I seriously believe she just did not like children. Lord knows what she was doing teaching.

181. Kjirsten said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 3:42 pm

     Mr. Prugh – high school political science and history – His classes were always interesting and he made us look at world events from a global prespective, not just through the eyes of our parents or our own limited experience. He was an amazing teacher.

182. Windy Brown said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 3:44 pm

     My favorite teacher is my college Anatomy and Physiology teacher, Dr. Wolin. She is great at explaining things in ways that anyone can understand. Even students that are back in school after 15 years.

183. Margo said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 3:46 pm

     Ms. Smith – High School French. She was so chic and Parisian as well as a fantastic teacher.

184. Sara said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 3:48 pm

     Mrs. Stavely, my third grade teacher. She took us on cool field trips and figured out I needed glasses and taught us about the environment when it was still called conservation. I wish I could tell her how much of what I learned from her is still part of my daily life.

185. Diana said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 3:48 pm

     I loved all of my Greek and Latin teachers in college–Mary Kay Gamel, John Lynch, Gary Miles (I don’t call them “Mr.” or “Ms.” because I went to college in the 70s in California and we were all about the first names).

186. Vicki H said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 3:50 pm

     Mrs. Webb — HS shorthand teacher. A great teacher and made things practical. I still use occasionally when I don’t want people to be able to read my notes!

187. Tiffany said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 3:52 pm

     My favorite teacher hands down was Mr. Stallings. He taught my English class for 6-8 grade. It was an advanced studies class so we met separately than the rest of the school and had the same teacher all three years of middle school. My 6th grade year was his first year teaching and he was a natural. Great with the students, taught us a lot, and made it really fun at the same time. What made him stand out above the rest though was his genuine caring for his students and his commitment to our education. He took the time to find out what was going on in our personal lives and to be there as a mentor and advisor as well as a teacher. He had some frustrations with the school itself and the administration which I don’t know the details of, but he wanted to leave the school often during his tenure there. However, he had made a commitment to my class that he would stay until we finished and went on to high school. He fulfilled that promise and our last year was his last year at the school. He’s continued to keep in contact with us over the years and even traveled back to attend my high school graduation after he had moved to NC. He will always be the epitome of a great teacher in my book!

188. Robin F said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 4:01 pm

     My favorite teacher is my mom, she taught me to knit, to cook, to sew, to love unconditionally and how to mother my own kids. She is a great role model and has aged gracefully. She even taught me how to accept failure and disappointment. To Moms everywhere.

189. Denise Lindstrom said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 4:03 pm

     Mr Connor, 8th grade geometry. He made it all seem so easy, and us less dorky.

190. Susan said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 4:08 pm

     I had so many great teachers. In 1st grade Mrs. Mertig was very kind. In 4th grade Mrs. Glen took the time to help me with math. Mrs. Smith, our librarian, gave me a 1st prize in an art contest. Mr. Cherry, our 8th grade social studies teacher, referred to us as ‘scholars’ which made us all feel very special. Mrs. Cox in high school home economics who contributed greatly to my love of knitting and sewing. In college when I was ill and thought I was going to have to drop out Mr. Steinberg helped me limp through biology….and many more that I could name.
     Thanks Sheri for the trip down memory lane.
     Susan

191. paisleyapron said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 4:09 pm

     Mrs. Drennan, H.S. English teacher and drama coach. A fantastically dedicated and patient woman who not only took personal care of me and my teenage-angst troubles, but helped us put on top-notch productions. May she rest in peace.

192. Michelle said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 4:09 pm

     My favorite was Mrs Ninehouse in the sixth grade. She actually recognized how good I was in math and let me jump ahead so I wouldn’t get bored.

193. Carol said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 4:14 pm

     My favorite high school teacher was Mrs. Smith who taught English. She taught more than the course. She was some one who welcomed students to pop in at her house and believed in our ability to do anything when no one else did.

194. Peggy said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 4:15 pm

     What a wonderful question. Teachers don’t have it easy, in the US at least, and yet they are so important. Mediocre and bad teachers are common, so when you get a good one, you savor the experience. Mine is Mildred Alpern, who taught high school European History from a social and feminist perspective. She was engaged in her subject and was a vivid, personable classroom presence and yet also good one-on-one. Because of her, I took 2 years of European History (1st yr required, 2nd elective).

195. Wannietta said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 4:17 pm

     Mr Gower was may fave teacher, though it took a few years later to realize it. He never let me off easy, always expected more and never stopped challenging me to get me to put out my best work. Yeah, I mostly hated him in grade 8, but he set me up well for high school!

196. Emily said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 4:18 pm

     Mrs. Jones all the way. She was my British Literature teacher, and she just had a great repoire with the students.

197. MJ said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 4:25 pm

     My 11th grade English teacher, Mrs. Diaz. I already loved to read, but she just instilled such an enthusiasm for the classics and made her classes come alive.

198. Jenny T said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 4:27 pm

     Actually, my favorite teacher was my piano teacher, Mr. Twineham. He made playing the piano really fun, and after a “break” of almost 15 yrs (mainly because of the lack of a piano), I got back to playing again when I turned 30, and still play 10 years later.

199. Virginia said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 4:28 pm

     Mrs. Hinzman was my favorite teacher … high school English and she convinced me I COULD be a writer. And I am!

200. Heather said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 4:29 pm

     I would have to say I had alot of great teachers but the one that sticks out the most was Mr. Moore. He just made learning fun!

201. Susan said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 4:35 pm

     Mr Kleyboeker ,10th grade physics. Affectionately known as Uncle Scooby. He never made me feel inadequate despite my very obvious trials and tribulations with Physics. I liked him so much I asked him to be my high school advisor.

202. Marla said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 4:36 pm

     First fav teacher was Mr. Petersen, 5th grade – he was the first young teacher I had, and I had a huge crush on him – good looking young man. Last fav teacher was Mrs. Browning, 12th grade English lit teacher. I liked her because she got me interested in and able to enjoy so many of the classics I would have never read on my own – Shakespeare, Silas Marner and The Scarlet Letter.

203. Amanda said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 4:36 pm

     Mr. Howe, one of my high school history teachers. He’s the only teacher that gave a grade I earned, rather then what was felt I deserved.

204. Deb said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 4:39 pm

     Hands down, no question, Jerry Wadden, 12th grade AP English. He was inspirational. You wanted to do well to earn his respect. At the end of the year, all of his classes got together, and as a surprise for him, we wrote and performed a play incorporating all the characters from the books we’d covered during the year. He truly is one of those great people you are privileged to know.

205. Joanne said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 4:46 pm

     My favorite teacher is my art teacher – Suzanne Stevens. I love the way she pushed me. Not necessarily at the time.

206. Stephanie said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 4:57 pm

     Oh my – I have a tie. My favorite teacher in high school was Mr. Noble, who taught American Literature. He pushed when he needed to and he was inspirational. My favorite professor in college was Mike M, who told me what I was capable of in terms of a career, and then talked me out of it – for which I will be forever grateful!

207. janna said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 5:03 pm

     My second grade teacher Mrs. Harvey. One of my favorite things about her was that she would read aloud to us every day-that was my first exposure to Little House in the Big Woods and The Swiss Family Robinson and other books I still remember very fondly!

208. Melodie said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 5:03 pm

     My favorite teacher was my High School accounting teacher Mr. Poet. That was also my favorite class, at that point I wanted to be a CPA but halfway through college I switched to IT.

209. Melissa said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 5:04 pm

     I, too, was fortunate to have mostly wonderful teachers throughout school, but my favorite was Mr. Scherff, my band director. He was a wonderful man who loved his job, loved music, and loved sharing his knowledge with us. He was killed by a drunk driver way too young but he touched many lives while he was with us.

210. Linda said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 5:04 pm

     Mrs Stanton, third grade teacher, always let you stay after school and clap the erasers. Remember that??? And Mr. Strecko for science in middle school, and I didn’t even like science.

211. Lauren said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 5:12 pm

     I have lots of favourite teachers!! Going back in time, I loved my botany lecturer (at uni) Paddy coz he was such a great guy & treated us more like friends then students. Before that my maths teacher in college, Margaret, was just *lovely* and she thought I was lovely as well, I never missed a class until near the end of the school year, my cat had kittens and I was up all night with her, and as a result slept through my 8am class the next day. She called me *at home* because she was so worried, as it was so out of character for me to miss class! So so so sweet.
     Going back in time a little further, in high school I had an awesome french and english teacher who used to wear wigs (had her scalp badly damaged in a car accident) that changed every season, and big fancy glasses like Dame Edna. She was so fun and fabulous and made french and english much more fun then I ever knew they could be!
     In primary school (elementary school in the US?) I think ALL my teachers were awesome, but Mrs Cundell was definitely one of the best. In her class I learnt silk painting, clay moulding, macrame, cross stitch and all other wonderful crafts, some I still do today.
     But I think my all-time favourite teacher is my Dad, hes he is a teacher at the university I attend, and I’m actually taking his class this semester. I doubt that I am his favourite student though!

212. Jill said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 5:16 pm

     My Dad was and still is my favorite teacher.
     He was a high school math teacher for 42 years. I actually never had him as a teacher at school (he taught in a different district)….but, he taught me a lot about being a good person..he led by example.

213. Dixie said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 5:20 pm

     My high school senior class science teacher was great. Science/math were not my favorite subjects, but he made the class fun and allowed some latitude in class projects and reports. I wish I could remember his name, but it’s been over 50 years!

214. Karen said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 5:24 pm

     My High School Band Director, Mr. Dubinsky was my favorite. He was the reason I wanted to be a music teacher (though for unforseen reasons, that never happened) and that I went to Berklee College of Music. (that did happen). My brother recently found him on facebook and it was nice to get back in touch.

215. Megan said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 5:27 pm

     My favorite teacher was my high school english teacher. She made everything so much fun. She was funny, and always made class interesting.

216. Caroline said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 5:34 pm

     My second and third grade teacher, Mrs. Pinkney. She made school special.

217. Betsy said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 5:39 pm

     Mr Regan was def. my favorite. I had him for oh maybe 6 classes?? He always found ways to make math/computers/physics fun. Like demonstrating physics theorems by launching pencils as a stuffed Teletubby….

218. Julie said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 5:48 pm

     I had a lot of great teachers. I don’t know how to pick just one. It would easier to pick the worst teacher I had because most of my teachers were so great. ( The worst ever was in college for a speech class.)

219. Cheryl said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 5:49 pm

     My favorite teacher was Julianna Uphoff in Flora, IL, who taught high school journalism. She was an old school strict teacher! A lot of students were afraid of her because of her exacting standards. She was the kind of teacher who really TAUGHT you things. Once I got to know her (I was the yearbook editor), she became my example of an educated, talented and professional woman who also had a very loving heart. Her personal life had her share of sadness, but she lived her faith and taught her “journalism staff” from it as well. She is 95 now! One of my favorite things is that she gave us a list of 200 vocabulary words and we had to find them in use during the year, recording the place and sentence. I still get excited when I find one of those difficult words in use today!

220. Jen said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 5:52 pm

     My favorite teachers I can remember is my pottery teacher Mr. Tunnison, he was always teaching us this new method of this or that. It was just great to learn, be encouraged and try new stuff.

221. Sandi said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 5:59 pm

     Hands down my favorite, most life changing teacher was Mr Capper for 1st and 2nd grade. He was tough – not above a ruler smack – but he was able to teach! Most important, this wonderful man taught me the most important thing I ever learned – how to read. To this day I am convinced I owe my success in life to this man.

222. Jenni said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 6:07 pm

     bah. I loved my fifth grade teacher Mr. Green, who retired to go work as a blacksmith at Old Bedford Village like he always told us he wanted to do. In high school, it was Dr. Wilshire, my English teacher for 2 years. She didn’t care about grades, just that you learned, and she let us watch Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

223. Emmy said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 6:07 pm

     My favorite teacher was my Latin and Greek teacher, Mr.Saas: he opened my world for roots of words and helped us understand the construction of phrases: through his lessons we learned to understand our mother tongue.

     But most of all we were showered by his love for language and people. He encouraged us to ask questions. Never did he refuse to take thenm and lead us into the realms of philosophical subjects.

     Something I remembered from when I was sixteen: don’t fall into the first man’s arms!

224. Emily said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 6:07 pm

     My favorite teacher was my fifth grade teacher. I remember that he was really funny which was refreshing and always kept the whole class engaged.

225. Carol said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 6:12 pm

     My favorite teacher was Mrs. Waudby, a great math teacher……and I married her son!

226. Mary R said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 6:15 pm

     Mr. Doherty, 9th grade English reigns far and above all my teachers as a favorite. Loved the way he taught Greek Mythology, Shakespeare and even the Bible as literature. He made class so fun and interesting. I can still recall the laughter – and the learning – that went on in that class.
     My most hated teacher was probably my first grade teacher. She did not handle a classroom full of 6 year-old students very well, and her patience level left quite a bit to be desired. She was most noted for calling out a student in front of the entire class and embarrassing him/her. To this day I hope she always gets stuck with a class full of kids who will drive her crazy all year long!

227. Suzanne said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 6:16 pm

     Dang, I can’t remember her name right now, but am sure I will the minute I hit submit. I can’t even remember the class (it wasn’t art) but it was elementary school. She had us all make a handprint on fabric and she sewed and wore a dress she made out of them. Over 10 years ago, I was observing at the school as I was thinking of going into teaching and I had lunch with her. She still had the dress at the time though it no longer fit. My niece ended up having her as a teacher around that time.

228. Kelly said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 6:18 pm

     Mrs Crider, 5th grade. She noticed that all us girls were sick of sitting in the gym during recess avoiding being the target of the boys’ dodgeballs. (Upstate New York winters not being particularly conducive to a lot of outside time). So she offered to teach anyone interested to knit or crochet during lunch time.

     It’s all her fault.

229. Kristi ~ Ohio said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 6:23 pm

     Mrs. Csupak – my 3rd grade teacher at Escalona Elementary School in La Mirada, CA was my favorite teacher. She shared her love of books with me.

230. Yvonne said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 6:27 pm

     My favorite teacher is my English/Psychology teacher in Highschoo. He was one of the coolest in my Catholic school. I found him on facebook recently and he is still the coolest.

231. Brittany said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 6:29 pm

     Mr. White, secondary school Maths. Calculus was ridiculously fun with him.

232. Ringed Dragon said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 6:31 pm

     I loved a lot of my teachers, but my favorite was probably Coach Allen, gym teacher and track coach at Meadowbrook High School in Richmond, VA. He was bossy, paternal, and taught the driving course like we were real people. Plus he always sent me (the female team manager/mascot) off the bus while he gave pep talks to the boys’ track team – he’d known me since I was 9 or 10 and didn’t want me to hear the language.

233. twinsetjan said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 6:34 pm

     My favorite was Mr. Turner…also 3rd grade. Is that possibly a magic year?

     He was funny, smart and made me feel like I was grown up.

234. ellie said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 6:36 pm

     My high school seminary teacher Bro. Wold.

235. Kathleen dlS said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 6:38 pm

     Mrs. Gascho at Elkton Elementary. She taught penmanship (I don’t think that is even a subject anymore). I liked her so much that I practiced and practiced and practiced until my penmanship was flowing and clear like hers. In fact, even today…..many many years later people comment on my neat, clear penmanship. After I left her classes, I was very sad to not have her as my teacher!

236. Julie said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 6:42 pm

     Two favorites – Miss Wirtanen, my 3rd grade teacher. I had moved around a lot during 1st and 2nd grades . . .I think I could have turned into a little hellion for 3rd. But her kindness and compassion kept me on the straight and narrow. Plus, she sent me flowers because she couldn’t attend my first dance recital. She told me I could be a professional dancer if I worked very hard. (Brave talk considering we lived in a small mining town.) But she was right! I had a career as a professional ballet dancer. And Mr. Arndt, 7th and 8th grade Social Studies. He encouraged travel and exploration . . and now I teach . . . in South America!

237. Cheryl said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 6:46 pm

     Funny thing happened- My mind quickly went to what I consider must have been the worst teacher ever. My first grade teacher. She thought if you were left handed it was the sign of the devil and if she caught you writing with your left hand she would whack it with a ruler. If that didn’t work she would tie your left hand to the back of your chair with a jump rope. Yup, you guessed it, I should have been left handed. To this day I flinch every time I start to use my left hand for anything.
     I did have several great teachers too. Must have cause I ended up being a teacher.

238. April said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 6:51 pm

     My favorite teacher was Mr. Reusch, for 6th grade math. He made everyone feel like they could be A students, and even more, like they were special. He was a really awesome teacher!

239. Mustanggirl68 said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 6:54 pm

     I’d have to say Mr. Connelly, my 5th grade teacher. We had a spelling bee every week and that was one team that I was always chosen first for because I could spell. I developed a love of reading in his class. For each book we read we would get a point (Newbery books counted for 3 points) then we could trade in those points for a free book. I remember we did several art projects in his class also. He really made learning fun! It was his love of teaching that really inspired me to become a teacher.

240. Anna said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 6:54 pm

     My college advisor and chemistry professor, Dave Rath was my most awesome teacher. He helped me out in many ways that I will never forget.

241. Grace said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 6:55 pm

     My favorite teacher was my 6th grade teacher Mrs. Wallace, she taught all of girls (talking the 60′s) how to knit. I made my first sweater that year.

242. Mag said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 6:59 pm

     Mrs. Peggy Timbrooks at Tonalea Elementary in Scottsdale AZ. She was my fifth grade teacher. I LOVED her. She was my second mother. She was funny, thoughtful, kind and had the best in-class science experiments ever. She must’ve put in double time every day to make some of the things we did happen. She wasn’t afraid to call them as she sees them either. I remember her in assembly, coming up from behind me grabbing me firmly by the wrist and saying in loud whisper in my ear, “Margaret! If you don’t shut up right now…” I had no clue I was gabbing too loudly. It was exactly like something my Mom would have done, and I loved Mrs. Timbrooks all the more for it.
     I would very much like to see her again, I’m not ever sure if she is still alive.
     I think her son, who is my age, is now principal of a highschool in Scottsdale.

     I’ve never had a truly horrible teacher. Scottsdale AZ schools were amongst the best in the country when I attended them. In hindsight though, there are a couple of things from a certain HS sociology teacher that I raise my eyebrows highly above my now adult eyes.

243. Sarah F. said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 7:08 pm

     Actually, since the teachers I spend most of my time with these days ae my kids’ teachers, I’d like to give a shout out to Mrs. Maureen Byrnes! She find the special “something” that is within each child and works all year to make that “something” shine. Rather than focus on the weak points, she pumps up the postive… I think it’s a wonderful way to make every child realize they are GOOD.

244. cathy said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 7:12 pm

     My favorite teacher was my high school band teacher, Mr. Masters.

245. Kelli said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 7:13 pm

     Mr. Burnworth, HS biology. He was completely unconventional, but fun. he even imitated a Great Blue Heron in class one day, standing on his desk. I learned so much from him.

246. Kim said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 7:13 pm

     Bill Aizenstat, my English teacher for half of my high school English classes. The man was brilliant. He didn’t use a textbook; he was the textbook, and the dictionary. He taught us grammar and parts of speech using common words and examples. On our “weekly treats”, our regular Friday vocabulary tests, we would have to use 5 words in sentences, and he appreciated it if we could find a way to insult him with those sentences. He never called anyone by their first names, only last names, and he referred to himself as “Big A”. He seemed to know that we weren’t going to read anything that was “boring” so our reading was always of the short story variety, and he really liked Edgar Allen Poe. I only went back to visit him once after graduation, and he passed away some 25 years ago.

247. Amanda DeVer said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 7:15 pm

     My favorite teacher was my fourth grade teacher, Mrs. Fischer. She welcomed me to a new school with open arms, literally. I showed up to her room in tears because I was so afraid and she comforted me and showed me in and welcomed me and made me feel like I was part of the class instantly. She was also one of those teachers who could hone in on what made each student special and then capitalize on it in a way that let the whole class in on the secret skill. It was fabulous!

248. Lynn said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 7:15 pm

     My 8th grade English teacher, Mr.Beaujolais. He made school interesting and fun.

249. Cathy said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 7:36 pm

     For some reason Mrs. David, my 5th grade teacher, always stands out in my mind. Funny, I don’t recall all that much about her as a teacher (other than she was incredibly tough), but I was in her class the day that JFK was assassinated. For some reason, she chose me to take a note to the school office to confirm the rumors. I’ll never forget the radio broadcasts I heard while waiting for a note to take back to Mrs. David…

250. Laurie said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 7:39 pm

     I think it would have to be my first grade teacher, Ms. Jenkins. Instead of trying to force me to write with my right hand as was the norm for most teachers when I started school, she taught me to write left-handed, and correctly. I never turned my paper to the left and wrote upside down as nearly all the other “lefties” in the other teachers’ classes. Ms. Jenkins never made a big deal about it and just told me to turn my paper to the right and always made sure I was writing correctly, a mirror image of all the “righties”! Not a big thing, but she embraced my difference instead of trying to make me like everyone else in my class.

