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Who was the most influential teacher in your life? And how did they influence you?
We're finishing up the graduation season which has me thinking about some of the impactful teachers in my life. Who's someone that made a big impact on you? What lessons did they teach you or passions did they instill?
Background: my biological father is a piece of shit who barely played any part in my life and my dad had some pretty clear favoritism toward my younger brother who is his biological son and didn't really provide either of us the kind of guidance we needed.
With that context in mind, I had a teacher at an alternative high school who I really looked up to. He treated you as an equal, taught things beyond typical academic curriculum, and generally encouraged you to get better. Moreover, he broke down a lot of male gender norms while still being in some ways a very masculine figure. He was an excellent role model for me when I desperately needed one.
I still look up to him even now. I should really look into getting in touch and letting him know how much he's influenced me since then.
Sounds like a wonderful role model.
It takes a sympathetic person to be able be a certain way but recognize that not everyone has to be that way.
You do that, please. Teachers really need this kind of motivation.
My high school trigonometry teacher was one of the best people I've ever met in my entire life. Not only did he realize that I was really good with numbers through encouragement and pushing me to do the best I could when it came to maths, but he taught so many life lessons. He made me realize that the world is all numbers. Everywhere you look, there's numbers. It was one of the greatest feelings in the world to finally be able to look at the world through my own eyes instead of going along with what everyone else thought about. He was a very pure person with a great sense of humor, and he didn't take any shit from anyone, teachers or students. I haven't talked to him in years but if we ever reconnected I wonder what kind of advice he would give me about where I am in my life right now.
This is really cool. An analytical view of the world seems really practical in today's climate. Understanding data is what tech companies are all about now.
In high school, I was incredibly shy and socially awkward. Compounded by the beginning of my clinical depression, these made the entire experience quite hellish.
Nonetheless, I decided to audition for a play, motivated by some success in productions put on by my junior high class. I got a part, but was having trouble breaking out of my shell enough to actually act competently. One day, the theatre director instructed me to say my lines again, except while screaming and flailing around. So I did. I made an utter fool of myself, but after that moment, theatre just clicked for me. I would go on to get roles of increasing importance, and was frequently told that I "stole the show." Perhaps the most flattering compliment was when I would occasionally overhear people talking about me, about how incredible it was that I could be so shy offstage yet so captivating onstage.
Theatre provided an emotional outlet that I desperately needed, and convinced my little shy, depressed, high-school self that I actually was good at something. And it was all thanks to my theatre director telling me to scream.
This sounds awesome. It almost sounds a little theatrical in and of itself. I would definitely watch a play about @TrialAndFailure finding a voice.
This isn't what you had in mind, but my command in the Navy was my best teacher. I changed me a lot and gave me the tools to be successful and look out for myself. I know how to be in just about any situation. I know when to give minimum effort, I know when to give maximum effort. I know when to not care and I know when to look like I care. And a lot lot more of very important life lessons
Definitely an okay answer! Teacher/mentor/commanding officer stories are all welcome. Sounds like you learned some unique lessons.
My high school physics teacher was the most stereotypical teacher I've ever had, but he pulled it off absurdly well. He'd plan his lessons down to the second, so that every day the bell would ring immediately after he had finished the lesson. Sometimes it was absurd-- he'd go on a 20 minute lecture about some topic, and still wrap it up perfectly in sync with the time. In hindsight, that probably wasn't as incredible a feat as it seemed, since there was a clock situated across from him when he lectured. None of my other teachers even came close to being as organized as he did, though, and they definitely didn't time their lessons as precise as him. Every day I could count on him to blow my mind. Thanks to him, I'm majoring in physics in college.
I had mentor early in undergrad who was really passionate about neuroscience, and here I am, trying to get a PhD in it. It's really fantastic what a dedicated teacher can do.
Seventh-grade science teacher. My parents were divorcing and I was pretty husk-like, but I loved science. I had moved to the school that year, if my memory is holding up, and was very quiet in class. While walking down the hall one day he stopped me and said, "I can see you not asking questions. You're lightyears ahead of the other kids and you need to ask the questions." The "lightyears" part is what I remember most because I was confused and humbled by it as I didn't feel like it was true. The lesson that I took away had to do with asking questions. It allowed me to challenge a lot of my assumptions and really helped me develop critical thinking skills. It is great life advice; always ask questions.
High School History teacher. My Freshman history teacher was conservative and we went through news every day. He was comfortable discussing his beliefs and allowed us to be comfortable exploring our own. We got into several discussions/debates that really let me come out of my shell and learn how to apply the info I got from asking questions. A great example of what it is to have strong convictions, but the confidence not to be threatened by dissent.
Several others. My Senior History teacher showed us how to explore other cultures and not be threatened by them. Journalism/English teacher was a mentor who remains a friend years later. Business teacher was a confidant and literally saved my family from homelessness at one point by anonymously paying three months of rent while my mom struggled working two jobs.
Really, an amazing collection of excellent teachers in the small rural school that I went to.
Sounds like some wonderful people have influenced you. Your first story really resonates with me. I hope to be an educator someday, and if I could ever instill that sort of belief in someone, I would consider myself a success.
I graduated high school a couple years back, but I have several teachers that I still keep in touch with. The one thing that they all have in common isn’t just that they are all great teachers, but also great friends.
Specifically listing them out, they were my two band teachers, my math teacher, and my chemistry teacher. They were, oddly enough, their own clique in terms of teachers and staff! A couple students and I were fortunate enough to be their friends as well. I wasn’t afraid to share things with them, and they responded earnestly to our conversation topics. Although I had my friends/classmates as well, those teachers gave me that adult perspective on life and insightful advice, and I can’t thank them enough for that.
Breaking that barrier and being a support system for your students is inspiring, and I’m grateful that they made the effort to bridge the gap between student and teacher.
My AP English Language teacher. He instilled in my fellow classmates and myself the valuable power of rhetoric (even if it was only a cursory introduction). He truly opened my eyes to not only the influential nature of propaganda but also the pedestrian nature of everyday communication. There's always an audience to be convinced of a particular viewpoint; reality is what a collective decides it is.