I can think of three teachers who were most influential in my education. People say we are the sum of our experiences and I believe that to be true. These teachers added experiences in different ways that influenced the person I have become.
Mrs. Haller
My third grade teacher. We called her Ol’ Snappy Fingers. She could snap her fingers like thunder. It was incredibly loud to my young ears and she could do both hands at the same time or in rhythm. Snapping her fingers was an attention signal that we all learned meant, “Give be your attention RIGHT NOW!”
It was in the third grade that I fell in love with science. I can clearly recall two experiments we did in her class - we floated a pin on water and we made floating pepper scoot to the outside of a bowl by touching the water with soap. Pretty simple science but, if I can remember it after 55 years, it must have made a pretty big impression on me. (I’d be happy to help any of you do these experiments if you would like.)
Mr Hone
My sixth grade teacher. There are several things about Mr Hone that helped me grow and develop. First, he spoke to the class and to us individually as people. I mean he did not talk to us like we were kids. He didn’t talk down to us. He treated us as human beings with equal value. Even in the sixth grade, I noticed and appreciated this.
Second, he recognized my innate curiosity and supported it. He would let me read or visit the library when my work was done. He encouraged me to spend time with our set of encyclopedias (They were our equivalent of the internet, but all printed out and in book form. All 27 volumes were stored on a rolling cart in our room).
Third, he let me do extra projects even if I wasn’t in a group that was doing projects. One project was to build a model house using small lengths of wood and glue. I was not in that group, I was doing extra grammar work in Mrs. Clark’s room - ugh. But, he recognized how interested I was and showed me how to build the frame of a building and gave me the supplies I needed. I built a model garage about 12 inches square, just for fun. I was very proud of my work, even if I didn’t get a grade out of it.
By the way, I previously blogged about the last time I ever saw Mr. Hone.
Ms. Archambault
When I first met her, she was the advisor to the Astronomy Club in my high school. When I was a senior, she was my chemistry teacher. At the time, I knew she did not want to teach chemistry. She was an earth science teacher but the administration forced her to teach a section of chemistry. She didn’t go a great job. It was NOT my favorite class; in fact, I hated it.
But, here’s what she did do well. She supported me in the Astronomy Club. She encouraged me and my friends to follow our passions and to push the envelope. We took very public risks and even when they didn’t turn out great, we learned so much about life from just trying. She supported my love of science when it was the most fragile. I recently found her on Facebook and thanked her for that.
You might not be able to see who is helping you grow in different ways right now, but as you mature and gain perspective, you will look back and there will be certain people who stand out. Remember them, and pay it forward by helping someone else, even if it just means doing your job.