251. Debbie said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 8:21 pm

     My favourite teacher was my grade four teacher, Mr. Barnett. I was a dreamy, watch-what-the-other kids are doing student until he taught me that learning and doing my own stuff was a lot more fun. And I started getting good grades. (And my mom stopped tearing her hair out about me too! lol)

252. Heather said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 8:23 pm

     Well ME of course! I’M a teacher! Just kidding. Kind of.

     My all time favorite teacher in school was Mr. Klofas, my HS English teacher in 10 and 12 grade. He is amazing and funny and showed me a totally different way of life.

     He’s why I became an English teacher myself.

253. Sarah said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 8:24 pm

     My favorite teacher was Mrs. Larson (2nd grade). I remember she would give us a dixie cup of peanuts every time we lost a tooth. Kinda random, but i’m 27 now and I still remember it.

254. claire said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 8:24 pm

     Oh man, hard to pick! I had a few really awesome teachers that made school worthwhile. We moved every two years, sometimes it was so hard to pick up and go to a new country, new state, new school, but the occasional gem of a teacher made it worthwhile. My biology teacher in 8th grade, Miss Rose, was amazing, she was so daunting and tough, but once you earned her respect, it was like she became your partner in exploring the world. My 7th grade Latin teacher Mr. Mosely was wonderful too. He made Latin come alive (we read Winnie Ille Pu, as well as Julius Caeser) and brought in artifacts from ordinary, everyday life, that were 2400 years old for us to touch and talk about.

255. Lauren Smith said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 8:24 pm

     Nikki Landaros or Ms. Nikki as we called her was my favorite teacher! She taught me how to be the best massage therapist ever. She was so caring with all of us, giving each person the attention they needed. She really motivated me to be the best and I was graduating at the top of my class. I can’t remember having a better time in school or doing so well. She listened and taught with passion. I will never forget her because she changed my life… she saw what was inside of me and helped my talent to flurish.

256. Alisa Siceloff said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 8:26 pm

     My favorite teacher is Diana Baumbach — my art teacher here at college. I really learned a great deal about design from her class.

257. Barbara said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 8:40 pm

     My favorite teacher was my college Tax Accounting teacher – Dr Mattson. She was great.

258. Ashley W said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 8:46 pm

     I loved my harp teacher! She was a little lady at my church who let me come over once and a while and play with her.

     As to high school, almost all of them were awesome, but Mr. Lory’s stands out as a fabulous science teacher!

259. Heather said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 8:46 pm

     My favorite was Miss March. She taught 3rd grade and showed me how much fun learning could be. I’ve loved school ever since.

260. Lynn said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 8:53 pm

     My high school geometry teacher. Anyone who can help me understand math and get me to kinda like it is a really good teacher!

261. MARYLU said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 8:54 pm

     Mrs.Hubbard, my first grade teacher. She helped me learn how to read

262. Shannon said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 8:55 pm

     Definitely Mr. Destito, my middle school band director. He was so influential in my development as a musician, and he helped me to find my true talents. I continued to stay in touch with him all the way through my graduation with my master’s degree.

263. Dawn said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 9:02 pm

     Dr. Anderson, one of my professors last semester. She still always has time to proofread and answer any questions and convinced me to go for my doctorate. I can also email her day or night and she will call me back to explain any confusions I’m having even though I’m not taking a class with her this semester. Dr. A even tried her best to get me a teaching job before the hiring freezes.

264. Diane said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 9:09 pm

     Miss Jett from the English Department at BTHSEast. She opened up my eyes to the world around me by introducing me to the worlds in literature.

265. Charmaine said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 9:10 pm

     Sister Jeanette was my favorite in High School…she taught us Literature…Don’t know what they call it nowadays…my least favorite subject was Latin..anyone else?

266. mel said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 9:28 pm

     My high school English teacher Ms. Ostrom. I was always a bookworm, but she just made me love literature more.

267. Helen said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 9:42 pm

     My favorite teacher was Sister Saint Margaret Marion in the third grade. On Friday afternoons, she used to read to us from Ann of Green Gables. When I ended up in her class again in the sixth grade, I was thrilled!

268. Lael said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 9:46 pm

     There were several teachers over the years that I really liked, but I guess I would have to say Miss Doyle, my fourth grade teacher. I was painfully shy as a child and, except for the fact that my teachers acknowledged my good grades, I don’t remember anyone really connecting with me until that point. Miss Doyle would tease me and joke around with me, in a kind way, and I think at that point I realized that teachers were real people and some of them appreciated their students as people too. I still have the little stuffed mouse she gave me when we moved away at the end of the school year.

269. Julie said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 10:09 pm

     I have had many great teachers – I can’t pick just one. My high school Calculus, European History, and Physics teachers and my college Statics and Dynamics, Philosophy, and Theology professors were all great. I think what they all had in common was that they set high expectations but they provided the tools necessary for understanding and achievement. Also, it was obvious that they all loved the subject matter and they all were extremely fair.

270. Ruth Ann said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 10:20 pm

     My favorite teacher was Miss Ghigo in the third grade. She was very young and pretty. She always smelled good and wore pretty dresses. She cried while reading Misty of Chincoteague to us.

271. Lisa said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 10:25 pm

     The 2 teachers I remember most were 4th grade, Mike Porter. He gave me my first straight A report card! Next would be my high school choral director, Mr. Manzetti. I had 2 different chorus classes for sophmore, junior and senior years. I spent alot of time with him!

272. Juana said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 10:26 pm

     I had many wonderful teachers but the one that stands out is my piano teacher, Sister Magdalena. She was always so kind and sweet, she taught me to love, love music.

273. GinkgoKnits said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 10:32 pm

     It’s hard to pick just one but my 2nd grade teacher (Patty) was wonderful. Our unit on the ocean and it’s creatures involved turning her classroom into a kelp forest. She was as close to Ms. Frizzle as one could get — and I mean that in only the best of ways.

274. MsVicki said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 10:35 pm

     The one I’ll never forget is Mr. Thiel, my 8th grade homeroom teacher. He was always game for pranks — we painted his face green, put a leprechaun hat on him, and hid him in a storage cupboard, to jump out at our principal on St Patrick’s Day. Needless to say Sister Mary (I forget her name) was not nearly as amused as we all were!

275. Diana T said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 10:38 pm

     Mr. McCarthy , my high school art teacher.

276. Martha said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 10:40 pm

     Mrs. Avery, my teacher at Blair School, a one-room school in central NH. Since we had grades 1-8 in this small school, we could progress at an appropriate speed for each of us. Mrs. Avery allowed me to do both 3rd grade and 4th grade work in one year and encouraged my parents to then let me move into 5th grade the next year. She fed my hunger for learning and still influences me today, these many, many years later.

277. Linda Shields said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 10:42 pm

     Mrs. Lyle – my first teacher in the United States. She was patient, understanding, and helpfull even though she spoke not a word of Dutch and I not a word of English.

278. Cherie said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 10:55 pm

     My favorite school teacher was Mrs. Conrad, my second grade teacher. She read us Mrs. Piggle Wiggle stories after lunch every day. She was red-headed and freckled, and warm and friendly. She thought all of her students were special, and made us believe we were. My piano teacher, Mrs. Vincent, was part teacher, part grandma, part therapist, part nurse! I fell off my bike one day on the way to my lesson, and she cleaned me up, bandaged me, and gave me a coke. We didn’t have lesson that day, just made me feel better. I studied with her for 12 years, and she played piano at my wedding. She was a truly special person.

279. Jessica said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 10:57 pm

     Ms. Robertson, my second grade teacher. I was devastated when she got married at Spring Break and thus changed her name to Mrs. Farver. I’ve never been very good at change!

280. Adrienne said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 11:04 pm

     My favourite teacher was my high school history teacher. I took 3 different classes with him because I loved him so much. He had a wonderful way of making you really *think* about things.

281. Gayle said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 11:05 pm

     Mrs. Blackford was my third grade teacher and definitely my favorite. When I became a teacher, I was lucky enough to teach the third grade in the her former room and it brought back so many wonderful memories.

282. Dorothy said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 11:19 pm

     I went to a parochial school in England. I would have to say my second year teacher Mrs. Geeves because she was the teacher that taught proper needle work. And knitting was on the schedule. She would always make me tear back………….I would split stitches and have way more than I started with. She also was very frustrating even if I was only 6 when she was my teacher.

283. Melissa said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 11:25 pm

     My elementary gifted teacher, Mrs. Salpino and my high school AP English teacher Mrs. Chimelewski. They were awesome. I only hope that some day someone remembers me as their favorite teacher.

284. Kathy said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 11:34 pm

     My favorite teacher was Mr. Gower who taught Math at Southwest High School in St. Louis. I knew I liked Math but he really made it my subject. I have a B.S. in Math and it got me a fantastic job. So Math has been very, very good too me. If nothing else it has given me a way of thinking that has gotten me through life.

285. Bernadette said,

     March 19, 2010 @ 11:38 pm

     My favorite teacher was my second grade teacher Mr. Risch , I think its the little things that make a teacher stand out like dressing up like Benjamin Franklin and answering even the most silliest ( looking back on it omg were the ever) questions with out breaking character, I think the best part of that was almost everyone running out into the hall to see where “Mr.Franklin” went only to find he had disappeared ( into the teachers lounge) He did alot of thing that made him my favorite teacher of course he had his faults ……….making me dress up like a care bear for the Christmas pageant ! But he was still my favorite teacher

286. Eloise said,

     March 20, 2010 @ 12:23 am

     My favorite teacher was Ms. Dumas for junior and senior IB Biology in high school. She inspired me to major in biology in college and to go into education as a career.

287. Victoria said,

     March 20, 2010 @ 12:23 am

     Mr. Rivkin. He taught Social Studies at the middle school, and I didn’t really appreciate him then, but he also taught psychology at the high school, and I loved that class. He was tough, but he was also crazy smart, and had the most amazing way of teaching. Wonder what he’s up to…

288. Audrey said,

     March 20, 2010 @ 12:50 am

     my biology teacher Miss Kobayashi was young and smart and cool and her younger sisters were students in the school … she let me hang out in the lab after hours and take care of the guinea pigs (just pets — we didn’t experiment on them!) and talk about anything and everything

289. Catherine Ristola Bass said,

     March 20, 2010 @ 12:53 am

     How to choose? Robert Watson and John Lesjack in Santa Rosa, CA or Dave Morin (French) in Ontonagon, MI.

     Mr. Watson, contact me if you are out there–I’ve been looking for you for years!

290. Teri said,

     March 20, 2010 @ 12:59 am

     Three stand out:
     Coach Bigby in 7th and 8th grade for giving a very awkward age some grace, confidence and accomplishment.
     Mr. Daren in 12th grade for speaking to us as if we were adults and holding us accountable accordingly.
     Jim Marles as a Sophmore in college for showing me how to find and express my own unique ideas and realize I already had a healthy curiousity.
     Which just goes to show the best teachers draw out, not stuff in.

291. Connie said,

     March 20, 2010 @ 1:59 am

     Mine…was my HS Sr English teacher who made us think! and question all preconceived thoughts of a teenager growing up in a farm community in Indiana.. she is why I majored in Sociology and later as a teacher – often used her thinking questions style. Thanks for asking, had not thought of her in years!

292. Kathryn said,

     March 20, 2010 @ 2:21 am

     I work at an elementary school, so even as an adult I can still have favorite teachers.
     My all time favorite teacher was Mrs. Debbie Ball. She was a loving, kind, spunky human being that gave her class unconditional love. While most teachers at work are more demure, she would show up to Back to School Night in a lime green outfit with a bright green fun fur scarf say “I’m ready!” She is an avid quilter, knitter, crafty person, gardener, traveler, and a general lover of life. She began a foundation in our city to raise funds for a children’s hospital. I was so sad to see her retire, because she dedicated her life to her students. She inspired me so much that I am currently going to school to become a teacher. She also taught me how to knit!

293. Dawn said,

     March 20, 2010 @ 2:26 am

     My favorite teacher’s name is Madame Kose. She was my French teacher and she made us all work hard, but was also fair and caring.

294. Becky said,

     March 20, 2010 @ 2:27 am

     I was lucky enough to have several good teachers in high school, but my choir director was my favorite. She changed my life, and since I’m getting sniffly as I sit here trying to distill the details into a few sentences, I’ll just leave it there.

295. Deirdre said,

     March 20, 2010 @ 6:36 am

     Mrs. Panabaker in Grade 10 taught Man and His World, and for the first time I had a fire lit under me in school. I couldn’t read enough, research enough, study enough – I had been lucky enough to have an easy time of schoolwork, and she went out of her way to challenge me, and to teach me how to think critically – she made me see that the process of learning can be more fun than the end result…

296. Lina said,

     March 20, 2010 @ 6:59 am

     My favorite teacher was Dr. Jain in at UC Berkeley. He was an amazing teacher, always cared about the students, and helped me many times in moving forward with my academic career. I really appreciated his help to me and was so sad when he died at a very young age of cancer. I think of him often and wished I could have thanked him more often than I did while he was alive. He was truly a wonderful teacher and mentor.

297. Mary said,

     March 20, 2010 @ 7:31 am

     My high school chemistry teacher comes to mind. Somehow she made a difficult subject easy for me. As a retired teacher, these comments are so revealing about education. Thanks for a great comment question.

298. sue said,

     March 20, 2010 @ 7:37 am

     My favorite teacher was my 3rd grader teacher too, Miss Babcock. I’d had a difficult time adjusting to my 2nd grade teacher and after a rough year, Miss Babcock was just the perfect teacher for a little girl who needed a bit of extra attention.

299. Mary Anne said,

     March 20, 2010 @ 7:50 am

     Sister Corita, Sister of Charity, during my last year of high school. She showed me a thinking WOMAN who used her mind well and also dedicated the results of her thinking to social justice. She pushed me and let me know that she thought I was smart.

300. julie Z. said,

     March 20, 2010 @ 7:55 am

     My favorite teacher was in first grade–Mrs. Clark. A very caring woman with high standards who set a good foundation for the rest of my schooling.

301. Kathryn Sigman said,

     March 20, 2010 @ 8:18 am

     Mrs. Holachek, 5th grade, Cortez Elementary. She went to Kenya every summer to teach in some of the villages. She would bring things she had collected from there to show to us and tell us stories about the children. She also read books to our class such as, Dracula, something I would never had read on my own but loved it! She made school something to look forward to every day! I work with special education kids and I hope I can inspsire some of them the way Mrs. Holachek did for me!

302. Linda said,

     March 20, 2010 @ 8:20 am

     My favorite teacher in school was Mrs. Clark in freshman algebra. She was a petite, older (to us anyway) lady who made math seem so simple and logical. She was just plain nice, polite, and no nonsense allowed in her class with a sense of humor that you caught if you were paying attention.
     But, my most favorite teacher that changed my life (even though I never met her in person) has to be Elizabeth Zimmerman. She taught a knitting show on public television out of Carbondale and St Louis about 35 years ago and I watched her twice a week and knit 2 sweaters along with her. Every week we made sure we were home when her show was on so I would not miss any of it. I had been knitting since age 7, but always just following patterns and she opened up the world of understanding knitting so you can just do your own thing. Many years later, I did get to her knitting camp, but by that time her health did now allow her to come visit the group.

303. Cathy said,

     March 20, 2010 @ 8:31 am

     My favorite didn’t come until college. Mr. Lyon freshman year sociology. He ended up also being my adviser. He was the first teacher I ever had that encouraged me to challenge myself beyond what I believed I could do. He actually believed in me and wouldn’t ever let me sell myself short. He made me take advanced classes when I was scared that I couldn’t hack it. THen he rejoiced with me when I din’t just hack them I aced them. He told me I was not just an average student but that I was gifted and it took a while but I finally believed him. THanks Mr. Lyon!

304. Judy-Lynne said,

     March 20, 2010 @ 8:46 am

     Having earned a Ph.D. I’ve probably had more “school” than most people, so my favorite teacher came well after elementary school. Pat O’Hara taught my first and my last course in my masters program and infused so much energy and enthusiasm into both courses that he left a lasting impression. Thirty years after that first class, Pat and I are not only close friends but colleagues in the same academic department. I never planned a career as an educator but I enjoy every minute in the classroom and I bring a bit of Pat’s energy and enthusiasm into every class I teach.

305. Helena said,

     March 20, 2010 @ 9:04 am

     Mr. Weissner, 8th grade English. His method of teaching was unique and fun. We would watch iconic movies and then write essays on them with each movie/essay having a different lesson. He made learning so much fun.

306. Rosann said,

     March 20, 2010 @ 9:05 am

     My favorite teacher was Mrs. Hendricks. We had just moved to a new town. She taught 3rd grade and she understood how hard it was to meet new kids. She always made me feel special.

307. Carol Lee said,

     March 20, 2010 @ 9:06 am

     I’d loved school and like almost all my teachers but the one who stands out the most is Mr. Mac – he taught physics and other tough classes. He was tough but fair and prepared me well for college!

308. Megan said,

     March 20, 2010 @ 9:16 am

     Oh, I had some really wonderful teachers! I really loved Mrs White (3rd grade) for seeing my potential, Dr Wolfe (7th grade bio) for treating us as adults and making science fun – she’s also my favorite painter! I also adored Ms Compton (high school social studies) because she formed me into the person I am today, and my career I owe 100% to her.

309. Michelle said,

     March 20, 2010 @ 9:17 am

     oh wow! i loved elementary school and can still remember the excitement/nerves of that night before the first day each september! I really don’t have a favorite. Some stand out that are NOT favorites however! hahaha

310. Paulette said,

     March 20, 2010 @ 9:25 am

     Miss Voskul, my 1st and 2nd grade teacher. It was a split class, so I was lucky and had her two years in a row. I was amazed that one person could do so many things, teach me how to read and play the piano and get to write on the big blackboard. I really like my one of my college history profs, E. D. Karns. He taught me to love US History with his stories that made events come to life and he also taught me how to study for tests in college.

311. Kathryn in Minnesota said,

     March 20, 2010 @ 9:35 am

     Mrs. Padover, 1st and 2nd grade. I was supposed to have someone else for first grade, but there was a teacher switch in October and wow, was that lucky. Sometimes I think Mrs. Padover was literally an angel. She had the most amazing calm classroom presence.

312. Deborah VonBrutt said,

     March 20, 2010 @ 9:38 am

     My favorite teacher was Mrs Craig who I have in fifth grade. She was a leap year baby and we had the wonderful fun of giving her, her sweet sixteen party. She was such a young hearted and fun teacher that we all loved coming to school to spend time with her.

313. Julie said,

     March 20, 2010 @ 9:56 am

     My favorite teacher was my sixth grade teacher, Mr. Murphy. He really made learning fun, and he encouraged a real sense of our class being a community. That was also the year that our class got to go to camp for 5 days to learn about environmental topics—that was so much fun!

314. Lauren said,

     March 20, 2010 @ 9:59 am

     my favorite was also my third grade teacher – Mrs. Frohning. Apparently there were two camps of parents regarding her because she played favorites with the students (I hear) – I must have been a favorite because I adored her! She’s the one that recommended I have my vision tested because I could never see the blackboard… I didn’t like that, but I did like being able to see after getting glasses. And she was encouraging to me to stand up and be proud about my smarts rather than trying to hide them to ‘fit in’ with everyone else. She died a few years ago (maybe as many as ten now…) and the turnout for her memorial service at the local high school gym was enormous. I hope she felt as loved as she made us feel…

315. Heather N said,

     March 20, 2010 @ 10:01 am

     Me, Myself, and I.

     I am applying for the teaching credential program at my school. So when I become a teacher, I shall be awesome.

     - – - Just kidding… kinda~

     My favorite teacher has to be my Junior High Science Teacher Mr. Gregory. I am actually planning on hunting him down to find any contact information and maybe meet with him to pick his brain and talk to him about teaching stuff. I would love to find him~ Most influential teacher ever~

316. Laurie said,

     March 20, 2010 @ 10:20 am

     I have two: My fifth grade teacher, Mrs. Mantonya is fist. She was a gruff, no-nonsense older woman with bad denture breath (the first teacher I had who wasn’t right out of college). I was terrified of her the whole first semester – she took NO crap from anyone. Then…at Christmas, my mother had a nervous breakdown. One day, my father came home and said that Mrs. Mantonya’s husband worked with him – he gave me a little package from my teacher that held a tiny creche Christmas ornament. And one day, when Dad was at the hospital with Mom, I stayed at their house, and my gruff teacher treated me like a queen. The next week, we were back in school, and she was her crusty old self again…but she always had a little twinkle in her eye for me.

     Second favorite: Mr. Hughes, my 10th grade social studies teacher. He saw through the scowling black-eyelinered alienated adolescent that I was and made me laugh…and laugh…and laugh…

317. Melissa said,

     March 20, 2010 @ 10:32 am

     Funny, my harp teacher was my favorite. She never whacked me with a ruler, though, so that must have had something to do with it!

318. Marcia said,

     March 20, 2010 @ 10:42 am

     Mr. Freyermuth, High School English, Inspired his students to go beyond their expectations.

