I just found out that it's Teacher Appreciation Week. Besides the fact that we should be appreciating the people who put up with our rass clot babies all the time, it's nice that a week is set aside to really, really show our gratitude.
Y'all know that I'm a Class-A nerd who, up until my grad school graduation in 2007, was in school since the age of 5, so OF COURSE I have many memorable teachers in my academic memory bank.
Like Mrs. Geasor, my 2nd Grade teacher, who really wanted to skip me to the 3rd grade but I didn't want to go. Those 3rd graders looked scary, and my classroom had the cutest lil loft play area. I wasn't ready to give up play time. (Damn... I was a lazy genius even in the 2nd grade? For SHAME!)
Or Mrs. Alt, my JHS Spanish teacher, who let me write this little skit for a project for extra credit. Or was it just a regular project? I can't remember, but I had fun writing it and she was lovely!
And the Myriad of BTHS Teachers that shaped my life:
>>Mr. Greenberg, Dr. Cocchiarelli & Ms. Reiss- wonderful English teachers that encouraged my reading & writing habit
>>Ms. Schreiber- who introduced me to the beautiful Italian language
>>Mr. Peemoeller & Mr. Honor- who, despite my classroom shenanigans, taught me to appreciate engineering
>>Ms. Sais & Mr. Mirer- who, bless their hearts, TRIED to make Social Studies interesting
>>Mr. Curulli- who let me hang out in the guidance office when I didn't feel like eating lunch or going to class
>>Mr. Ferdinand- who had the FUNNEST metal shop class this side of the Mason-Dixon line, I swear!
Plus the few, the proud, the Alfred U. professors who worked hard so I could (finally) graduate: Prof. Trice, Dr. Hluchy, Carol Burdick (R.I.P.) and Dr. Godshalk
And last but definitely not least, My FDU mentors, who really, truly helped me find my voice: Renee Ashley, Jeffery Renard Allen, Thomas E. Kennedy, Walter Cummins and Martin Donoff.
Of course it would be wrong of me to write a post about how great these teachers are without mentioning another great teacher- my baby sis, Mari. I've never seen her in action in the classroom, but I know HER, and she's awesome so ipso-facto she's an awesome teacher.
You heard it here first.
*smooches...for all teachers everywhere*
----------
who were some of your favorite teachers? tell me in the comments!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
13 comments:
Aww made my night brighter as I am drifting off. Definitely would shout out two of my teachers:
Ms. Mullen- 7th grade Language arts teacher, who motivated me to learn the art of public speaking via the Speech contest (I always remember her not choosing me in 7th grade because she said, although an awesome speech, I did not deliver as well...well look at me now!
Mr. Carbone- 11th grade English, who, although he is gay, I would marry in a heartbeat because he taught me how to write a damn good essay in my sleep and taught me to appreciate every last grammar tidbit in the book, The Elements of Style
but there are so many more...
I have a few.
Mrs. Barrayasarra-My kindergarten and 3rd grade teacher. Who told my mom that I was too smart to be in average classes and to stay on the school because they probably wouldn't advance me because I'm black!
Mr. Kane-8th grade history. He made me love a subject even more than I already did! He made social studies fun! He's the reason I have a degree in history! Uhh that I'm not using!
Mr. Ulasewicz 9th grade English. Was born and raised in Brooklyn and moved to Olean! His attitude made me laugh my azz off! But he made us read challenging books!
Mr. Stetz-10th grade Trig. I struggled with some of it but he NEVER gave up on me. He would meet before school after or whenever I didn't have one of the three sports I played!
Mr. Fraiser- He taught Government and Economics. I loved both but he made me love it even more. His enthusiasm led me to also get a degree in Political Science with a concentration in The American Presidency!
That's just high school! I had two in college and one in my master's program that I did not finish...*sigh*
Wow, um, I'd have to start with my two Army instructors for my high school's JROTC program.
Ltc. Francis A. Quander and SGM James O. Johnson may they rest in peace. These men taught me so much about myself and just how much I can endure and just how strong I really am under pressure.
I almost went to the military after high school. Apparently it wasn't right, but I will never forget all they've taught me in and out of the classroom.
Drs. Myra Shird and Sandra Alexander
These ladies were my two favorite professors in college. They both made me feel like if I could learn just a fraction of what they know, I'll be the smartest chick I know!
I will NEVER forget them.
Anita Powell-McDowell, may she rest in peace. She was my piano teacher, my first choir director and one of my first mentors. EVERYthing she taught me was about life. I soooo don't remember how to play any songs on that dang instrument, but I remember so many of the life lessons she taught me.
She was so great to me and a lot of other folks. One of my childhood friends and I actually started a choir in her memory.