319. gerri said,

     March 20, 2010 @ 11:10 am

     My favorite teacher was Sister Ellen Mary. She was my piano teacher in 3rd grade and made me feel important and special.

320. Rebecca said,

     March 20, 2010 @ 11:45 am

     I have two. Mr. Clark the Art teacher. He inspired me to look at art in a whole different way. And Mr. Duke. He was mean and I hated Algebra. It was the only class that I failed in HS. But it all makes sense now and I often find myself saying, “Mr. Duke, I’m sorry I was such a pain in your class. You were right. You do use Algebra every day.”

321. Monique said,

     March 20, 2010 @ 11:51 am

     My favorite teacher was Miss Goss. She was a graduate student who taught me Intro to Lit when I was 17, during my first year of uni, and I learned what made a novel literature. Interestingly, I found out she lived not far from me and I took a chance and phoned her to thank her. She was thrilled. Did I mention I took her class more than 40 years ago? She is now a retired English professor. We’re going out to lunch next week.

     Please take the time to locate your favorite teacher and thank him/her.

322. Monica said,

     March 20, 2010 @ 11:52 am

     Mrs. Troy– HS history. Started me on my love of that subject that continues today.

323. Krystal said,

     March 20, 2010 @ 11:56 am

     Mrs. Shannon, my fifth grade teacher. She knew how to challenge her students, but not be mean about it. You just wanted to be better in her classroom.

324. kathyd said,

     March 20, 2010 @ 12:10 pm

     Sr. Mary-Therese-my 2nd grade teacher who was so kind to a doofus-y egghead (me).
     She was a very young nun who looked so fragile but was unflinching in her kindness and teaching skills. She had a split-class of 2nd and 4th graders-60 kids total.

     It was the best. We got to learn 4th grade stuff by “listening in” and the 4th graders had to do better or Sister would get a 2nd grader to answer the 4th grade questions.

325. tabitha said,

     March 20, 2010 @ 12:19 pm

     It is a tie. I had two favorites – Mrs Blakeney, who was the multipurpose Math and Sciences teacher who was a bit dotty sometimes but she taught me so much and Mrs Davis who was my Latin teacher who was always so much fun. She knew we were all good students so she allowed us to be a bit goofy occasionally and joined right in with our crazy games.

326. Carolyn said,

     March 20, 2010 @ 12:39 pm

     My favorite teacher was my high school Latin teacher, Mr. Denis. He was an older man who seemed very gruff, but he was hilarious. He had the most extensive knowledge about ancient history that it became my minor in college! But honestly, the reason most students liked him is that he would often start tangents in class about the Simpsons.

327. lindy said,

     March 20, 2010 @ 12:40 pm

     Mrs. Charles, first grade. I remember feeling so special when she picked me to help her cut things out, etc.

328. TMTTYRR said,

     March 20, 2010 @ 12:48 pm

     Still, my favorite teacher was Mrs. Turkel. She was my 5th grade teacher, and the first to hold me accountable for myself. All the other teachers had let the smart kid slide, focusing on the other kids (which sort of makes sense in a way), but Mrs. Turkel managed, somehow, to do both. I still remember my vocabulary lesson one particular week. The word: P R O C R A S T I N A T O R.

329. Kathleen said,

     March 20, 2010 @ 1:00 pm

     My favorite teacher was my 8th grade math teacher Mr. Gilbert. He made math enjoyable and exciting.

330. Judy(lamazeteacher) said,

     March 20, 2010 @ 1:04 pm

     Miss Sullivan, my 6th grade teacher. She never raised her voice (even when she had every reason to) and had the most beautiful face framed by silver hair. Whenever I see a pretty smile, I always compare it to the one that Miss Sullivan had.

331. Karen said,

     March 20, 2010 @ 1:42 pm

     Mr. Hammett, my high school chemistry teacher, was my favorite teacher of all time. He was very quirky, and would hum “Puff the Magic Dragon” at odd times, and he allowed us to design our own experiments sometimes. Too fun!

332. Teri said,

     March 20, 2010 @ 1:51 pm

     I’d have to say it was Mrs. Piper, my second-grade teacher.

333. Jenn said,

     March 20, 2010 @ 1:54 pm

     My favorite teacher was Mrs. Zimmerman too! But in Fort Wayne, IN. She was my 3rd grade teacher (like yours!), and she introduced me to some of my favorite authors – Roald Dahl, Beverly Cleary, Judy Blume.
     She was a treasure!

334. Theresa P. said,

     March 20, 2010 @ 3:02 pm

     Ms. Rosado, my 4th grade teacher, who played guitar and sang to us in class and was the first teacher to read really wonderful chapter books to us out loud. She would leave us hanging each day, wondering what would happen tomorrow. It was great.

335. elise said,

     March 20, 2010 @ 3:32 pm

     I had so many great teachers in school. Funny enough it is my teachers from high school that I think I liked the best, especially Mr. Field and Dr. Seitz, who both taught history and my chemistry teacher, Mrs. Cooper. Her class was the reason I took chemistry courses in college and enjoyed them, especially Organic chem. I know, that makes me a bit of a weirdo.

336. Kim B. said,

     March 20, 2010 @ 3:35 pm

     Mr. Hanna my 10th grade history teacher.

337. pat said,

     March 20, 2010 @ 3:39 pm

     My favorite teacher would have to be Miss. Dresch. She was my 5th grade teacher, and got a nervous wreck after a terrible 4th grade year. She got me liking school again.

338. BethC said,

     March 20, 2010 @ 3:39 pm

     I think Mrs. Bell, my 5th grade teacher. I now teach 6th, so I think about her a lot! Ironically, one of the reasons I teach is because of my 8th grade math teacher, I spent the whole year thinking, “I could be doing a better job at this than this guy is.” I’m pretty sure I do better then him, even if I don’t always do as well as I would like.

     PS:First day of spring break for me today and I got some Wollmeise!

339. Michelle said,

     March 20, 2010 @ 3:46 pm

     My favorite is Miss Mac (MacFarland) – had her for two years of Honors English. She opened my eyes to Ibsen and Fitzgerald at a time when I much preferred fantasy. She had a dry sense of humor but was also willing to play at times. I will never forget her letting us blow bubbles with her desk fan. i was also her student assistant for two years, and I was so honored when she trusted me to type and run off her tests.

     She is one of the reasons I am now an English teacher myself.

340. Maria said,

     March 20, 2010 @ 4:05 pm

     My favorite elementary teacher was Mr. Jasper. He must have been fresh out of college when I had him because my son has him in junior high. My son likes him a lot too!!!

341. Nancy said,

     March 20, 2010 @ 4:35 pm

     My favorite teacher was my high school chemistry teacher – Mrs. Ottwell. I had her for two years and she is the reason I majored in chemistry in college. Up until that time I thought only guys were scientists. And, when I got to grad. school (in 1969) found out that most guys (other than my DH who is also a chemist) thought that should still be true.

342. Lora said,

     March 20, 2010 @ 4:39 pm

     Ms. Gerk – high school English – junior/senior years. She forced us to think outside our small town confines, was a women’s “libber” in a town that was pretty “traditional” and never took crap from anyone (at least that we knew of). She was all around cool – and during class she would sit in an easy chair behind her desk, knitting on a sweater for her husband.

343. southparknitter said,

     March 20, 2010 @ 5:22 pm

     Mr. Taylor was my favorite teacher. He encouraged me to major in French and made class fun.

344. Betty said,

     March 20, 2010 @ 5:29 pm

     Miss Freisen was my Grade One Teacher and aren’t all Grade One teachers the best?

345. jessica said,

     March 20, 2010 @ 6:13 pm

     Mrs Carter – from Ed White Elem in El Lago Tx… she taught me tricks to learn the times tables, which then led me into math counts competitions, and engineering school, and now I’m an auditor – she started my love of numbers…

346. Mindy said,

     March 20, 2010 @ 6:43 pm

     I would have to say Senora Bagby my high school Spanish teacher. I’m not sure where she was from but her accent was not at all compatible with Spanish.

347. Maryanne said,

     March 20, 2010 @ 6:45 pm

     Ms. Pyle, my art teacher in high school, was my favorite teacher. She reinforced my love of art, and gave me confidence to try new things.

348. Linda R. said,

     March 20, 2010 @ 6:46 pm

     Mr. Hitpass was my favorite teacher who taught Geometry in HS at Northwest in House Springs, MO. He was probably just out of college when he taught me in 1965, and it was fun to have a younger teacher for a change. Would you believe he came to the funeral when my Dad passed away, and that was some 24 years after I was in his class! Amazing he remembered us! (no, I was not a problem student! HA!HA!)

349. Janet Booster said,

     March 20, 2010 @ 7:14 pm

     My favorite teacher was Mrs Sterling. My elementary school was closed early into my sixth grade year and my class was split up between 2 existing classes at a school in another neighborhood. This was a difficult insecure time for me. Midway thru the year our teacher left and Mrs Sterling came. She was generally feared by everyone-very stern and strict. But she must have sensed my struggles and befriended me. She helped make a tough year better for me

350. Lisa said,

     March 20, 2010 @ 7:28 pm

     Mrs Wilson for english (sophomore and again AP my senior year. There was the time I got an A on a paper bcs her cat peed on it and my ink all ran, the time we had a pancake breakfast in her classroom, and then the 6 months of homework I didn’t turn in, but somehow I still graduated. Good times. She saw the potential and pressed where needed and let us flake off where needed too.

351. Sandy said,

     March 20, 2010 @ 7:40 pm

     My very favorite teacher was Sr. Judith Ann. She was my high school algebra teacher. Her class was so much fun and boy could she teach. I can relate to Sheri’s harp experience. My piano teacher kept threatening to cut my finger off if I used the wrong finger to play certain keys. Had nightmares about that for a long time. And the ruler thing: try being left handed in a Catholic grade school. I got the ruler because the sisters thought I was being rebelious.

352. Katy said,

     March 20, 2010 @ 7:49 pm

     Am I allowed two? One was my junior year English teacher, Mrs. Botkin. She was a tiny imp of woman,but, she knew to teach. My junior year was when my mom died and Mrs. B was a constant source of support. The other was my high school French teacher, Mme. Winn. I took French all 4 years because she was that wonderful a teacher.

353. Gramma Phyl said,

     March 20, 2010 @ 7:50 pm

     Mrs. Redding was my 3rd grade and 5th grade teacher. She also was my Sunday School teacher in 4th grade. She was a small southern lady who taught through love and respect and, in return, we students loved and respected her. If you didn’t understand what was being taught you could stay after and she would help you until you did. Of course this was 50 years ago when teachers didn’t have the limits placed on them as do the teachers of today. I still think of her when faced with a difficult decision and remember how she taught us to think through a problem we faced in our lives.

354. Laurie said,

     March 20, 2010 @ 8:06 pm

     Mrs. Barnes, third grade, was a surrogate mom. Loved her.

355. Nancy said,

     March 20, 2010 @ 8:20 pm

     My favorite teacher was Mrs. Grimm in the sixth grade, because she was truly kind and had to live with that name.

356. Karen said,

     March 20, 2010 @ 8:41 pm

     I can no longer remember her name — this was back in 1971, mind you — but it was my 7th grade math teacher.

357. turtle said,

     March 20, 2010 @ 8:49 pm

     Yes, i do have a favorite! Most of them seem to fall into my high school years which considering the size of our school is incredible. My high school class had 135 kids, the school was made up of thirteen (yes 13) towns combined! My junior year i had english first period. The teachers logic was if she got to have her coffee, so did we. So i had my earl gray tea with honey, le sigh, so nice on cold new england mornings!

     But my favorite teacher was Norm Amos. He taught photography. Only seniors were allowed to take photography, and then only twenty a year. I somehow talked him into letting me take it as a junior and into being number 21! I loved this class (and still love the hobby). Being in the dark room was just another form of expression, and getting to leave school to explore and take pics around town was wonderful, especially come spring!

358. Linda said,

     March 20, 2010 @ 9:55 pm

     My favorite teacher was a high school art teacher. I wanted to be an art teacher, and he was my favorite. A very calm, quiet, …I’m looking for a word that means: he made you want to do good and try hard, just coz he was so nice. He later went on to teach at the Univ of Washington. I went there to visit his class once. That was my path not taken that I am sure I would have loved. I miss that person I could have been.

359. lisa oberteuffer said,

     March 20, 2010 @ 10:49 pm

     my sixth grade teacher, mr godfrey. can you say SHAKESPEARE for sixth graders? he was awesome.

     I feel like I have been answering this question for a year! I am in a teacher education program and it is a FAVORITE in every class

360. Chi said,

     March 21, 2010 @ 12:10 am

     My fave was Sister Angelina who never talked down to us but treated us as learning buddies. She was pretty short, just slightly taller than the average 9 year old but to us she was a mighty giant and the bestest friend a girl could ever want. She was simply wonderful and because we were all her children, we loved her to bits!

361. Amber said,

     March 21, 2010 @ 12:44 am

     Mrs. Magnuson, sixth grade. She was tough but fair and pushed us to learn, which I really appreciated.

362. Esther said,

     March 21, 2010 @ 1:05 am

     I actually liked most of my school teachers, with a few notable exceptions, so it is difficult to choose.
     To be fair I would probably choose my first grade teacher. She was so beautiful and elegant. I couldn’t wait to get to school every morning to see her. She encouraged my love of reading and my favourite times were sitting next to her reading out loud.

363. valerie said,

     March 21, 2010 @ 1:07 am

     easy. ms. zomlefer, sophomore chemistry. she left after teaching my class to go to harvard medical school, so i guess she’s dr. zomlefer now. her excitement was contagious. at the time, she was the oldest student to be accepted to harvard med, so that says something pretty impressive about her, i think. fantastic role model, fantastic lady.

364. Tracy said,

     March 21, 2010 @ 1:31 am

     Mrs Murray in First class. With an alcoholic mother, suffering from schizophrenia since I was born Mrs Murray was the woman in my life who made me feel loved and worthwhile. Really lovely person.

365. Jan said,

     March 21, 2010 @ 2:36 am

     My favorite teacher was a college professor who taught mnemonics and ‘how to find what you need at the library’. I later worked under his supervision at the library. He was a great guy — very tall with giant ham hands, but he sewed wedding dresses!!!

366. dee said,

     March 21, 2010 @ 3:06 am

     Mrs Carter in 8th grade. She made us feel like young adults and not just kids. Mr. Chock in college. He told me to go to grad school and always encouraged his students. God bless them both.

367. Lisa Wilson said,

     March 21, 2010 @ 6:15 am

     My favorite was Mrs. Van Aken. Even though I had her for all four years in high school, she always kept things interesting. She told a lot of stories.

     Happy Knitting!
     Lisa Kay

368. Elizabeth said,

     March 21, 2010 @ 7:58 am

     Fern Davye – she was not my teacher, but she taught at the college I went to and she became a good friend. Fun, lyrical, over-the-top. As for teachers I actually had myself, none stand out – I never had one of those life-changing, if-not-for-them teachers, but I had some I liked more than others. One who pops out right now to be recognized was my homeroom teacher in 5th and 6th grades. Mrs. Greer. She also taught math and encouraged me to go as far as I could – and I was a competitive child, so I soaked that up. In her class, I felt both comfortable and special, which, being a bespectacled, awkward pre-teen, was truly a gift.

369. Gerry said,

     March 21, 2010 @ 8:18 am

     I was a Navy Brat, so went to 18 different schools before graduating from high school (went to three different high schools). My favorite teacher was my Senior English teacher, who made us read Shakespeare’s plays aloud, with the boys doing female parts and the girls reading the male parts – ahhh, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Fabulous.

     He also told me I wrote “Haverford” papers, which at the time I was thrilled about (not having a clue what/where/who Haverford was), but I think now he meant I could write in twelve paragraphs what a normal person would write in two.

370. Margaret Fox said,

     March 21, 2010 @ 8:20 am

     Favorite teacher was my Home Ec teacher. She knew I could cook and sew – and my Mom had taught me better than anyone could. So, she let me and the other seniors head to the Dairy Queen during this class period (could get away with this in the 60s) This is the teacher that taught me to KNIT! Cool lady.

371. Patty L. said,

     March 21, 2010 @ 8:32 am

     Miss Moore…was my favorite..no special reason..will ALWAYS remember her

372. Robin said,

     March 21, 2010 @ 9:07 am

     There are a couple of teachers from my school days who made learning fun and interesting, but my all time, hand’s down favorte teacher is my Mom. She is patient, kind, and the most wonderful person I know. She taught me how to crochet, cook, and that nothing is impossible if you set your mind to it. Love you Mom.

373. Lani said,

     March 21, 2010 @ 10:54 am

     Mrs. McClung my high school American History teacher. It was an on base school in Tokyo and she took us on several trips through Japan as a part of the Historical Society. Also my 7th grade History/English teacher in Virginia who loved Virginia state history and made it real for me.

374. Melissa said,

     March 21, 2010 @ 11:06 am

     My favorite teacher was Mr. SIner. He was my high school history teacher. He really helped me find myself. Being a teenager can be tough and he was really my rock. He helped encourage me to pursue honors classes in English, History and Biology. I will never forget him.

375. Jess' Mom said,

     March 21, 2010 @ 11:18 am

     I had a lot of favorite teachers throughout my school days. In fourth grade, I was in a new school setting, along with several other of my school mates, as they merged schools. I would have to say my fourth grade teacher that year really made me feel welcome and comfortable in class. She made classroom learning fun but serious as well. I also would have to say my favorite subject throughout school was band. We had so much fun in band and I learned so very much. I had so many different experiences from being in solo competitions to going abroad for 30 days with an International band.

376. Pamela said,

     March 21, 2010 @ 11:24 am

     Mr. Alford, fourth grade English, was my most gifted teacher. We knew that he truly cared about each of us, and we felt privileged to be in his class. He made even the most mundane topics interesting, creating mnemonic devices or funny stories to help us. I still mourn his premature death, decades later.

377. Allen said,

     March 21, 2010 @ 12:22 pm

     I can remember at least a half dozen stand outs… but the one who I liked the best who taught me for the longest period of time was my 5th through 8th grade (!) English teacher, Mrs. Bedwell. She taught 5th and 6th grade English. And then moved to 7th and 8th grade just as I moved through those grades… I still remember how to diagram sentences like a pro, and I can even recite the poetry that I had to learn way back then…. that’s some impression she made. Whatta’ woman!

378. Beth said,

     March 21, 2010 @ 12:58 pm

     Mine was Mrs. Johnson in 3rd Grade. School came pretty naturally to me, but she found a way to challenge me and kept me from settling for mediocrity.

379. Carrie said,

     March 21, 2010 @ 12:59 pm

     Mr. Taliefero was my favorite. He read “The Hobbit” to my 5th grade class and illustrated it for us. He really seemed like he cared about us kids and was one of those teachers who really makes a difference for his students.

380. Chrissie Morneau said,

     March 21, 2010 @ 1:17 pm

     Mrs. Trimmer was my middle school art teacher….besides being awesome and thinking up cool projects for us, she and the librarian started an after-school craft club for us nerdy kids who liked to make things. I got to try out lots of different kinds of needlework that way.

     I also loved my second grade teacher because she was the nicest one of my elementary teachers and never yelled at me about my messy desk.

381. Meaghan Nelson said,

     March 21, 2010 @ 2:18 pm

     Mr Parker was my favorite teacher in 12th grade.

382. Ashley said,

     March 21, 2010 @ 2:23 pm

     My favorite teacher was my kindergarten teacher named Ms. Scarlett O’Hara, no lie! I remember having so much much!

383. Allison said,

     March 21, 2010 @ 2:56 pm

     My favorite teacher was my 7th and 8th grade math teacher, Miss Rupar. She’s a large part of the reason that I grew up to be a math teacher. She was also my tennis coach through middle school and high school. She was strict but fair and always pushed me to do better, even when I was at the top of the class.

384. Barb in MA said,

     March 21, 2010 @ 3:21 pm

     The teacher that stands out for me is Miss McKenna, 8th grade teacher at the Hood School in Lawrence. Even before reaching the 8th grade, if she was in the hallway, there was no nonsense, none at all. and I appreciated it. I have to add that my best memory was of the school (and then the lack of it). They closed the school shortly after I graduated from 8th grade, and I lived close enough to see it’s destruction. All the memories… before the age of leash law when my family dog, Tiger, would walk down and visit me at recess, although she had to stay on the outside of the school fence, being able to walk home for lunch and the groups led by a leader, as there was no pick-up or busing, we all walked home in designated groups. I guess I have dated myself. – Barb in MA

385. Mary Ellen said,

     March 21, 2010 @ 4:22 pm

     Mrs. Martin….she was my neighbor and my 2nd and 4th grade teacher.

386. Jennie said,

     March 21, 2010 @ 4:36 pm

     This is a tough question to answer! I really liked them all!
     I guess my 3rd grade teacher, Mrs. Herczog at Oaks Elementary was my favorite. She was just so kind and liked to have fun in class!

387. Jamie H said,

     March 21, 2010 @ 5:06 pm

     My favorite teachers were always the ones that taught history or political science. Since those were my favorite subjects, it makes since I would like those teachers the best. My all time favorite was Mr. Luce, one of my high school history teachers. He really knew his stuff and was fair in his teaching and testing. And just really made the topics interesting!

388. Beth Gray said,

     March 21, 2010 @ 6:15 pm

     My favorite teacher was my high school geometry teacher, Mrs. White. She made learning fun, and I can still remember a lot of what she taught some 35 years later.

389. Kathy Michel said,

     March 21, 2010 @ 6:48 pm

     My favorite teacher was Mrs Parker in high school chemistry. She made the whole subject come alive and always was sure to include how chemistry can be applied to everyday life. She talked about genetics and advised us all that, when the time came to choose a life partner, to be sure to look over his/her entire family and know, that by selecting that person, we were also choosing all their genetic traits as well. She managed to make the entire class want to work hard for her. Here it is 45 years later and I still remember her fondly. Fascinating woman who made her subject matter fascinating too.

390. Becky said,

     March 21, 2010 @ 7:10 pm

     My favorite teacher was a college English teacher, Ms. Caldwell. She really inspired me to do my best, and, personally, to come out of my shell and share more often.

391. Anna said,

     March 21, 2010 @ 7:35 pm

     My favourite teacher was definitely Helen (we did the first-name thing at my primary school) in Grade 6, simply because her classroom was always filled with various awesome pets. We had rats, a mouse, yabbies, chickens, and even a lamb for a while. Oh, and she taught us all calligraphy – nothing like a classroom full of 11-year-olds who can all write semi-decent Gothic script…

     (hah, wow, I sound so conspicuously Australian writing this: “primary school”, “grade 6″, “yabbies”…)

392. Susan said,

     March 21, 2010 @ 7:51 pm

     My favorite teacher, hands down, has to be my 5th grade teacher at Griffith Elementary in St. Louis, Mo, Ms. Arps. She was a wonderful woman and fantastic teacher. I had a lot of trouble in grade school, not academically but socially, and at that school in particular. I went there for 3 years and they were the worst school years I can remember but Ms Arps made my days so much better by making me feel special. She had a “Top Banana” list on the bulletin board and my papers were always up there. At some point she noticed that I would finish my in-class work more quickly than the others so she would always give me a stack of papers to help her grade. It really boosted my self esteem! She really meant a lot to me and when I left that school half way through 6th grade, she made sure to give me her address so that we could keep in contact. I miss her very much, and I truly hope that every kid has a teacher like her at some point in their school “career”.

393. Jessey said,

     March 21, 2010 @ 8:36 pm

     Mr. Melchior in 4th grade, who promised me I could call him an idiot in my speech if I was high school valedictorian – then showed up ten years later to hear me do it!

394. Les said,

     March 21, 2010 @ 8:53 pm

     Mrs. Schuda, 10th and 12th grade English (honors and AP, respectively). Loved literature, loved us, didn’t suffer fools gladly. (She never got mad at us, but we heard her down the hall once, at another class. We never never never never wanted to cross her.) For AP Literature, we had to read *five* Shakespeare plays, among other things. Teacher’s option for two of them, so she picked “Taming of the Shrew” and “Much Ado About Nothing”. I’d never enjoyed Shakespeare so much. She actually gave me a graduation gift, which she didn’t do, she had so many students.

395. Michelle said,

     March 21, 2010 @ 9:36 pm

     I had a lot of favorites as I went through school, but Mr. Olsen in high school was definitely a favorite. He taught English, and was so much fun. The district decided that high schoolers were too old for holiday parties (except for language classes, where it was a “cultural experience”). So, Mr. Olsen organized the Early English and Renaissance Foods Symposium. We each brought in a food and a quote that tied it to what we were reading (Chaucer, Shakespeare, etc.). My favorite entry was “What, you egg!-nog”

396. Beth said,

     March 21, 2010 @ 9:38 pm

     Mr. Belbin.. he taught History at my High School. I wasn’t a huge fan of history, but he made learning interesting and fun. It wasn’t just dates and facts and “you need to know this”. It was people, and stories and the stuff that inspires teens.

397. Alicia said,

     March 21, 2010 @ 9:46 pm

     Frau McCullough, my high school German teacher, who made learning fun with video projects, songs, cooking days and other exciting explorations of culture.

398. Sylvia Frampton said,

     March 21, 2010 @ 10:24 pm

     my favorite was and still is Rosmary Troxel from Panther Lake elementary 6th grade science circa 1966 we still correspond at christmas….

399. Kathy Sue said,

     March 21, 2010 @ 10:29 pm

     My favorite teacher was my International Relations teacher in High School, Mr. Ceccini (chick-in-knee). His explanation, not mine. The first day of class he said “OK, we are not supposed to talk about sex, religion or politics–which one should we start with?” I learned a lot of practical life lessons in that class, and some “International Relations”, too!

400. Debbie said,

     March 21, 2010 @ 10:30 pm

     Mrs Doyle, not just a teacher but mentor and my friend

401. Joy Linn said,

     March 21, 2010 @ 10:40 pm

     My favorite teacher was my College Choir teacher, Mrs. Crawford. I took College Choir as long as I could (being a nursing student I couldn’t take many electives) and when i couldn’t take the course any more, I still sang in the choir as a volunteer and practiced on Sundays…she made singing hymns a real joy!

402. michelle said,

     March 21, 2010 @ 11:11 pm

     My favorite teacher of all time was my high school honors English teacher Mrs. Meadows, she taught us to be “farmers” and not “shop keepers” we still exchange Christmas cards and emails throughout the year

403. Dawne said,

     March 21, 2010 @ 11:36 pm

     My favourite teacher was Mrs.Armstrong. She was strict but nurturing and kept the classroom interesting. She used to read aloud to us every day after lunch from 1-1:15 … I loved that time of day and was introduced to so many different authors and genres thanks to her

404. Marsha said,

     March 22, 2010 @ 6:04 am

     My favorite teacher was my high school English teacher, Mr. Siringer, who taught me self esteem. I also admired my high school Chemistry teacher, Mr. Lemmon and wanted to be just like him until I encountered calculus and organic chemistry in college! By the way have you tried the dark cherry mocha at Starbuck’s? It is way too good! And, yes, our daffodils (the mini ones) are blooming. Don’t you love spring?

405. Kate said,

     March 22, 2010 @ 7:08 am

     Mrs. Oliphant…my first grade teacher. She was so nice and always encouraging. She helped me get over my dislike of school after having had a horrible kindergarden (sp?) teacher.

406. Andrea said,

     March 22, 2010 @ 7:10 am

     I had a bunch, depending on the school.

     At Our Lady of Fatima, there was my kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Kingerski. Lovely woman, so vivacious and loved to teach small children. I was a really lonely child because I was shy but also very smart. She knew that I liked to tell stories and introduced me to a typewriter so they could come to life. (This was in 1994, before everyone and their cousins owned a PC.) Then there was Mrs. Nolan, my fourth-grade teacher, who was so sweet and kind to me, and genuinely stimulated my interest in learning.

     At R.H. Murray, Mrs. Manninen was this awesome tough old broad who was super-strict in many ways, but had a wicked sense of humor and the patience of a saint. No word of a lie, the split grade 7/8 class I was in had up to 46 students in it at one time. Her speeches on “wear your deoderant because you stink!” were definitely appreciated in a room full of sweaty pre-teens.

     In high school, Mrs. Henschel was my 11th and 12th grade bio teacher and I had the biggest girl-crush on her. She was beautiful, super intelligent, and was the one who encouraged me to be a midwife. Her daughter was my flower girl at my wedding.

     I could go on forever about my university profs, but I won’t, because all of them have added their own unique influence on me and my ideals.

407. Kate said,

     March 22, 2010 @ 7:10 am

     My favorite teacher was my high school anatomy teacher, he Mr. Johnson, he knew exactly how to present the class criteria to make you want to memorize how many bones were in the ear! But then also made the class enjoyable, he was a retired dairy farmer and we were current dairy farmers so that may have been what made the class enjoyable as well because he had something incommon with most of the students and understood where we were coming from and wasn’t just another teacher that moved to the town.

408. Kim said,

     March 22, 2010 @ 7:14 am

     My favoite teacher was my second grade teacher, Ms. Palmer. We lived in germany at the time, and she used to take us out to see things in the city. If our grades were good, we also got to go to her house for dinner once! It was so neat! I remember she had one of those big wicker chairs that looked like a throne. There was an ice cream cart below her house, so after we had dinner-it may have been lunch for all i can remember-she took us down for ice cream!

409. nancy said,

     March 22, 2010 @ 7:17 am

     My favorite teacher was my 8th grade Science teacher. He made us all think harder. He told me I had an inquiring mind and that I needed to answer the questions it asked of me. I still find Science to be one of my favorite areas of learning.

410. Tanya said,

     March 22, 2010 @ 7:19 am

     Mrs. Edwinmeyer in the fourth grade really taught me to like myself, which I think made all the difference from there on out. I wouldn’t be the person I am today without her.

411. Sharon said,

     March 22, 2010 @ 7:21 am

     My high school english teacher, Ms. Raven. She changed my path in life.

412. Barbara said,

     March 22, 2010 @ 8:28 am

     Mrs. Lee, I was fortunate to have her twice, third grade and then fifth grade. She was a very special teacher, kind, saw potential in every student.

413. Cyndy Harkins said,

     March 22, 2010 @ 8:53 am

     It goes back a long ways, but my second grade teacher Miss Selky (sp?). She was young and fun and when she got married, she invited the entire class to her wedding. I got the measles right before the big day and couldn’t go. I was a very disappointed little girl.

414. Alice said,

     March 22, 2010 @ 8:56 am

     My favorite teacher would have to be Mr. Hendrick, who I had for Band grades 7-12.

415. Naomi said,

     March 22, 2010 @ 8:57 am

     This is a tough one. I was fortunate enough to have several wonderful teachers. In middle school it was Mrs. Lind. She was the TAG (talented and gifted) teacher and I had her for 6th through 8th grade. She always started class with a brain teaser to warm us up. In high school it was Mr. Wilkins who was our choir instructor. He was just down right fun.

416. Gina said,

     March 22, 2010 @ 8:57 am

     Mrs. Parlin. 5th grade (i think =) In the days of shirtwaist dresses and very high heels for teachers…she ran the bases in the playground baseball game in those heels! Still remembered my name 30 years later. Because I was so good, I’m sure!!

417. Michelle said,

     March 22, 2010 @ 9:17 am

     My favorite was Mrs. Collins. She was sweet and that was a wonderful, happy, innocent time in my life. Life was good and she always had wonderful things to say to her class.

418. Helene said,

     March 22, 2010 @ 9:20 am

     My favorite teacher was Mrs. Holtzman – 9th grade english. she made shakespeare come alive and really seemed to care about each of us. And with 41 kids in the class, this was not easy.

419. Linda O'Brien said,

     March 22, 2010 @ 9:42 am

     My favorite teacher was my 5th grade teacher Miss Matthews. She especially loved history and I can still remember her telling us girls to pursue a college education. She retired that year and had a masters in teaching at a time when few women did. It was 1969 and she had taught her whole life and never married.

420. Lisa C said,

     March 22, 2010 @ 9:43 am

     My favourite teacher was Mr Smith, my 5th year English teacher. He once ate a page of his dictionary during class because of a word I’d used in a poem.
     The word was “turbid” and he declared there was no such word. I’d found it in a thesaurus and stood by my usage. (A big deal as I was a quiet mouse of a girl!). He told me he’d check up on it and if I was right he’d eat a page of his dictionary.
     Our very next lesson he called me over, explained how he’d commented on the word to his wife who said “Of course there’s such a word!” and how he’d then realized he actually knew many quotes/poems that use the word. He chuckled, then turned to the back of his dicionary, tore out a blank page and ate it.
     As most of the other students in class did not even know of his promise to me, they were rather surprised at his actions!

421. Andrea (@shutterbitch on twitter) said,

     March 22, 2010 @ 9:50 am

     My favorite teacher was Mrs. Deal, who just seemed to ‘get’ kids. She was a 5th grade teacher, and she also doubled as a 4th grade math teacher, so I had her twice for math. Those are the years when I realized that maybe math wasn’t so freaky after all, says the accountant.

     My other favorite teacher was Mr. Lasley, my senior English AP teacher, who didn’t base class on grades but on learning. It was eye-opening to learn for the sake of learning rather than the goal of getting a good letter grade. I still remember more from his class than any other english class I ever took.

422. Marjorie Hartnett said,

     March 22, 2010 @ 10:06 am

     Miss Russell at Kents Hill School in Maine. She was my Engllish teacher and also my drama teacher. We had so much fun. She made me love english…..and acting.

423. Jenn Jacoby said,

     March 22, 2010 @ 10:08 am

     My favorite teacher was my biology/anatomy teacher in high school (her name escapes me at the moment!). She made the class interesting, and encouraged the students to be the best they can be. She really sparked my interest in science, and told me I could do anything I wanted to! And it’s really sad I can’t remember her name right now !

424. Nancy W said,

     March 22, 2010 @ 10:31 am

     My favorite teacher was my high school US Government teacher, Mrs. Hamilton. She made the operation of the US government fascinating and led me to a political science major in college.

425. Jane Shooer said,

     March 22, 2010 @ 10:51 am

     Mr Murphy in 8th grade. He wrote on my English paper that I could sustain a metaphor as well as any adult. He gave me the courage to write.

426. Paula said,

     March 22, 2010 @ 11:28 am

     Mr. Medd was my favorite teacher. He taught us in 5th grade and made us feel like a class. We all succeeded or failed together. For the 24 of us, this was a priceless gift.

     My second favorite teacher was my 8th grade science teacher, Mr. Lewis. He made science fun. I still remember that wind is caused not by the trees waving back and forth, but by the unequal heating and cooling of the earth. Trying to prove it wasn’t the trees (and also proving that the sun didn’t set because lights go on) was a big step forward for me.

427. Sherry said,

     March 22, 2010 @ 11:30 am

     My favorite teacher was Mr. Ackerly. He taught Government, a hated subject, but he was such a great guy no one minded the subject. I had to sit in his desk almost everyday cause I couldn’t stop talking in his class. I still keep in touch with him on Facebook.

428. Tricia said,

     March 22, 2010 @ 11:35 am

     Mrs Goodway, my 10th grade history teacher – her lessons were fun, so we remembered what she taught us. Plus I got to know her as an undergraduate as she lived on the campus where her husband lectured, and she was just a delightful person. She died far too young, unfortunately.

429. jackie said,

     March 22, 2010 @ 11:36 am

     My favourite teacher was Miss Mcilroy as she was young herself and understood what it was like to be a seventeen year old schoolgirl or boy. We had great fun in her Geography lessons and field trips.

430. danielle said,

     March 22, 2010 @ 12:11 pm

     Hey – not that I like the yarn – but wouldnt those individual cupcake holders be a great way to show off a ball of Fixation (or other yarn that size) yarn!!!

     My fave ia a 3 way tie : my 6th grade teacher – could have told you her name up until the point you asked for it! – who shared her passions with us as well as the usual school stuff; Sr Rose who made me fall in love with Petra even tho I probably will never be brace enough to see it; and my HS science teacher who made learning FUN and not a CHORE!

431. Michelle L said,

     March 22, 2010 @ 12:11 pm

     Wow, I didn’t realize until now how lucky I was to have had so many great teachers over the years! Many “favorites,” for assorted reasons, but I suppose the one who had the biggest impact on my life was Mr. Histed (“H”).

432. Ardosa said,

     March 22, 2010 @ 12:21 pm

     if i had to pull my pre-college days, my favorite was Dr. Glorie Deutch. She was my chem teacher in high school and taught me not only chem but actually how to start read ‘scientifically’. I wrote my first proper research paper for her (not like the english ones, but proper scientific one. i even remember it was on cancer treatments). If it wasn’t for her, i don’t know if i would have wound up in my love of sciences and then be in the position i am today

433. Michelle said,

     March 22, 2010 @ 12:34 pm

     Ms. Schumann – High School French and English

     She was fresh out of college and she seemed to better understand us. She had more energy and enthusiasm than my other teachers. Plus, I really, really liked the subjects she taught.

434. Karen in Toledo said,

     March 22, 2010 @ 12:39 pm

     Sister Elizabeth, my first grade teacher. She made learning so much fun, and had such a wonderful patience for all of us. Sr. Elizabeth was kind, energetic, and thought nothing of sitting on the floor to play or read with students. She is long retired now, but still living, and still in contact with my family.

435. Janice said,

     March 22, 2010 @ 12:48 pm

     My favorite has to be Mrs. Kathryn Allen, my English teacher in High School. She brought the classics to life. Before Mrs. Allen, I was intimidated by classic literature but she deconstructed it and made it approachable.

436. Brenna said,

     March 22, 2010 @ 12:52 pm

     I loved Mr. Nath. He was my freshman English teacher. He was a buddy and a teacher. After I graduated high school I ran into him at the Renaissance Faire as an ale vendor. It was his weekend job.

437. Trish said,

     March 22, 2010 @ 12:54 pm

     My favorite teacher was my high school Science teacher Mr. Ed. He made learning fun. I always loved going to school but I looked forward to his class every day. I don’t think I would have passed Biology & Chemistry without him.

438. Grace said,

     March 22, 2010 @ 1:13 pm

     My statistics teacher in College. She actually made it enjoyable and fun.

439. Karla said,

     March 22, 2010 @ 1:16 pm

     Mrs. Scott for 4th grade. What an awesome woman!!!! Her parents were missionaries in India when she was a child and she shared the most fascinating stories about living in India as a young girl. She was a remarkable teacher and made a huge difference in my interest in education.

440. Cassandra said,

     March 22, 2010 @ 1:32 pm

     My most favorite teacher was Mrs.Frye of first grade. In April of that year I was ‘lucky’ enough to get both the measles and mumps within 2 weeks of one another. Needless to say I had to miss several days of school. I very distinctly remember her coming over to my house and visiting me and going over my classwork (such as it was for 1st grade !) with me. That visit meant a lot to me and as you can tell……I remember it very vividly!

441. Cyndi said,

     March 22, 2010 @ 1:58 pm

     Ms. Bovers – my second grade teacher. She would let me spend my time in the library when I finished assignments!

442. Judi Schaffer said,

     March 22, 2010 @ 1:58 pm

     My favorite teacher was Mr. Dahlthorp in the sixth grade. My best friend and I were chosen to help decorate the classroom after school. Also, he recognized a math ability in me and encouraged me to progress beyond the books available for the sixth grade. He was also the first male teacher I had and he left after that year to teach in Alaska. Okay, I also had a crush on him.

443. Suellen said,

     March 22, 2010 @ 2:02 pm

     My favorite teacher was Mrs. Shubert in 12th grade. She taught writing and literature, and through copious writes and rewrites, actually helped me become confident in my writing. I am still grateful to her today!

444. Michele said,

     March 22, 2010 @ 2:05 pm

     Me! Just kidding..actually Mike, my horse trainer who taught me and still teaches me how to ride horses.

445. Brianna said,

     March 22, 2010 @ 2:09 pm

     One of my all-time favorite teachers was Mrs. Marshall, my most-of-second-grade teacher. I moved from first to second grade a couple months into the year, mostly because Mrs. Marshall volunteered a lot of time to take me under her wing. She was such a wonderful, caring teacher, and I think I owe a lot of my later success in education to her.

446. Denese said,

     March 22, 2010 @ 2:36 pm

     I had wonderful teachers in elementary school. It’s hard to choose just one. I especially remember Miss Reitz (2nd grade) who played the piano and taught us Broadway showtunes. I still remember them nearly 50 years later.

447. Jayne said,

     March 22, 2010 @ 3:07 pm

     Hands down it had to be Mr. Wolinski, who was my Junior year english teacher. He was this dynamic little blond man who was fierce and passionate, and struck fear into everyone’s hearts, but pushed me into really challenging myself through my writing. He also exposed our class to all types of other arts, including music and architecture. Up until then I had been a pretty science/math oriented person, and he was able to broaden my interests so far – I owe such a debt to him that I can’t ever repay. Here’s to you!

448. Rasa Chambers said,

     March 22, 2010 @ 3:08 pm

     My favorite teachers were Mr. Cowger and Mrs. Williams. They team taught Junior/senior history and government at Manchester HS. They loved their subjects and were inspirational. They also encouraged my to participate in the Close Up program. I ended up working and retiring from Goverment work.

449. Barbara said,

     March 22, 2010 @ 3:12 pm

     My favorite teacher was either Mrs. Oshel, who was my chorus and music theory teacher in high school, or Mrs. Lilly, who was my organ professor in college. Both were so wonderful – funny, a little eccentric, very accepting. They both shaped my decision at the time to major in music – in organ – and I felt supported and enjoyed every minute.

450. Mya said,

     March 22, 2010 @ 3:13 pm

     My favorite teacher was my 3rd grade teacher Mrs. Witty. She had a contest each month for the students who read the most books and they would get to go with her to lunch at a fast food restaurant. I suppose now days that wouldn’t be very special but when I was in 3rd grade my family NEVER ate at a fast food place so that was such a special treat. And we got a stick of carefree bubble gum if we got a 100% on our spelling test. I always studied super hard so I could get my gum.