Nice post, chica!
Ms. Schreiber...man, that woman put up with more from me than even my own mother. God bless her.
I have one other Teacher that I would like to show appreciation to!
Mr. Teacher- post graduate. I met him in April of 2007. He has taught me patience and abstinence! But he has also given me tremendous joy!
So, thank you SLC! He is my Teacher of the year! LMBAO!
@irene- you ain't kidding! most days I thought she would just jump over some desks and strangle you! lol
@shellyshell28- how did I know THE TEACHER would creep in here?? lol
PEOPLE- keep the comments coming... these are great tributes to the educators who helped mold us!
My mom - who taught me it's ok to stay up past your bedtime, as long as you're in bed and reading ... who taught me to always look up words you don't know and (gasp!) to even underline them to help you remember them ... who endured years of me asking for words to spell ... who's a geek who raised a proud geek.
Mrs. Lighthouser - my kindergarten teacher. I still remember her being the prettiest teacher ever ... and the first to teach me Spanish.
Mr. Walker - my fourth grade teacher. who taught me proper penmanship and had the most fun games, secretly teaching us Spanish while we thought we were just winning prizes.
Dr. Lamaar - my high school SAT teacher, who literally stood on a desk and yelled so I will never forget the word "stentorian" and took us all into the hallways to show how he proceeds down them with "alacrity."
My high school European History teacher, who was the first to ever teach me that history isn't always what it seems and can always be challened.
One of my high school English teachers, who believe that all her students deserved a bit of culture. Every year, she'd hustle us into the big city (I lived in MA at the time) to see a play and would pay for any of us who couldn't, working out other methods of payment later. She believed no one should miss culture, not even because of finances.
Mr. McCarthey - My high school Spanish teacher my senior year. He taught me how to do a proper turkey call and, at the end of the year, invited any student who could afford it to join him and his wife in Salamanca for the summer. He believed immersion was the best way to learn.
And to those I've forgotten. My love of learning and love of books was kindled and kept alive because of them.
Damn! Sorry that was so long.
I have a few teachers in my family and I will celebrate them twice this weekend, Teacher appreciation and Mother's Day!
As for the ones outside of home that guided me in life:
Ms.Campbell, she was my second grade teacher and because of her I am strong willed and have the best damn penmanship ever.
Mr. Dickman, my JHS gym teacher! That's right GYM teacher, he exposed a group of urban children to the sports only played in the suburbs and because of him my tennis game is WICKED and I thank him everytime I lift a racket against YT and smash the ball at him.
Mr.Cross for teaching me to play the flute and appreciate classical music.
Mr. Goose. The first man to teach me to love language. I took for granted my french lessons until I took the regents and could hold a conversation with my friends who were from France.
@Dance Theater of Harlem: Arthur Mitchell, though that punishment for having my hair down on the my prom night WAS UNCALLED FOR! he taught me discipline and to walk head held high because the world was going to tell me I didnt deserve to 1) be a Black ballerina and 2) didnt deserve to be proud. He reinforced everything my mom said and for that I am thankful. Even that crappy History of music class was worth it now that I look back.
Judy in HS (yes we called them by their first name) For exposing me to the Great literary works of the world! Life is complete now with Shakespeare by my side.
Eddie in HS for changing my mind about Trig and Economics. MY understanding of this financial mess this country is in and my love for Michael Moore started with him!
Donna Faye in undergrad. This woman made me ok with defying gravity in dance. And when I refused to dance she dug up old recordings and projected them on the cafeteria walls until I caved. I love her to this day.
She was also my connection to NY in the bleek world of Roanoke.
Lastly My Dearest Professor Gauci, Where Eddie started you finished. He gave me the book “A Walk down Wall Street” and it changed my life forever. I became obsessed with Wall Street and its working and found myself at one of the best house on the Street and I owe it to him.
How could I forget my sophomore year math teacher? When I moved from NY to MA, my math didn't quite translate to I didn't take a freshman math in MA. Instead, I spent my soph year struggling through geometry AND algebra/trig. That man came in before school and stayed after school to help my sorry ass and bless his heart for it because I HATE math. When I aced Calculus in college, I went back to h.s. and thanked him.
*looks at self*
*rereads post*
*Gives post the finger*
Mr. Silbert - I loved him. He was dreamy. (As in I kept dreaming up ways to torture him)
Ms. Sotomeyer - I had such a crush on her in kindergarten ... I think she's the reason I decided school was cool.
(Is it sad that I had to really, REALLY dig to find one. They just never really impacted me much, sorry)
teachers are cool
and some of them are sexy as all out doors.
however, my middle son's teacher has bad breath but she is good peoples (and yes I have offered her gum)
Post a Comment