451. Melanie said,

     March 22, 2010 @ 3:25 pm

     Mr. McDonald in 3rd (and 6th) grade. I went to elementary school in a town of 345 people (middle of no-where, Oregon, I think it was called) so there wasn’t a lot of variety when it came to teachers. Mr. McD was always cheerful, and funny. He’s one of the best teachers I ever had, even after we moved to places that had more than one class per grade.

452. BFF Liz said,

     March 22, 2010 @ 3:35 pm

     Mrs. Bernstein–11th grade Honors English. She made me feel worthwhile and extraordinary. I’ll never forget her for paying for me to go on a field trip. I’d worked hard all year to help the class raise money to go, but my family was so broke that we didn’t have the $8 to pay for my portion of the trip. Mrs. B, you’re a peach.

453. Mary said,

     March 22, 2010 @ 3:35 pm

     Miss K in sixth grade.

454. Nadia said,

     March 22, 2010 @ 3:41 pm

     My 4th grade teacher stands out as kind and energetic, with an infectious love of learning that transfered to each and every student in her class. What a shame the time and place was such that she was made to give up her job once she got married. Such a loss to her dedicated students.

455. catspaw said,

     March 22, 2010 @ 3:49 pm

     I was lucky in having some really good teachers in our public school system. But my very favorite was my junior choir director, Ruth Rodd, She may not be what you would consider a “real” teacher but she taught me a lot about music and singing and helped instill a life sustaining love of music.

456. Debra said,

     March 22, 2010 @ 4:01 pm

     My favorite teacher was Mr. Wintony. He taught geography and philosophy to my children. As well as being a fabulous teacher he is a terrific musician. His rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody would knock your socks off! Way to go John.

457. JenL said,

     March 22, 2010 @ 4:28 pm

     It’s hard to pick a favorite teacher. If really pressed, I guess I would pick Mrs. Lobb (10th grade English), who challenged us to think for ourselves, made us work really hard, but had the biggest heart of any teacher I ever met. We were in the middle of taking our fall semester final on Julius Caesar when she was called out of the room. I will never forget the look on her face when she came back in with a note that she read to the class – Challenger had blown up. She gave us a few minutes to grieve together before getting us back on track to finish our tests.

458. Carolyn said,

     March 22, 2010 @ 4:32 pm

     My favorite teacher was Sister Charla. I had her for 2nd and 3rd grade. She taught me to read, and really started my love for reading. I saw her again this last summer when the parish that I went to school at celebrated its 150th anniversary. She came to the celebration, and remembered me, 40 years later!

459. Paula said,

     March 22, 2010 @ 4:34 pm

     Uncas McGuire who taught high school speech. I learned to volunteer to be first because he gave a higher grade and you didn’t have to fret about your presentation for long. I don’t have a fear of public speaking thanks to Mr. McGuire.

     We had the same goofy weather in Iowa. Lovely on Thursday and Friday until it started snowing around 3:30. We ended up with about 6 inches of the stuff.

460. Marseille said,

     March 22, 2010 @ 4:36 pm

     Mine was Mrs. Smith–she taught a special program to a few of us throughout elementary and middle school. She was a fantastic person–very encouraging, and good at reaching all of us–and we were each different, and, I believe, a different challenge.

461. Ruth said,

     March 22, 2010 @ 4:37 pm

     my favorite teacher was Mrs. Longan. I’m probably not spelling that right. She was my first grade teacher and she encouraged me to write.

     You play harp? I always knew you were an angel.

462. Samoofish said,

     March 22, 2010 @ 4:41 pm

     Mrs. Curry, my high school art teacher and my Latin teacher (horrible that I can’t remeber her name). Big influences on breaking the mold!

     I’ve only seen birds (Red Wing Blackbirds and Sand Hill Cranes) as signs of spring. No plants are growing here!

463. Dottie said,

     March 22, 2010 @ 4:55 pm

     My favorite was Mr. Hallin, my social studies teacher in 7th and 8th grade. He made history come alive and encouraged us to be creative with projects. He took a real interest in us, and expected us to work up to our potential.

464. Conchita Newman said,

     March 22, 2010 @ 5:13 pm

     Mrs. K. was my 4th grade teacher. I honestly don’t even remember her full last name because we all just called her Mrs. K, but she was one of the best teachers I have ever had. She was actually on of the ‘finalists’ to go up in the “Challenger” space shuttle. Thank goodness she didn’t. We watched the whole Challenger take-off and explosion in her class that day and I still remember the look on her face when the tragedy happened, but, like a good teacher, she reined in her emotions and held it together for us.

     There were so many teachers that I adored and were so influential in my becoming who I am. I almost feel like I’m betraying some of them by just naming one. I have definitely been blessed to have had such wonderful teachers in my life! I hope my children have as many, if not more, incredible teachers as I had growing up.

465. Gail Schley said,

     March 22, 2010 @ 5:27 pm

     Mr. DeVita, my middle school English teacher, was one of the best I ever had. He brought the literature alive, especially the poetry. I remember him being short of stature but having a very big heart!

466. Megan said,

     March 22, 2010 @ 6:09 pm

     my high school latin teacher. she helped me place in the national latin exam in 1987. do they even teach latin in high school anymore? geez i’m old!

467. Jane said,

     March 22, 2010 @ 6:21 pm

     Mrs. McNeill – 5th grade and Mrs. Ciao – HS English

468. Terry said,

     March 22, 2010 @ 6:23 pm

     The most memorable and liked teacher was Pierre Brouqua – can you guess what he taught? He was my French teacher in what used to be called junior high (middle school). There were only about 6-8 of us and we’d all sit on the desks on the left front of the room and he’d sit backwards on a desk facing us to talk, teach, tell stories. It was always wonderful to have him on Monday mornings because he’d always ask us how are weekends were (made us young teens feel important!) and listen and respond. Then he’d get into the lesson if there was time left!

469. Katy said,

     March 22, 2010 @ 6:25 pm

     Mrs. Gustafson, my 1st grade teacher seemed like the most beautiful, kindest woman ever to my shy little 6 year old self. I remember one day I was having a hard time because my mom was out of town for a couple weeks for work, and Mrs. Gustafson let me sit on her lap at her desk, and helped me write a letter to my mom. It helped so much, and I’ve never forgotten it.

470. Sara said,

     March 22, 2010 @ 6:38 pm

     I think that honor would go to my elementary school science teacher, Mrs. Elmer. She was always willing to answer my questions. I suspect that she may have something to do with the fact that, at 20 years later, I’m getting my Ph.D. in biology.

471. Amy said,

     March 22, 2010 @ 6:59 pm

     Ms. McCartney, from 4th grade. She created a program called “World Class Sleuth” that encouraged intellectual competition and reading and gave small prizes and trophies for milestones along the way. At the end, you got to color in a sleuth figure and have it posted in the room, along with getting a trophy with your name on it! She was one of the best teachers I ever had but she unfortunately left the school district the year after she taught my grade. She was awesomely fun and everyone who wasn’t in her class was jealous of everyone who was!

472. elizabeth said,

     March 22, 2010 @ 7:46 pm

     The teacher I remember would be Mr. Ramage from Ford Country Day School in Los Altos Hills, CA-he was one of the best!
     The worst teacher in the world would be Miss Dodge. I had her as a teacher when I moved to Brunswick, Maine as a 4th grader. She clearly didn’t enjoy her job or enjoy children. As a military child, it was hard to move around so much-she made it painful. She seriously liked perfect margins and would stalk around the room criticizing each student’s paper & would toss rulers. I must have come home crying for the first 2 months until I learned to turn her off-so to speak.

473. Katie said,

     March 22, 2010 @ 7:48 pm

     The teacher who stands out to me is the librarian in my elementary school. When I was in 4th grade, she put up a sign that said that anyone who wanted to learn to knit should show up at 4 pm on Thursdays. She patiently stayed with all of us, teaching us her craft, for no recognition or money. Her time has given me a lifetime of a hobby that is very meaningful to me.

474. Sheri at The Loopy Ewe » Teachers and The Monday Update said,

     March 22, 2010 @ 8:02 pm

     [...] have loved reading all of your posts about your favorite teachers. (Keep posting – the contest goes through this Friday.) It’s often the little things [...]

475. AJ said,

     March 22, 2010 @ 8:35 pm

     My favorite teacher was my 4th grade teacher. She kept me in at recess a few times to teach me advanced math – I was a geek, and bored in class, so this was a good thing, not punishment (especially in the middle of a snowy Prairie winter)… I also had an amazing physics teacher who had a PhD but chose (and clearly loved) to teach high school science; his classes were always fun but also challenging.

476. Linda said,

     March 22, 2010 @ 8:46 pm

     My freshman English teacher in high school was the funniest, most engaging teacher I ever had. He introduced us to Shakespeare by reading an act of Romeo and Juliet to us, and since he was also the drama teacher, he mesmerized us all! He was the first teacher to praise and encourage my writing skills, which changed my life. I’ve been writing ever since! I’ll always be grateful he was my teacher.

477. Leslie DaRonco said,

     March 22, 2010 @ 8:58 pm

     Mrs. Howey from my 12th grade English class. She was wonderful enough to make “Ivanhoe” and “Silas Marner” interesting. Not easy to do. I’ve never forgotten her and it’s been almost 40 years since I’ve graduated from high school.

478. Karen said,

     March 22, 2010 @ 9:11 pm

     My favorite teacher was Mr. Morrel, my sophomore chemistry teacher. He was funny and engaging…and I’m now a chemist! He had the good humor to let me take tests in crayon, which I loved. I never would have considered chemistry before, but that’s where I ended up (happily).

479. Jean said,

     March 22, 2010 @ 9:18 pm

     My favorite teacher would have to be my kindergarten teacher Mrs. Williams. We had to stay in school all day as there was only 1 school bus, so we would all be napping while Mrs. Williams baked us something in the kitchen (there was one in our school room). She also taught us to work together, once she had us all take a turn cranking away on something – at the end we were surprised at the ice cream we produced. She was loving and never stern, I’m over 50 now, but I still remember her like it was yesterday. Oh and thank you for the contest.

480. Cheryl said,

     March 22, 2010 @ 9:18 pm

     After 2 days of considering… I’ve been blessed with a good many great teachers. But, I have to say, I think my husband is a Great Teacher–and he went on to be a principal and then superintendent of our small district. We have lots of funny stories about local children and his relationship with them at school. It is so nice to have young adults meet us in the community and say “hi, you were great to me”. He worked so hard to make life in the classroom easier for teachers and students. No one knows but me how agonizing it is for the “big cheese” (the name the kindergardeners gave him one year) to decide if it’s safe in the snow to have school or not in a rural area. Having an 80% college attendance rate for 20 years tells a lot about his efforts, and the good teachers here.
     There are some terrific posts on this topic. As a nurse, I often say: we will all be patients some day. But, my husband can say: all of us are students in life.

481. Heather said,

     March 22, 2010 @ 9:19 pm

     My favorite teacher was Mrs. Mangels, my 11th grade English teacher. I always loved English and she made her classes fun. Mrs. Mangels nominated me for the English Academic Achievement award which I won and was so proud! She also offered help to me when I was going through a difficult time. She was the most caring teacher I even had and will never forget her!

482. Nanette said,

     March 22, 2010 @ 9:28 pm

     My favorite teacher was my elementary school Enrichment teacher/6th grade English teacher, Mrs. Naue. She valued creativity and “thinking differently.” I remember making a mummy out of clay in third grade Enrichment as part of an Egypt unit, and eating astronaut ice cream in fifth grade. Mrs. Naue was a finalist in the Teacher in Space contest in ’84–she was very interested in space travel and shared her enthusiasm with her students.

     She was smart, dedicated, and just plain awesome. I wish there were more people like her in the world!

483. Terry said,

     March 22, 2010 @ 9:48 pm

     I have had the good fortune of having two favorite teachers. My first was my English teacher Freshman Mrs. Farr. I’d just moved to the suburbs of Philadelphia and the huge chip on my shoulder made it difficult to get to know my new classmates. Mrs. Farr somehow found out that I’d been really into Shakespeare in my old school and arranged for me and a couple of students to start a club where I met some of my closest friends.

     The second was my History teacher Mr. Flieder who was my mentor through all of high school. He unabashedly taught me the ways of the world both in class and while running numerous school clubs. He was always good for a laugh while motivating me to never settle for anything that wasn’t exceptional. Were friends to this day.

484. Julia said,

     March 22, 2010 @ 9:52 pm

     My favorite teacher was my 5th grade teacher Ms. Jackson. I loved to read by the time I left her class thanks to her!

485. Beverly Shaw said,

     March 22, 2010 @ 10:09 pm

     MY favorite teacher was Mr Norcross. He was my high school American History teacher. Mr. Norcross had the ability to make history come “alive.” He was an antique collector and startd off each chapter with items from that era on display and would explain why they were relevant to the chapter we were studying. I have since had the opportunity to visit many of the places we learned about and would like to be able to thank him for giving me a lifelong love of history, unfortunatley I’ve not been able to locate him.

486. Debbie D said,

     March 22, 2010 @ 10:40 pm

     My favorite wwas my high school music teacher – his influence led me to major in music education in college and become a music teacher myself!

487. Lee said,

     March 22, 2010 @ 10:44 pm

     My favorite teacher was… my high school PE teacher, Mr. Beedy….also know as my Dad ! Ha! Having my Dad as a teacher came with fun benefits… he used to take us into school on the weekends and we could use the trampoline !

488. Jani said,

     March 22, 2010 @ 11:00 pm

     So many great memories . . . my first favorite was Miss Rafferty, in third grade, who would read to us from Roald Dahl after lunch and the noon recess – she would turn the lights down and have us all sit around her on the story rug – magic!

489. Julie said,

     March 22, 2010 @ 11:00 pm

     It’s a hard choice bc I was lucky to have so many great teachers, but I think it would have to be Mrs McHale for high school AP English. She encouraged us and expected more than we thought that we were able to achieve and she was right! She taught us the Classics in Literature and guided us in our writing. She challenged us but she was FUN too. I should look her up:)

490. Megan said,

     March 22, 2010 @ 11:14 pm

     I had many great teachers over the years. One of my top 3 passed away a couple of years ago from a horrible illness. Mrs. Stimac had more life and creativity in her pinky fingernail clipping than I will have in my lifetime. She was the first teacher to get in depth with art and writing. Every Friday was a treat in her class. We had a 1 page minimum report due on the monthly topic. We dreaded it, but the afternoon more than made up for it. We learned a new art form. Sometimes it was making mosaics, or stain glass windows from tissue paper. Sometimes it was more of a sculpture. We also each got to take a turn as “teacher for an hour”. We could give a test, do an art project, read a book, whatever we could come up with, we could do…. with her guidance and applying to the curriculum, of course.

491. kelsey said,

     March 23, 2010 @ 12:15 am

     My favorite teacher was the man I had for ninth and eleventh grade English class, Mr. Cook. He was wonderfully supportive, very thoughtful, and had the biggest propensity for horrible puns out of everyone I’ve ever met. He also nurtured my writing more than any other instructor I’ve ever had. At that point in my life, I thought I wanted to become an English professor, and he was a great guide for that goal of mine as well, teaching at the local college as well as in our high school. I’ve since left that path, as I’ve realized my real love of English wasn’t so much for literature analysis as for language analysis (yay linguistics!!), but we still occasionally email. Actually, I’m way overdue for sending him an email, so I should probably get on that task…

492. Dan said,

     March 23, 2010 @ 1:11 am

     My favorite teacher was my high school french teacher, Mrs. Johnson at Central High School in Bridgeport, Connecticut. She taught me to value other cultures and to realize that those who are different from us enrich, rather than threaten, our lives.

493. Elaine said,

     March 23, 2010 @ 6:34 am

     My high school honors English teacher, Mr. David Battles, was my favorite. He had traveled all over the world, working at whatever and riding tramp cargo ships from port to port. He told us that we should take time off after high school to travel. Of course, we all ignored him and remained absorbed in college applications and plans for careers. Now, I think he was right. I would have been a much better student and employee if I’d grown up first.

494. christine said,

     March 23, 2010 @ 6:42 am

     I didn’t have my favorite teacher until college – Dr. Donnelly. I was a smart kid in high school without really having to try. Come college, all of a sudden I had to study to get good grades. My prof made it clear to me that she knew I could do A-level work and wouldn’t let me get away with B’s or C’s.

495. Kathleen said,

     March 23, 2010 @ 8:04 am

     My favorite teacher is Mrs. Lila Scholfield. I had her for 6th, 7th and 8th grade but she was my homeroom teacher for 7th grade. She was a typical older teacher that had “blue hair” and she started off each day with a poem. At the time we didn’t appreciate the poem because that meant we had to analyize it and talk about it during homeroom. I found out later that her family came from a long like of shipbuilders and she actually was an amazing woman. Regretably, I never had the opportunity to thank her for all she did as she died not too long after I graduated highschool. I always remember her with fondness and having an amazing spirit not to mention being a wonderful teacher.

496. Bettina said,

     March 23, 2010 @ 8:10 am

     My favourite teacher is prettu much directly responsible for my becoming a teacher myself!
     He was my English teacher, Herr Linkhorst, (I am German) and spoke 4 other languages (He also ran Swedish Club) and had done lots of other jobs before teaching, so his life experience really enriched the lessons (filled with learning Monty Python sketches by heart, having to sing pop songs into hair brushes, learning to pay Monopoly in English and then having to go to the Bank- role playing- and getting a good interest rate for your winnings, or spending them in an imaginary shop)

     What really stuck with me is the proverbs, sayings and word play we learnt, which made learning another language so much more fulfilling, even at age 11/12
     His favourite was a variation on Those who can, do…. Those who can do learnt from someone who teaches.

     To me, that just sums up why teaching is such a great profession.

497. Bettina said,

     March 23, 2010 @ 8:13 am

     sorry about the spelling mistakes in my post, I ran out of spellotape (and spilled coffee on my keyboard yesterday, the Y and L lowercase are on occasional strike unless I hit them hard)

498. Stephanie Phillips said,

     March 23, 2010 @ 8:34 am

     Is it ok that it’s a college professor? Dr. Wilson from my undergrad. She taught statistics so well that I didn’t even need to buy the text! I thought I was awful at math (thanks to high school) but I learned that it’s all about the teacher. It was so gratifying to learn statistics from an awesome female prof, and then go on to grad school and continue to do well at stats.

499. Mary Beth said,

     March 23, 2010 @ 8:35 am

     Mrs. Snable, who taught me math and calligraphy in grade school.

     Mr. Jaqumain who taught me science in high school.

     Mrs. Anchor who taught me to knit in the fifth grade.

     My husband who teaches me how to be a good friend.

     My children who teach me patience. Repeatedly.

     My cat who teaches me relaxation.

500. Sandy H. said,

     March 23, 2010 @ 9:01 am

     My favorite teacher was Mrs. Helen Rudin who was my history teacher in the 6th grade. She was so inspirational that I became a history major in college, went for a MA in Anthropology, spent 25 years in the classroom and 10 years as supervisor of the Social Studies department before retirement. I still swear that woman walked on water because of her gift of reaching young minds.

501. Kate B said,

     March 23, 2010 @ 9:53 am

     My favorite teacher was Mr. Couch, my high school Physics teacher. He made physics fun and treated every student with respect. I thought he was great back in high school, but learned he was even greater recently after he passed away. In his will, he left over a million dollars to the school – a small Catholic high school. He’s not there any more, but he’s still making a difference!

502. Liz said,

     March 23, 2010 @ 9:58 am

     My favorite teacher was Mr. Feldman, a super cool biology teacher. He let us do neat experiments!

503. Jody O said,

     March 23, 2010 @ 10:09 am

     Oh, this one is easy. Hands down it was Mrs. Westrom, my 4th grade teacher. She was a sweet person, who would read chapter books to us and have us begging for the next installment. I think my favorite thing about her was how she stood up to my sadistic 3rd grade teacher, Mrs. Backman (my least favorite teacher). Once Mrs. B. came down to the ‘big kids wing (grades 4-6)’ and started yelling at one of Mrs. Westrom’s students in the hallway. Mrs. Westrom excused herself, went into the hallway and told Mrs. B in no uncertain terms (but very politely) that Mrs. B. was to leave her students alone and to come see her if there was an issue to be discussed. When she came back in the room, I think the whole class wanted to cheer and applaud.

504. Jeannette said,

     March 23, 2010 @ 10:44 am

     My favorite was Sister Bernadette. She taught us to walk like “little ladies” and not elephants. Pretty impressive for 2nd graders.

505. Brigette said,

     March 23, 2010 @ 11:32 am

     My favorite teacher was my 6th grade English teacher Mr. Jackson. He was tough as nails on us but I learned alot from him. He taught us the lesson of working hard and doing our best. Anything less wasn’t good enough from him.

506. Geraldine Scott said,

     March 23, 2010 @ 11:41 am

     My favorite teacher was my first grade teacher, Mrs. Laura Morgan. She got my education off to a wonderful start with a love of learning! Over the years while growing up, I’d see her around town and she was always interested in how I was doing. And I find it ironic, 47 years later and 300 miles away from that classroom, I discovered that her son attends the same church that I do today! Talk about an instant connection!
     When I talk to him, it’s as if I’m talking to her….

507. Suzanne said,

     March 23, 2010 @ 12:01 pm

     Three favorites, and impossible to choose among them (could that explain why I’ve been a teacher myself for the last 40 years?): Robert Gore, who introduced me to poetry in grade 6; Joan Austin, ninth grade history, and a good friend ever since; and the late Bayne Kelley, English teacher extraordinaire when I was a sophomore and junior in high school.

508. Mary Anne Cox said,

     March 23, 2010 @ 12:01 pm

     Mrs. Bolander was my 5th grade teacher. She read wonderful books to us. Kipling’s “The Jungle Books” for one. Books beyond our ability to read silently came alive for us through her hours and hours of reading aloud. I know she is part of why I love to read today.

509. katrina craig-valvis said,

     March 23, 2010 @ 12:41 pm

     mrs cain, my first grade teacher at zuni elementary in albuquerque, nm. not only did she teach us well, but she trusted us enough to have a party at her house — her house with snow white shag carpeting throughout. second place, mr vicki, my 6th grade teacher at the same school, for reading the hobbit aloud to us each day after lunch.

510. Christine Bixby said,

     March 23, 2010 @ 12:42 pm

     I actually grew up in Germany and went to school there. My favorite teacher was Frau (Mrs.) Haak. I had her the last two years in German in High School. We read so many books and the hours with her were always like “sliding” into a different world. She took us to the theater and at the finals she gave us a vinyl protected glover for good luck. I really learnt for life and will never forget her.

511. Carol said,

     March 23, 2010 @ 1:26 pm

     My favorite teacher was Ms. Cathy Davis. She was my math teacher in both 7th and 8th grades at E. B. Aycock Jr. High School in Greenville, NC. On the last day of 7th grade, I told her “I hope I never see you again!” Days into 8th grade, however, I loved her! She was smart, took no mess (not from fresh mouth me or anyone else) and pushed me to succeed. She was friendly, but never let you forget she was in authority. Guess I needed that!

512. Karin Catalano said,

     March 23, 2010 @ 1:45 pm

     My favorite teacher was my 10th grade chemistry teacher. Without her, I would not have pursued chemistry in college.

513. Jessica said,

     March 23, 2010 @ 1:47 pm

     Mr. Brown my 10th grade geometry teacher. He used to always tell us “there’s more than one way to get to Cheney” to help us remember to be creative with problem solving.

514. Janet said,

     March 23, 2010 @ 2:16 pm

     My favorite teacher was Mrs. Ployhart. She epitomizes all that teachers need to be when they touch the lives of fragile and impressionable youth. She was given a classroom assignment which as an adult I realize was in itself a great challenge: 5th and 6th grade students in combination–all ability levels and all SES.

     Mrs. Ployhart knew I was very shy, so she worked with me and assigned me to help other students to help build my self-confidence. Because of the work she did with me, I was recognized as an outstanding student and was placed in advanced classes throughout the remainder of my school years.

     She died a year after I had her as a teacher, so I was never able to personally thank her, but I think that my years as a teacher were definitely influenced by the caring and encouragement that Mrs. Ployhart had shown to me.

515. Susan in Texas said,

     March 23, 2010 @ 2:40 pm

     My most influential teacher was Roger DiGuilian (Mr. D.) who taught string orchestra in my grade school, junior high and high school in Monroe, Louisiana We orchestra kids were at the bottom of the school’s social heap, and we were relegated to the most obscure location in the high school school (top floor attic-like room up a narrow flight of stairs that would not pass fire code today) for our rehearsals. Mr. D. made it his mission to introduce us to as much music as possible. Every day our small group sight-read our way through the masterworks of symphonic literature. I’m sure we made a frightful noise with much of it, but we learned it just the same. I later went on to study music (voice not viola) at two of the top music schools in the country. With this background, I breezed through my academic music studies, in contrast to talented kids from much more artistically advantaged school districts. Mr. D. passed away a few years ago, and I was able to share my memories of him with his wife and adult children.

516. Ronni said,

     March 23, 2010 @ 3:18 pm

     My favorite teacher was probably my 5th grade teacher. I loved going to school that year. But the teacher about whom I have the best stories is probably my piano teacher when I was in elementary school. As an adult looking back I can see that she was definitely eccentric and had some definite hoarding issues but as a kid, while she was a bit scary crazy in some ways, I never felt scared, just sort of exhilarated, and it was utterly fascinating (and probably ultimately good for me) to have such a non-conforming person in my life.

517. Tamara said,

     March 23, 2010 @ 3:38 pm

     My favorite teacher was Mr. A in high school. He was a really neat teacher!

518. Tamara said,

     March 23, 2010 @ 3:39 pm

     I forgot to add that those cupcakes look so yummy!!!!!!

519. Lahodges said,

     March 23, 2010 @ 3:45 pm

     I had a professor in College, Professor Dean, who literally helped me make it through Philosophy 6, which is logic. The class was so difficult, and I just couldn’t seem to grasp the concepts. It is a state required class, so I had to pass it. He let me come to his office constantly during office hours, helped me try to make the connections, helped me as I struggled through the whole semester. At the end of the class I received a B, because even though I struggled with all the tests during the semester, thanks to his constant help and patience I managed to score an A- on the final exam. I’ve never forgotten him. He was so dedicated to helping anyone who was will to put in the time pass the class. How hard was the class? The auditorium classroom was full with people standing against the walls the first night of class. He added everyone who wanted to add the class, and we all thought, OMG, where are all these people going to sit/stand during class? By the first exam the class was down to everyone had a seat, because of the drops. The night of the final exam there were 7 of us left.

520. Cathy said,

     March 23, 2010 @ 3:57 pm

     My favorite teacher was Edith VanDeventer – my 11th and 12th grade Home Ec teacher. In her tailoring class, she said to spend as much time finishing the inside of the garment (hand stitching in linings, etc) as the outside. Thus, my obsession with finishing and weaving ends in, etc on any of my knitted items.

521. Jennifer said,

     March 23, 2010 @ 4:20 pm

     Good question. I had a few great ones, but I’m going with my first thought – Mrs. Saxton in 5th grade – Ames, IA. she helped me come out of my shell and let me feel good about being smart. She kept everyone engaged and made the year fly by.

522. Lynn said,

     March 23, 2010 @ 4:21 pm

     2 favourite teachers–Mrs. Russell in Kindergarten. I think everyone loves their Kindergarten teacher. And Mrs. Higgins for high school accounting–she’s the reason I became a high school accounting teacher!!

523. Liz Tamiso said,

     March 23, 2010 @ 5:18 pm

     Mrs Odum from first grade – she did me the biggest favor of all, when she realized that I was reading at a 5th grade level already (cause I kept reading ahead during circle time). So she just made me into my own reading group, and went and got all the reading books and workbooks from the rest of the school. This lead into a life long love of reading and books, which is why I can read knitting patterns so well.

524. Loretta Barrett said,

     March 23, 2010 @ 5:30 pm

     The teacher who has a spot in my heart is Lucy Hopkins. I fell badly that she is no longer with us. But I know she’s up there knitting madly finishing one more row. She made it to 99 years young. Sharp as could be & witty (Oh my,yes) Knittingis goodfor the brain & the soul it seems. She was born in London England in a flat over a pub. Maybe that accounted for her wonderful sence of humor. She later became an American citizan. You see she was the one who tought me to knit. And I will alwaysbe so grateful for that wonderful gift. It has opened up a whole world of being a knitter in this crazy world today. I can take pleasure in the joyfulness of knitting for myself and others. Knit throught happy times and bad. Knit through sadness and pain. Andjust knit for the fun of it. Thank you Lucy! From my heart!

525. Lindsey S. said,

     March 23, 2010 @ 5:42 pm

     My favorite teacher is Mr. Gillam, my high school physics teacher. He taught me the value of being in over your head and doing the best you can with what you have, the value of following a research line – and the best part? He officiated my wedding to a classmate from my physics class in high school. He also inspired me to look into National Board Certification for teaching – if I ever make it back to the classroom, I will be heading towards NBC as a goal!

526. Jean Ashley said,

     March 23, 2010 @ 5:55 pm

     My favorite teacher was my high school music/choir teacher, “Miss J”. I took just about every class she offered and went on trips as often as possible. My senior year, during the Christmas season, I sang at 26 performances in 22 days…and had no voice for about a month after. But it was tons of fun. She introduced me to the great joy of performing, and she taught me that the worst thing you can do when you make a mistake is to point it out to those that hadn’t noticed in the first place. The thing I remember best was something she frequently said when we were working on activities (like our Madrigal Feast dinner/show)–”Don’t bring problems to me unless you have solutions too.” It’s great advice for life…

527. Kay said,

     March 23, 2010 @ 6:07 pm

     My best teacher was my PhD adviser. I loved working with him!

528. Christine said,

     March 23, 2010 @ 7:40 pm

     Mr Dick (seriously) – he was my junior high band teacher. He always inspired us and had a talent for bringing out the best in us. He instilled in me a love of music, and made me a real competitor. He also taught me to teach others – when I was in HS he set me up teaching private lessons and let me help out with the band. Of course, he gave me the “most obnoxious” award… but still. To this day I am so grateful to him for his guidance and spirit.

529. Christel said,

     March 23, 2010 @ 7:42 pm

     I think it would have to be my 4th grade teacher Mr Fain. He had travelled to the most interesting places and had the best stories to tell.
     Close 2nd would be my high school math teacher. I had her for several different classes. She taught us to give to others. All of Mrs. Hawkins classes would do Christmas for a needy family. What a great lesson in life–giving to others!!

530. rbrandolph said,

     March 23, 2010 @ 9:03 pm

     Do college profs count? Of course, they do! Bill Miller was amazing. I think from the moment he opened his mouth on the first day of my Geog. 101 class – i was hooked. I didn’t hang on his every word – but his words made one think about the world differently. That is what collge should be.

531. Tara said,

     March 23, 2010 @ 9:42 pm

     My favorite teacher was Mrs. Hecimovich. Mrs. Hecimovich was the kind of teacher that really pushed you and expected you to learn a lot (so you don’t necessarily like her at the time) but I’m really glad I had her for 12th grade English so that I was prepared for college. Also, I wouldn’t have ever read MacBeth or A Tale of Two Cities if she hadn’t forced us to! I still run into her from time to time around town!

532. Katy said,

     March 23, 2010 @ 10:25 pm

     Geneva Parsons, 5th grade Social Studies. We built a scale model of the Parthenon. Pretty amazing considering we lived in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, it was 1971, and the class was 13 girls from about 6 different countries. I’m sure she’s gone now – I think she was probably at least 60 then, but still had bright red hair. Wonder who shipped her the hair coloring?

533. Delia said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 12:10 am

     my fifth grade teacher, Jean Stanley, knew that my 10-year-old heart was breaking because the ‘it’ girls (and boys) in my class didn’t include me in games at recess or birthday parties or would even want to sit next to me at lunch. (I was a nerdy egghead who wasn’t athletic and whose parents didn’t belong to the right church.)

     Valentine’s Day was a big deal for kids then, and it was a custom for grammar school kids to make a valentine box as an art project, for our classmates to give us valentines. before I made mine, I told her that I wasn’t giving out valentines that year, and that it was no use making a box because in any event, my box would be empty because nobody liked me. she told me to go ahead and make one anyway.

     I don’t know what she said or did, but in the end I had the most valentines in my box of anyone in my class. it was temporary, of course – I still couldn’t find anyone who wanted to play with me at recess – but I appreciated the effort years later when it’s likely that everybody else had long forgotten.

     Jean is still going in her 80s and made a point to call me when I started having the big surgeries. sometimes I wish she could fix all my problems like she tried to fix that one.

534. tine said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 7:32 am

     Mr. Krolik, 12-grade AP Physics. He was an intimidating teacher, but really, really good and inspiring. It wasn’t until years later that I realized what a great person he really was. His dry humor often went over our young heads. I still use quotes of his today, 23 years later.

535. Vicky said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 8:26 am

     Mr. Orr
     A college professor that really got me excited about 3D drawing. He was so animated and fun. He’s one of the reasons I do what I do today.

536. Melissa said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 8:38 am

     I ended up working for my favorite college professor after I took his class, Quantitative Analysis. I had a lot of respect for him, as he made it a point to learn our names so he could call on us during lecture…and there were over 100 of us. Of course, he would call on you AFTER he asked the question, so you really had to pay attention in his class! I learned a lot working in his lab, and it led to a temporary job in Costa Rica after graduation.

     My favorite elementary school teacher was Ms. Schaeffer in 4th grade. She was brand new to our district that year, and what I loved was she kept her guitar in the classroom, and if we finished our work early, she would get out songbooks she had compiled and she would play the guitar and we would all sing. I learned to play the guitar because of her. My family moved away half-way through the year, but she had given me her address, so I wrote to her about my new teachers and school. I even went back to visit her the following year (we still had family in the area) at the school. Last time I had heard, she got married, had a child and had moved to a different district.

537. Karen said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 8:39 am

     Oh, I have two favourite teachers. My first and second grade teacher Mrs. Hederich. She was just lovely and managed to create a nice and warm environment for those of us who were scared of being in school. She used to live on my way to HS and I’d often look at her house going past and wondering how she was. And she and my mum knew each other a little bit and would bump into each other occasionally – and she’d always ask after me. Such a lovely lady.
     And my second favourite teacher was Mr. Pearsall. He taught Oceanography and Marine Biology (oh I love the choice you got in an American High School!) for year 12s. And he was just wonderful, hilarious and a great teacher. He’s the one who made me realise that I wanted to do something with biology for the rest of my life. Sadly I can’t find any contact information on him anywhere on the internet, he doesn’t teach at the HS I went to for that year anymore… I’d love to get into contact with him again and say thanks. I’m contemplating emailing the biology teacher (who I also had) who had the classroom next to him as she’s still at the school and asking her if she has any details for him…

     Thanks for taking me on a trip down memory lane! I was blessed with some great teachers (and my share of horrible ones).

538. Kelly said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 8:41 am

     My favorite teacher was Mrs. Carnes, 6th Grade Bauerwood Elementary. Jenison Mi. I think it was because I moved there 6th grade year in 1976! She just made me feel welcome & special, in a time that was scary to me. She also got married that year and we all planned a shopping trip to get her a gift. Fun times! Now is the time of 76 got that spirit just can’t miss our team is really neat Jenison just can’t be beat. Shaboom, Shaboom. Can you believe using Shaboom in a cheer?

539. buttercup said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 8:48 am

     My favorite teacher was my music teacher in High School, Ms S. She was amazing. But my real favorite teacher was my mother, who raised me alone and spent 33 years teaching science in an inner-city elementary school and made generations of kids love science and learn to think critically. She continues teaching to this day, working as a volunteer curriculum developer and educator for the local wildlife center’s education program and as a docent at the natural history museum. And she only became a teacher so she’d be on the same schedule as me when I was growing up! Fortunately it turned out to be something she loved.

540. Jill Touchette said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 10:18 am

     My favorite teacher (does it have to be grade school?) was Dr. Capitosti, my college chemistry professor. He was incredibly good and very generous with his time. I remember sitting on the floor of his office during his office hours CRYING because I just didn’t get it! He never just told us the answers, he would ask questions that would guide you to the answer yourself. He was also very funny and would have random questions (If you were a crayon, what color would you be and why?) on tests for extra credit and a weird quote (even snakes are afraid of snakes) on the cover page..

     Also, he was incredibly intelligent (and I have a thing for smart boys) which made him super hot! He received his PhD in organic chemistry at 26.

541. vthuskies said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 10:18 am

     My favorite teacher was Mrs. Kossman, my first grade teacher. Even though I talked WAYYYYY too much in class and distracted the students that sat near me, she could see my potential and was always very supportive and encouraging.

542. ikkinlala said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 10:21 am

     I’ve been lucky enough to have several good teachers (although I’ve had bad ones too) – I can’t really pick a favourite. When I was in elementary school, though, my favourite teacher by far was the librarian.

543. Elizabeth said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 10:25 am

     I have had so many good teachers…maybe that is why I became a teacher! Picking one, I would choose Mr. Simara, my history teacher at Memorial High School. He not only brought life and laughter to US History, he also sat me near my husband of 32 years.

544. sharilyn said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 11:10 am

     I’ve had many excellent teachers — the first one that stands out was my eighth grade US history teacher. She was a Native American and brought a perspective to US history I hadn’t heard before. Not only could she bring history alive by her lively story telling format but she opened my eyes to critically evaluating the commonly held notions of history and I learned to write essays with “comprehensive topic sentences”, a technique that I still use.

545. Jodi said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 11:30 am

     I think my favorite teacher was Mrs. Roberson or Mrs. “R” is what we called her. She was my P.E. teacher throughout elementary school.

546. Alexis said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 11:57 am

     (I could have sworn I posted already but didn’t see my name so I’ll re-try it, my computer has been glitchy…sorry if it’s doubled!)

     My fave teachers that have influenced me the most are my current ones. karl (“don’t call me that proff crap”) was the one who did a class on the Greek God Dionysus and it simply facinated me. So i switched my major, and I’ve learned so much about our world! And made amazing new friends who are interested in many of the same things (alas not knitting) and my life is vastly different than what it would have been and I’m so happy about that.

547. DonnaC said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 12:20 pm

     My favorite teacher was Mrs. Parmenter….6th grade. She taught me that what you get out of life depends on how much you put in. I’ll always be thankful to her for that.

548. DeeW said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 12:28 pm

     1st grade – Mrs. B. She loved nature and animals and and had a collection of small creatures preserved in jars for us to look at. Writing this makes it sound creepy, but it wasn’t. She brought so much more to the classroom and we were just first graders. I loved going to school.

549. Paula said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 1:11 pm

     My fav was Mrs. Fye in 4th grade. She read to us for 20 mi/day…the Rufus M saga’s. I loved the way she read as well at the story.

550. Castiron said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 1:36 pm

     My favorite teacher was my 9th-grade French and 12th-grade English teacher, who had an awesome sense of humor and a knack for dealing with high school kids. And my 10th through 12th grade French teacher, who made sure we got opportunities to do interesting things with the language. And my 12th grade government teacher, who made me think. And my sixth-grade math teacher, who made sure I had work that challenged me instead of boring me. And my 11th grade American history teacher, the first teacher who made me realize that history could be interesting (and who is probably the main reason my brother now has a history Ph. D).

     I was lucky. I had a LOT of good ones.

551. Marsha said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 1:38 pm

     My favorite teacher was Dr. Molly Ogorzaly from the Univ. of Texas. Her teaching of a class in Botany caused me to change my major to Botany. She later became a good friend of mine, along with her husband, Bob.

552. LaLa said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 2:00 pm

     Ms. brown my 8th grade reading teacher is my all-time favorite. She really encouraged to choose books that we liked to read and offered a selection for each assignment. I’ve had a lot of great teachers that make me proud to be part of the profession

553. Stella39 said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 4:16 pm

     I think I have had a few teachers over the years that have impacted me at different times in my life.

     In high school I was full of teenage angst and my english teacher recognized there was more to me than meets the eye and she was the only one that tried to pull that out. I won a school wide writing contest for something I wrote for her class.

     I also had an instructor in nursing school who just blew me away with her intelligence. She made me push myself like no one had ever done. I wanted to be more and better.

554. Julie L. said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 5:03 pm

     I loved my high school art teacher, even though he was hard on me. Or maybe especially because he was hard on me!

     We still keep in touch – he’s now retired and is a ranger at a national park. How cool is that?

555. Kate said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 5:07 pm

     I had two favorite teachers…Ms. Perrine, my high school Spanish teacher and Mr. Gant, my high school English teacher and yearbook adviser. First, Ms. Perrine taught me a new language and a different culture to enjoy. She was even brave enough to take me out of the country twice before I was 18! She instilled in me a love for languages and sharing that love with others…hence why I became a Spanish Teacher too! (She knows this…we’ve reconnected through Facebook!)

     Mr. Gant was a teacher who I had the privilege of having twice as an English Teacher and also as a yearbook adviser. He was the one that showed me that teaching did not have to be serious or always by the book. He used different methods of engaging his students in learning. He always had a “Friday Joke” for us…always a groaner, but was something we remember about him. The year my class graduated, so did Mr. Gant-he took his family to China to teach English there. I have lost contact with him since then unfortunately.

556. Terry Littman said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 5:40 pm

     A couple of teachers come instantly to mind: Mr Lage at Broadmoor Jr HS in Overland Park KS; He made history come alive and also taught the relevance to our lives. Mrs. Gregory, who taught speed reading (with comprehension) at Osage Elementary and didn’t care what we read as long as we READ. Henry Nau, geology at Campolindo HS in Moraga, CA…..rocks and dirt haven’t been a dry subject since.

557. Julia said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 5:42 pm

     Mrs. Heslinga, my teacher from 1st to 5th grade. She was the most creative and supportive teacher I ever had. She encouraged reading, drawing and general thinking outside of the box. I credit her for keeping me interested in school AND for helping to make me the creative person I am today.

558. Aizome said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 5:52 pm

     Mr. Fort, my hs biology teacher. I was scared to take biology and put it off a year. But he was such an excellent teacher that I ended up loving biology!

559. Leah said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 5:53 pm

     My favourite teacher was Miss Nielson. She was my fifth grade teacher, and she had a great system. We knew exactly what was expected of us each week and when, there were goals, rewards (like chocolate frogs in jelly) and you really learnt to keep your mind on the task and achieve your goals and excel. She was awesome. I have never forgotten her. In fact, just thinking about her system makes me think we could use some of that at home right now!

560. Vicki said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 5:54 pm

     Mr. Good my 5th grade teacher @ Cochran Elementary is a favorite. I don’t know why he stands out in my memory so much but I think it was because he used to talk to me and was interested in my responses. It might also have to do with the fact that he was younger than a lot of my other teachers and that he had a way of making learning fun.

561. Carrie said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 5:57 pm

     Ms. John in the 4th grade–she was the best!

562. Linda said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 6:00 pm

     My favorite teacher was my second grade teacher, Mrs. Murphy, because she was the nicest teacher I ever had and she jumped rope with us.

563. Lexi said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 6:02 pm

     My favorite teacher is my chemistry teacher, Mrs. Clements. Whenever she introduces an especially difficult concept, she knits because she says it calms us down.

564. Margaret said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 6:07 pm

     My favorite elementary teacher was Mrs. Jeannie Meade Hawthorne and my favorite high school teacher was Mrs. Gail Weaver. They were totally different but wonderful teachers.

565. Barbara said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 6:08 pm

     Jules Peemoeller. Inspired me to reach for my maximum potential in high school.

566. Robin said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 6:09 pm

     It is hard to pick because I have had some amazing teachers. If I had to pick one it would be Mr. Cooley. He taught my government, Civil War history and American History classes. I think what I learned from him is where I get my love of history. I realize now that I have kids in school just how important good teachers are.

567. Beth said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 6:16 pm

     Miss Consodine, my 1st grade teacher at Greenbriar Elementary School. She taught me the power that I had by challenging myself to learn new skills, whether it was reading or math or coloring or listening to directions. She taught me not to coast when something came easily but to always challenge myself. And when something was hard, like penmanship for this lefty, she taught me to seek out the help I needed, like the left-handed school librarian. I invited her to every graduation I acheived, HS, college, graduate school, and was disappointed when I couldn’t attend her retirement luncheon, but sent a letter to show my appreciation for her having helped me achieve all I have, by helping me get off to a good start.

568. Ann Huttner said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 6:18 pm

     Definitely Mrs. Gammage, my high school English and World Literature teacher. My vocabulary I owe to her.

569. Bonnie said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 6:21 pm

     I don’t remember his name, but in my senior year as a college undergraduate I needed one more humanities class. The only thing that fit my heavy schedule (I was finishing a major and 2 minors) was a class called “Latin and Greek Word Derivations”. Yawn, I thought. It was taught by a neatly-suited elderly gentleman with erect posture and precise British diction. He was passionate about words. He got us passionate about words. To this day, when I’m teaching my college freshmen about dinosaurs in the fall, I give them the root meanings of new terminology, to help them remember it more easily. I’ve used what I learned in this class more often than most of the rest of my undergraduate education.

570. Sarah said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 6:27 pm

     One of my favorite teachers was Mr. Lowdermilk. He taught Jr. high algebra. He held us accountable, and wrote the quadratic equation in my bat mitzvah card. He’s the only teacher who ever gave me detention. He was fantastic.

571. Gail said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 6:28 pm

     My favorite teacher was my 3rd grade teacher, Miss Burke. She was young, blond, and drove a black convertible. She was a wonderful teacher.

572. Linda said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 6:28 pm

     My first grade teacher, Mrs White. She was the best.

573. Diane said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 6:34 pm

     I had so many wonderful teachers throughout my school years, it is hard to pick one. But one of my favorites who made a lasting impression on me was Miss Kidwell, who taught Advanced English when I was in 9th and 10th grade. She was hard on us – made us really work. The grading scale on her quizzes was always “none wrong, A; 1 or more wrong, F. She also made us write a lot, which stood me in good stead in college English classes where we did lots of writing.

574. christa said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 6:35 pm

     I have had a lot of favorite teachers, after spending eleventy bazillion years in school to get my doctoral degree. The one that stands out, however, is Mrs. Brighton, my fourth grade teacher. She was incredibly warm and did an excellent job stimulated our creativity. I didn’t have the easiest childhood and at one point she had me over for dinner with her family. She cared that much.

575. Shannon H. said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 6:49 pm

     Mrs. Gardner, my sixth grade teacher. She was the only teacher who actually told me I had potential to do anything.

576. ELAINE said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 6:50 pm

     My favorite teacher had to be Mrs. Lett, the home ec. teacher, she taught us silly girls so much at the time, but of course we didn’t pay so much attention, or I thought, but now I remember alot of cooking and sewing skills she taught me, she was awesome.

577. Ruth Ellen said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 6:56 pm

     Mrs. Lund. English was so NOT my favorite subject, but in 8th and 9th grade Mrs. Lund was the teacher I visited during break and lunch time. She was really good to me. I still remember the first day in her class. She had written her name on the board, including her first initial, K. She said, “That’s my name. The “K” stands for “killer.” I adored her.

578. seedless grape said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 6:58 pm

     Mr. Hicks, high school chemistry!

579. Kathy Davis said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 7:03 pm

     My second grade teacher, Mrs. Van Haften, noticed how I watched her get out her knitting when recess was called. One day, she asked me if I would like to learn to knit. I replied that I would and she told me to tell my mother to get some Boyle needles and some Red Heart yarn and send them to school. She helped me learn the knit stitch and I made a little scarf.
     I forgot that skill she taught me until just recently when, as a “thrower”, I took a class in knitting with two hands and rediscovered that she had taught me German or continental knitting and my hands remembered!
     What I liked about her was that she treated me like any interested adult instead of a second grader.

580. Dee said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 7:04 pm

     Thanks for this question of the month! It has given me a chance to recall several important people… Every time I think I have settled on a favorite another teacher will come to mind. We are all blessed that these many men and women inspired us. A big thank you to them and to the dedicated people who are teaching today.

581. jessica said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 7:13 pm

     My high school spanish teacher and I had a great bond. I refered to Mrs. Adams as my mom away from home. She was very welcoming, open, and caring. I was lucky to have had her as a teacher.

582. Emily said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 7:14 pm

     I am currently a teacher and have been inspired by so many, which is why I am in this profession! I would have to say that Mrs. Glace, 3rd grade, had a love of teaching that was given to each of her students! Mrs. Surdez taught biology in high school and I was fortunate enough to be her student aide – that was a great experience. I am fortunate to work with a caring staff of teachers on a daily basis, that motivate me to be the best that I am for my students (thanks CMS!!) My parents/grandparents have taught me more than can be named! I am truly blessed!

583. Marilyn said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 7:17 pm

     Miss Helsabeck – my first grade teacher. She taught me how to read and gave me a love of books. I will be forever grateful.

584. Melissa said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 7:18 pm

     This one’s easy – Mr. Lynch. I had him for a few years in high school, but the best by far was senior year. I was lucky enough to have him for both economics and political science. He was always telling us stories about his life, and he never told the same one twice. My favorites were definitely the ones involving the mafia. hahaha (And they were all TRUE!)

585. slavicdiva said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 7:21 pm

     Joseph Willcox Jenkins, my music school theory, composition and orchestration teacher. In addition to the subjects mentioned, he taught us all about life as much as about music.

     He was also quite a well-known composer in his own right.

586. Beverly Shearon said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 7:23 pm

     Mr. Kickliter – my high school choral director. He took a real interest in us and gave us the opporutnity and experience to put on musicals. Such a fun time!

587. Pam said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 7:33 pm

     Ms. Margulies, my 3rd grade teacher. She was so kind and always made me feel special.

588. gray la gran said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 7:35 pm

     i’m posting this because:

     1) i’ve never been able to acquire that yarn, and …

     2) maybe my old teacher will freak if he googles his name, : jeff jones ! he was my north carolina history teacher. he was the kind of guy no one takes seriously because, “hey, he’s a coach, and HAS to teach a class”. BUT, he was a fabulous history teacher. i still remember the battle of cowpens, and others, because when he taught it was like story time.

589. heathers said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 7:36 pm

     Mr. Ross in grades 4-6. He was the first teacher that I didn’t think was either scary or crazy!

590. Carla said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 7:44 pm

     Mr. Franks my chemistry teacher…Moles
     & Dr. Bob my husband, THE best statistics professor ever!

591. Connie Benotti said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 7:54 pm

     My favorite teacher would have to be Mr. Mooney. He was my High School Chemistry Teacher. I also had him for Advanced Biology and Chemistry. He instilled in me my love of Science and I am sure it was because of him that I went into Nursing. He was a Retired Marine Officer so he was quite rigid. Fortunately he had the brains as well as the Brawn. He also ran the Science Club of which I was a member. I havn’t thought about him for years but he was indeed a great teacher.

592. Elsie Hughes said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 7:57 pm

     my favorite teacher was in 4th grade and her name was MS Mccloud. She was soft spoken and very pretty and kind.Sshe is the only teacher I remember now, 57 years later.

593. Angela Medina said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 8:05 pm

     My favorite teacher of all time was Mr. Davey!

594. Brenda said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 8:05 pm

     I would have to say Ms Schrier, my high school math teacher. She gave us tons of homework that was much harder than what the textbook had. Her theory was that then we’d find the final exams a breeze. Gosh darn it, she was right.
     Guess what, in university, I majored in Math!

595. Agnes said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 8:15 pm

     Well, I don’t think I can remember as far back to elementary school…wait, I take that back, Sister Felice in 2nd grade was an absolutely fabulous teacher. She was very nurturing & caring & as a new student in the school & not speaking English very well, she took time to make me feel like I could do anything. Then in HS it has to be Mr. Margulies who was my Calculus teacher & yes, he did make this subject interesting & challenging & helped me so that I aced my AP exam & got credit for Math in College. Thus my love for numbers.

     Of course the best teacher is & always will be my mom! She’s taught me so many valuable lessons & continues to inspire me (& teach me). She has taught me to be a good person & I can’t see anything more important than that.

     Thank you Sheri for making me appreciate all that I have & become with this question. Bought back lots of nice memories.

596. Tracey said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 8:21 pm

     my favorite teacher was bonnie collier, my pottery teacher. i’m still making ceramics today and remember the many things she taught me.

597. Suzie said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 8:28 pm

     Mr. Pennington.

598. Michele Goodson said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 8:29 pm

     In first grade I went to a parochial school and my parents say that I was shy and terrified of the nuns. So the next year they moved me to a public school, where my 2nd grade teacher was Mrs. Murrell. She was one of those big, cuddly sort of women who always had a hug for you. She was so upbeat and encouraging and her philosophy was to let each kid go as far as they could go. As a result, by the end of 2nd grade, I was going to the 5th grade class to borrow readers…I had already done all the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grade texts!! My parents said I was like a whole new person, bubbly and talkative after that year…in fact, I still haven’t shut up!

599. Wasie said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 8:37 pm

     I have had so many great teachers over the years that it is hard to choose just one favorite! But I am going to choose Mr Rasmussen my Latin and Religion teacher from high school. Anyone that can make Latin fun is number one in my book!

600. Cheeri said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 8:40 pm

     Does a coach count? I was big into sports in jr high and high school and my track coach my sophmore year was my favorite. Sadly, I don’t remember her last name. Her first name was Wendy. She was always handing out motivational quotes to inspire us to be better. She was more like a friend than a coach. Her style of coaching made me a better runner, and person. She even had all us girls over for a slumber party at her apartment one night!

601. Sarah said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 8:40 pm

     I’ve got about twelve favorite teachers, from elementary school all the way through grad school!

     Mrs. Robinson was a standout, though. She was my fourth grade teacher. She was an amazing person–somehow managing to be both severe and loving, demanding and generous, all at the same time. And somehow she managed to reach both the goody=two=shoes and the troublemakers, the “gifted” kids and the “slow ones, equally well.

602. Pawdua said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 9:03 pm

     Mrs Conrad and Mrs. Robinson have been my sons teachers in his special gifted class for 3 years, They have made school fun and exciting and something he wants to do, plus they’ve dealt with his other problems and have made such a positive change in his life that it’s hard to believe. We are so lucky to have them.
     Pawdua

603. Kim said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 9:13 pm

     My favorite teacher was actually my guidance teacher, Mrs. Faber. My sophomore year I tried to drop out of the harder classes. I had some excuse for not being able to do it, but she saw it for what is was – I was being lazy. She wouldn’t let me do it and I’m thankful for that now.

604. Linda said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 9:17 pm

     I loved my 12th grade honors English lit teacher, Mr. Brodsky. He was witty, sarcastic, challenging and engaging. I took his class at the ungodly hour of 7:45am, but we all loved it and him.

605. thecrazysheeplady said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 9:18 pm

     Mr. Peerman, an English teacher in 8th grade. He made writing fun .

606. Monica said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 9:29 pm

     I had several teachers that I really liked but my favorite of all was Mr. Freese. He was both my 5th and 6th grade teacher. I was a wonderful older man. As a fifth grader, I was not too thrilled about having a male teacher, and esp not an elderly male teacher, but he turned out to be the best teacher ever. And he reminded me so much of my dad, I couldn’t help but like him. I saw him about 13 years ago, and that was about 24 years after I had him as a teacher and he recognized me before I recognized him. He was 91 at the time. I think that says a lot about a teacher to remember a student from so long ago, remember their name and the year they had you in class. He was the best. .

607. Maria said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 9:42 pm

     Hmm, I’d say there were two. Mr Jeffcott, who was my junior high school English teacher. I was good at English, and liked it a lot. (Unlike math, in which I am practically remedial). As a result, many teacher sort of ignored me and didn’t do much to help me improve since I tended to be at the top of the class. Mr. Jeffcott, who was funny as anything as well (he had a sign on his podium that said “This is not a democracy–Jeffcott”) never did that, and expected a lot from me, and let me know it. I was struggling with the serious depression that plagued me most of that year, and most of my life until I was older, and while it didn’t solve the problem, someone showing an interest like that and making it clear he expected a lot from me was fantastic. I still appreciate him. I also admired that he’d been in the Peace Corps.

     Mrs. Anderson, my high school chemistry teacher (11th grade) was not only a genius at teaching, but was a fine, funny woman. She gave extra credit for things like my movie review of the film “Ghandi.” and other things designed to encourage us to have a social conscience. She made chemistry understandable and interesting. She also told me I *had* to take physics the next year–my worst subject in the sciences (if she’d been teaching I would have. ) She liked her students and helped me to feel less alone in the world.

     Honorable mention goes to pre-kindergarten Mrs. Steen–a lovely, petite woman who was quiet and gentle, and who made kindergarten, which I was desperate to go to, but also scared to go to, less scary.

608. Gini said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 9:57 pm

     Mrs, Skinner taught the 6th grade English and she was wonderful , she would read to us while we ate cookies and drank juice. What a lady!!!

609. Ann Bedell Hunt said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 10:00 pm

     Golly, you hit a chord, didn’t you?? (speaking of harps)
     So many wonderful teachers I’ve had, but the one I think of as the most corageous was Mr. Stevens, biology teacher, Prescott High School, Prescott AZ. In an age of NO sex education, he explained, using our cat dissection as a platform, how procreation took place, the phases of the menstral cycle, etc. From what we extrapolated from class, his students figured out how not to get pregnant during high school. A modern saint!

610. Ann Bedell Hunt said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 10:01 pm

     Edit the misspelling of “courageous” will you? Thanks!

611. Deb said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 10:10 pm

     Mrs Todd, 3rd grade, Plainfield Grammar School. She was my teacher when my parent’s divorced and my mom moved away. She was so nice and I needed that!

612. Leah said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 10:10 pm

     Mrs. Hinderman taught 11th grade English. She was inspiring to every student, not just the ones who stood out. She found the best in each of us.

613. Jamie said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 10:19 pm

     Mr. Holcomb, my Chemistry teacher. I had three classes with him (Physical Science, Honors Chem and AP Chem), he wrote my recommendation letters for college and made me love teaching.

614. Jodi said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 10:24 pm

     My favorite teachers were Mr. Kincaid, 6th grade history teacher who made history fun and interesting and Ms. Tonner, my High School ballet teacher who really nurtured my love of dance and taught me that discipline with a dose of fun is a wonderful way to learn .

     As a teacher now, I honestly have to say that the best teachers I know now are some of my co-workers as well as the students. I learn something every day and try my very best to give back. I love teaching.

     Happy Spring Break!

615. Martha S said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 10:28 pm

     My favorite teacher was Mrs. Dansby in third grade. She believed and me and taught me to believe in myself. She was a great lady, but a long time gone.

616. Martha S said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 10:29 pm

     Ok, she believed IN me. . . geez, it’s late and time for bed!

617. HeidiMonkey said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 10:50 pm

     My favorite teacher was my geometry teacher at Creston High School, Mrs. Lembke. She taught math to me, the unteachable!

618. Andrea McFadden said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 10:58 pm

     My favorite was my Oceanography teacher in high school, Mrs. Borga. She was always able to make science fun!

619. april said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 11:01 pm

     my favorite teacher was mrs. tomlin. she was tough and made me work harder than any other teacher for my grade.

620. Jan said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 11:10 pm

     My favorite teacher was my freshman Biology Lab teacher in college. She didn’t just “cover the material”. She really wanted us to learn the material. She really cared about each student and wanted us to get our tuitions worth out of each session.

621. Wendi said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 11:12 pm

     My kindergarden teacher miss Moskovich. She used to draw us cartoon pictures to colour in. I still have mine 40 years later!

622. Wanda said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 11:12 pm

     I think my favorite teacher was Mrs. Hagen. She was my home ec teacher for 4 years and taught me a lot. In fact, she was the one who taught me to knit.

623. Camilla said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 11:40 pm

     Mrs Compeau. She was one of the high school science teachers (primarily biology), and she always went the extra bit for us. More than just teaching a subject, she instilled the concept that we were capable, thinking individuals, and that she cared what happens to us.

624. Stephanie said,

     March 24, 2010 @ 11:58 pm

     My favorite teacher has to be Candace Crockett. I was fortunate enough to take a handweaving class in college taught by her at San Francisco State, not knowing who she was. We spent the semester learning how to spin and I was hooked. I changed my area of emphasis in the art department from silversmithing to textiles. That was the year her book on spinning came out. My husband, at the time, bought it for me for my birthday and of course being one of her students I had to have her sign it for me! It is one of my favorite books on spinning. When I teach spinning, I always recommend that book. It was written in the 70′s and is still relevant today.

     Candace was my college advisor as well, but I always credit her for my love of spinning and everything else connected. She was a great teacher inspiring us to think outside of the box. ( I remember one class project was felted ice cream cones!) I haven’t seen her in years, but every time I teach a class I think of her.

625. Kathleen said,

     March 25, 2010 @ 12:18 am

     My favorite teacher has to be Miss Bacon–she taught all the Junior and Senior High Math classes in our small school. She made Math come alive for me–so much so that I ended up majoring in Math in College

626. Cindy said,

     March 25, 2010 @ 1:51 am

     My favorite teacher was my 9th grade social-studies teacher Dave Overby. We became friends when I started going to his church while in high school and have stayed friends over the many, many years since. (I hate to admit how many years it’s been; I’ll just say that when I was a student in Dave’s class, Nixon was president.) Dave even sang at my wedding in 1991.

627. Anne said,

     March 25, 2010 @ 4:45 am

     My first grade teacher Mrs Mallion is top on my list. She gave me the gift of reading.

628. Halcyon said,

     March 25, 2010 @ 5:42 am

     Mrs. Andrews. I was in a remedial math class because I wasn’t “getting” it in the regular sixth grade class, and she was there to help bridge the gaps. She wasn’t a gushy, friendly, overly-happy person; in fact, she was austere and reserved and rarely made jokes or smiled at ours.
     But she made me feel not-stupid for not getting math and patiently showed me how to understand and grasp the basic underlying principles. She was never frustrated or angry with me, no matter how long it took. And I’ll always be grateful to her for that.

629. AnaMarie said,

     March 25, 2010 @ 5:42 am

     Favorite teacher? I’d have to say my second or third grade teachers, Mr. Nicotra or Mrs. Schlesinger. Or maybe my psychology professor in HS. They really were great at teaching, obviously loved what they were doing, and I remember loving their classes, while I can’t even remember most of the names of my teachers throughout middle school.

630. cantsitstill said,

     March 25, 2010 @ 6:06 am

     Mrs. MacInnis was my favorite teacher because she taught me how writing works.

631. Laura said,

     March 25, 2010 @ 6:26 am

     My favorite teacher was actually my advisor from graduate school. He taught us something that has stayed with me all the rest of my life and has been useful in so many situations.

     In seminars, he taught us that the pursuit of truth was a cooperative effort, and that contributions to discussions should *further* the discussion rather than attempting to put an end to it!

     What a gem of a teacher he was!

632. Christine said,

     March 25, 2010 @ 6:53 am

     Ms Blumgarten, in Kindergarten. She was so artistic! She never cut our art time short until I was finished – in 1st I remember so many times being told to “put it away, drawing time is over.” Never, in Ms Blumgartens class. Close second – Mary Scott Huff, in my knitting life. Giggled straight through her entire class. Loved it!

633. Roseanne said,

     March 25, 2010 @ 7:01 am

     Mr. Shaner, our drama and speach teacher at Riverside High School in Painesville ohio. He was tough. And often not fair. He was the ultimate perfectionist, though. He surprised us with the talent he saw in his students and his ability to bring it out.

634. just lori said,

     March 25, 2010 @ 7:16 am

     My favorite teacher is really a whole department–the English Department at my high school. They were all seasoned, well-read, fun-loving people, who had oh so distinct personalities. They inspired me to want to become an English teacher, which I did for a while, then I went on to write, which is what I do today.

     They taught me so much. And English, too. *grin* I am grateful to them for their diversity, goofiness, seriousness, and interest in a shy wallflower like myself. They helped get me out of that corner and find my self-confidence.

635. mundi said,

     March 25, 2010 @ 7:18 am

     Mr. Hamilton was far and away my favorite teacher.

636. Stacey said,

     March 25, 2010 @ 7:22 am

     Mr. Zhender, my weaving Instructor. It was my favorite class ever; he made it an interesting class and let me weave on the largest loom.

637. annelise brody said,

     March 25, 2010 @ 7:32 am

     Professor Basile, but I was in college. He is the reason, in part, for the choice of my career. I could miss any class but not his and a friend of mine and I used to joke saying that if he taught a lesson on “rocks” we probably would have become “rock” experts!

638. yvette said,

     March 25, 2010 @ 8:04 am

     Mrs. Rumer. Great Works (Literature) She taught her whole career at the same high school she attended as a girl (and was a cheerleader!).

     She gave her junior and senior classes the same speech every year right before prom, for the benefit of everyone who didn’t have a date. “These are not the best years of your life”. She went on to describe how good life gets as you get older and gain perspective and experience. She always finished her talk saying that this year was the best year of her life (and telling us why). Every year was a good year for her!

     Quiet an inspiration!

639. Gavi said,

     March 25, 2010 @ 8:15 am

     Mrs. Trent in high school. She really cared about her students and took me under her wing.

640. Beth Clement said,

     March 25, 2010 @ 8:23 am

     My 6th grade teacher, Mr. Schnedecker. He was cool to the kids, and he got me involved with speech which carried me through high school and kept me from being too shy.

641. shelly said,

     March 25, 2010 @ 8:24 am

     My favorite teacher was Mrs. Nelson in 4th and 5th grade, she was my special needs instructor. I couldnt learn my multiplecation or spelling for the life of me, so she helped me out a lot, I still use my fingers to multiply by 9′s!

642. Janet said,

     March 25, 2010 @ 8:33 am

     Mr. Schnapp my chemistry teacher.

643. Helene said,

     March 25, 2010 @ 8:43 am

     My mom who taught me to knit

644. Andrea said,

     March 25, 2010 @ 8:57 am

     Mrs. Hess was my Honors English teacher. She always made me feel I had such potential.

645. Stephanie K from MI said,

     March 25, 2010 @ 9:08 am

     Mrs. Reininger……she saved me in so many ways. Just on time and full of life. So, I got my ed degree and am homeschooling my kids as a result. Whatta world!

     Knitting wise….my ma and video tuts…..our lys stinks so loopy gets our yarn dough!

     S

646. Theresa Brom said,

     March 25, 2010 @ 9:10 am

     My favorite teacher was my 5th grade teacher Mr. La Force. almost 40 years later I am still in touch with him!

647. Hilona Schaft-Mol said,

     March 25, 2010 @ 9:12 am

     my favorite teacher is the doctor I am working for, since he taught me so much about orthopedics and we still do spelling contests where he will try to find spelling faults in my letters and the other way around!

648. Janet Laub said,

     March 25, 2010 @ 9:27 am

     Favorite teacher was Mr. Pearson, 8th grade, who taught me everything I know about the fun of language. Great teacher!

649. Laurie Haworth said,

     March 25, 2010 @ 9:28 am

     My favorite teacher was my 2nd grade teacher, Mrs. Betty Steers…she always made me feel special…and even though they may not be able to do this today, she gave us frequent hugs! I can still hear the sweet sound of her laughter! She was a special lady!

650. Susan Ipavec said,

     March 25, 2010 @ 9:28 am

     My favorite teacher was my 6th-8th grade Montessori teacher, Mrs. Pat Ludick. She did a fantastic job of preparing my 8th grade class for high school, life, and doing a ton of academic writing. She was always very poised and challenged me to do my best in school.

651. Fern said,

     March 25, 2010 @ 9:51 am

     My favorite teacher was my third grade teacher, Mrs. Sobol. She read us the Good Earth, and instilled in me a love for reading.

652. martha michael said,

     March 25, 2010 @ 9:56 am

     My favorite teacher was Mr. Nowotony in 7th grade. He talked to me and listened like I really had something to say. I wasn’t just a kid. He had an interesting way of teaching history in story form so that it wasn’t just facts and dates.

653. Jude said,

     March 25, 2010 @ 10:08 am

     My favorite teacher was Miss Jacobs. She taught my first and second grade class. She never raised her voice. When the class started getting noisy, she would begin to speak quietly. We all wanted to hear what she had to say, so it became necessary for us to quiet down to hear her. What a clever teacher!

654. JoAnn A. said,

     March 25, 2010 @ 10:27 am

     My favorite teacher was my piano teacher – Mary Baker. She was always positive even when I struggled to make my fingers perform in a smooooooth way.

655. linda said,

     March 25, 2010 @ 10:28 am

     My favorite teacher was Mr. Fagrell. He was my Art teacher in 11th grade. He lit the fire of my creativity.

656. Lou said,

     March 25, 2010 @ 10:48 am

     I was fortunate to have many good teachers while I was in school, but there was one very special teacher who stands out as my favorite. His name was Mr. Carl Gualiardo. He was my 4th grade homeroom teacher who taught English and Reading. He also made learning both challenging and fun. Sadly, he passed away in the early 80s after suffering from a multitude of health problems. I’m pretty sure his death was AIDS related, but it happened just when the medical world was starting to discover a pattern in the early deaths of gay men and he had many of the later-known symptoms. Knowing him and loving him as a teacher inspired me to be an advocate for gay rights and HIV/AIDS awareness.

657. Sarah said,

     March 25, 2010 @ 10:59 am

     My favourite teacher was/is Mr. Hansen. He started teaching me to play the piano when I was 7 years old. I went back to him for lessons when I was 34 and we picked up where we left off. He’s always kind, patient and is a great appreciater of knitted gifts!

658. Teresa said,

     March 25, 2010 @ 11:03 am

     Mrs Pearl…Home Ec…not only did she teach me to cook and sew, things I love to do…she taught me how to change a tire on a car which came in very handy a couple of time.

659. Linda Barton said,

     March 25, 2010 @ 11:13 am

     my favorite teacher was Mrs Turbyfill in kindergarten. We had so much fun in class! Finger painting and marching around the room for music. nap time on our little rug. She was such a kind person and you knew that she cared about you. Her presence in my life was like healing balm to my often broken spirit. God bless her and I miss her.

660. Carol Huisman said,

     March 25, 2010 @ 11:16 am

     I had so many fabulous teachers, it’s hard to pick a favorite. But Mrs. Kathryn Lohr, second grade, did the most to open my eyes to possibilities and a world beyond my own. She introduced us to Tschaikowsky, we memorized Luke Chapter 2 from the Bible, built a bird sanctuary and had our own chapter of the Audubon Bird Society. She was the first to tell my parents, “This girl MUST go to college.” Thanks, Mrs. Lohr.

661. Richelle said,

     March 25, 2010 @ 11:17 am

     Considering I work as a sort of advisor for teacher licensure students, I loved this thread! And I even think I worked with Maria’s Mr. Jeffcott when he supervised for our program…the quote sounds just like the guy I know!
     Personally, it’s just too hard to pick one or even three. My first and second grade teacher, Mrs. Shirley, instilled confidence in my ability to do anything I set my mind to…and I thoroughly enjoyed spotting her on “Wheel of Fortune” years later. Mrs. Brazitis, Mr. Peacock, and Mr. Zancanella in later elementary all hold special places in my heart. Mr. Newt Green in high school had an amazing knack for picking just the right literature to interest me and was always so fun in every class I had with him. I’m an expert note-taker because of him. Dr. Rich Morrocco fueled my love of psychology in college.
     As for knitting, my teacher was Dr. Pat Rounds, who I also worked with. I think lots of people would list her among their favorite teachers at all levels. I list her as one of my favorite friends and my greatest knitting enabler/influencer!

662. Rachel said,

     March 25, 2010 @ 11:21 am

     I have had several favorite teachers, but right now I have an AWESOME college prof: Miguel Corrigan. He’s my prof for Intro. to Business at my local community college, and I love him to death! He’s very funny, is constantly making us defend our statements and playing devil’s advocate, but at the same time, he’s a real softie at heart! He’s a good teacher, and he’s tough but fair. He’s just plain awesome! LOL (oh yeah, and he needs a hat! *g*)

     From highschool, my favorite teacher was Mr. Harmon, my chemistry teacher. Very like Prof. Corrigan, but different, of course! I never liked science much until I took his classes! (HomeSat classes)

663. Elizabeth Clarke said,

     March 25, 2010 @ 11:54 am

     My favorite teacher was Mrs. Rice. She was so much FUN and I wanted to be just like her. I became a teacher because of her.

664. Yvonne said,

     March 25, 2010 @ 12:14 pm

     My favorite teacher . . . first grade — Miss Loretta!

665. Susan D Smith said,

     March 25, 2010 @ 12:28 pm

     My favorite teacher was Mrs. Dorwart, who taught 5th grade. Every Friday afternoon, Mrs. Dorwart led the entire class in learning how to do crewel work. Even the boys learned and we all loved it. She taught us basic stitches on burlap because we could use the loose weave as a guide. We learned all kinds of stitches – chain stitch, couching, French knots, back stitch, running stitch, satin stitch, bargello stitches and so forth. It’s what set me on my road to learning needlepoint, bargello, knitting, sewing, applique, quilting, weaving and spinning. Least favorite was an 11th grade English teacher who shall go nameless. She was mean-spirited and rude. She embarrassed her students publicly and was condescending in her comments. Even bright students disliked her. She seemed to feel her mission in life was to knock students down several pegs. Very unfortunate.

666. Emily said,

     March 25, 2010 @ 1:14 pm

     A favorite teacher was the one who started out as my elementary school PE teacher, then went back to school for her master’s and was director of the middle school when I was there. She had great compassion.

667. Gretchen B. said,

     March 25, 2010 @ 2:10 pm

     Has to be Mr. LaRoche. He started out teaching me sophomore year of high school for English. I then joined the Newspaper due to my interest. He did his best to encourage me during the difficult high school years.

668. Ellen Griffin said,

     March 25, 2010 @ 2:28 pm

     Mrs. Richmond, English 8th grade. A real lady who thought I could do anything I set my mind to. My mother kept telling me “I wasn’t as smart as my two brothers, but that was ok”. Mrs Richmond told me I was and encouraged me. She is alive and 99 years old, and going strong.

669. Vonda O said,

     March 25, 2010 @ 3:42 pm

     I loved my first-grade teacher. Doesn’t everyone? But the teacher I remember the most was my third-grade teacher. Maybe because she read The Bobbsey Twins to us every day and I remember that clearly!

670. Monkeygurl said,

     March 25, 2010 @ 3:48 pm

     Mrs. Bordley, 6th grade. A “lay” teacher at my catholic school. She was a tough old broad, but we got along okay.

671. Beth in Seattle said,

     March 25, 2010 @ 3:54 pm

     My favorite teacher was Mr. Soper. 6th grade. He taught us what we needed to know but it was wild and wooly in his class – we got away with so many things. I baby sat his kids quite a lot on the weekends and loved it when he had had a few too many drinks and gave me very generous tips!

672. joan said,

     March 25, 2010 @ 4:26 pm

     My favorite teacher was Mr. Gariss who was my German teacher for 3 years. Great after school club and field trips to New York city to enjoy german food and movies.

673. Lorraine C. said,

     March 25, 2010 @ 5:11 pm

     I had 2 favorite teachers – Mrs. White was my 6th grade teacher. Her husband made surf boards. This was about 1971. She taught us that health was important and that we mattered as people. My other favorite was my 7th grade math teacher Mr. Hassen. He made sure we understood what he taught and cared about each student.

674. megan said,

     March 25, 2010 @ 5:18 pm

     i have been fortunate to have many good teachers – Mr Therrien comes to mind first. High school chemistry teacher, speech team coach, huge supporter of the music and drama program and much more than just a teacher, but a friend, to many including myself.

675. Laura E. Shallenberger said,

     March 25, 2010 @ 5:29 pm

     My favorite teacher was Mr. Proper. He was my 12th grade Anatomy/Physiology teacher. Only 10 students were accepted into the class so we got very specialized attention. I think I learned more from him than any other teacher and he was so patient, funny and kind. He was also one of my hardest teachers, but we knew he was tough because he wanted us to learn and cared about us. I won’t tell you what animal we had to disect and lable…it would make some of you very sad! Mr, Proper was a even better teacher than my college professor of the same subject. My least favorite teacher was also a Nun, for the same reason as Sherry! I took piano lessons and she smacked my fingers with a ruler, I finaly begged my Mom to ler me quit; my knuckles couldn’t take much more!!!

676. Belinda Toby said,

     March 25, 2010 @ 6:40 pm

     My favorite teacher was Dr. Richard Emerick at the University of Maine. He taught anthropology and made it really interesting.

677. Virginia said,

     March 25, 2010 @ 7:03 pm

     Like so many others, I was blessed with many great teachers but when the word favorite is applied, it has to be Mrs. McGuire, my 4th grade teacher. We were somehow kindered spirits.

678. Marycile Cortez said,

     March 25, 2010 @ 7:20 pm

     My favorite teacher was Mrs. Sandy Barz CPA for all my accounting classes in college. She is pretty, smart, kind, and knowledgeable. She outlined exactly what you needed to do to get an A, and I made it most of the time. Now, she is my personal character reference whenever I am looking for a job, which I am now in Ephrata WA. What is extra nice is our friendship as time grows I like to substitute teacher grade school and teach how to crochet and use the computer.

679. Cindy said,

     March 25, 2010 @ 7:55 pm

     This hard – I’ve had so many great teachers, I don’t know that one was the best or favorite, but I loved Mr. Morrison, my high school english teacher. Made reading fun, and even got a bunch of us to start a book club (out of which came one of my favorite books ever: A Prayer for Owen Meany).

680. Clare said,

     March 25, 2010 @ 8:41 pm

     My favourite teacher was Sr. Andrew. She taught English Literature and could bring any book to life.
     Clare

681. Brittany said,

     March 25, 2010 @ 9:06 pm

     Ms. Swink! She was an elementary school science teacher and she was indeed awesome!

682. Amy said,

     March 25, 2010 @ 9:14 pm

     Miss Long – fourth grade!

683. Margaret Robinson said,

     March 25, 2010 @ 11:19 pm

     My favorite teacher was Lorene Ethridge, a high school teacher of shorthand, typing and bookkeeping. She was awsome, fashionable, and gave us all personal attention. In addition, to the subject matter, she taught us how to conduct ourselves on interviews and answer phones intelligently. I still smile to myself when I think of her … she made classes fun. Little did I know that I would end up as a business ed teacher and ultimately own my own business support service.

684. Brittany said,

     March 26, 2010 @ 3:15 am

     Mr. Anderson, my drama teacher/high school play Director. He taught me how to come out of my shell and that some teachers really do treat their kids with the respect they deserve. I’ll never forget him.

685. Abi said,

     March 26, 2010 @ 7:59 am

     Wow – so many great teachers, but my math (statistics) teacher was the best. She got me through, where others had failed!

686. Heather Shelton said,

     March 26, 2010 @ 8:31 am

     My favorite teacher was Ms. Turner- first grade. She was caring and encouraging and a lot of fun. It was the one class i never got into trouble in because she was understanding.
     On a different note- Is that Lupine blooming in your garden? Beautiful! Ours are just poking up a tiny bit of green!

687. penny said,

     March 26, 2010 @ 10:42 am

     Hands down, Mrs Sutton, my public school music teacher. She knows she was special to me. it’s those little lessons that really had nothing to do with music i’ve carried on. When you first start, Practice 10 minutes a day. Once a week you can go longer, but not much. Keep a log of the time you spent & what you did. Don’t try to do everything at once. Scales and etudes are good. (swatches and simple knitting before you jump into lace & cables and sweater design) … and most importantly, have fun, love what you do, why you do it. Today she’s a minister and loving her new calling. I’m still thankful for our seven years in elementary school and several years of private teaching after that together. I’m using these lessons most now as I learn to spin better. I won’t improve if I only do it once a month for 10 minutes!

688. Eileen said,

     March 26, 2010 @ 11:17 am

     Mr. Barricks, my 8th grade English teacher. He made learning fun and challenged us.

689. HeatherD said,

     March 26, 2010 @ 3:14 pm

     I had some wonderful teachers and it was very hard to narrow the field down. My second grade teacher, Miss Dolphin stuck in my mind. I don’t remember if that was her name or if we called her that because her brother played from the MIami Dolphis. She was very kind and dedicated. I remember she came to school, even though she was sick and had lost her voice.

     Mrs. Remington taught math in 3rd and 4th grade. She was tough, but had a good heart. Mr. Means was my science and math teacher in 7th and 8th grade. Again, another tough teacher, but you could tell that he really cared. I remember going back to visit him when I had gone to high school and he helped me with my Algebra homework that I was struffling with.

     Senora Creagh taught Spanish and was incredible. She inspired my love of language. She immigrated to the US from Cuba when Castro took over and she had some interesting stories to tell us!

     Mr Pilkington taught Biology. He made sciene, probably my most hated subject fun and interesting.

     Mrs. White and Mrs; Lussie were the best English teachers ever. I had Mris Lussie for English Lit and Mrs. White for speech and creative writing. They made the stoires and words come to life. You could tell that they truly loved what the taught and made you love it as well. They were both very creative and made writing assignments fun. They both encouraged you to use your imagination and see what wild things you could come up with.

690. Julie said,

     March 26, 2010 @ 4:22 pm

     Mrs. Laville. HS english. She pushed us to write about what we were passionate about.

691. Tonia said,

     March 26, 2010 @ 5:47 pm

     My favorite teacher was my Spanish teacher Ms. Britton. We had the best discussions in her classroom and most of them had nothing to do with spanish!

692. Gretchen said,

     March 26, 2010 @ 8:19 pm

     Mrs. Elizabeth Rupert Wright, my 5th grade language arts teacher. At the end of each day, just before the buses came, she would read a chapter or two to us. I was already an avid reader, but no one had actually read out loud to me since I was very small. The stories always came to life and it made me want to read to my own children, once I had them. Thank you, Mrs. Wright!

693. Margaret Harvey said,

     March 27, 2010 @ 10:48 am

     My favorite was Mrs. Bernette. she made me feel important. That was a long time ago. whew!! Time fly’s when you are having fun.

694. Deb said,

     March 28, 2010 @ 7:08 pm

     Mrs. Wimbush in 5th grade. She was young, had stylish short salt and pepper hair, and was a joy to study under.

695. mklee said,

     March 29, 2010 @ 1:28 am

     mr. marier was my english teacher freshman year. one day he gave us the assignment to interpret the song, “hotel california.” that was easily my favorite assignment in high school.

696. Kay said,

     March 29, 2010 @ 4:15 pm

     Mr. Eckman, my 5th grade teacher. (long ago) He made us realize that learning happens all around you, not only in the classroom. He cared about each of us and treated us as individuals who were each valuable persons.

697. Sheri at The Loopy Ewe » Rocky Mountain High said,

     March 29, 2010 @ 8:06 pm

     [...] I get to tonight’s update, I wanted to let you know the winner’s of our Favorite Teacher Blog Contest for the month. Thanks to everyone who participated!  The winners are Bev in IL, Kim in WA, and [...]

698. Les Kentera said,

     December 11, 2010 @ 9:37 pm

     I noticed a comment on your site from Paulette posted 19 March 2010 refreering to her school teacher Nathalie Dankers. I was thinking the other day….’ I wonder whatever happened t.o…..
     If you have any contact details that would be great. I am a friend of hers from many years ago in Sydney. Last time I heard from her she was teaching in country NSW, I believe the town was Cootamundra.

     Thanks
     Les Kentera

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