As a new school year approaches, I can't help but think about teachers of years gone by.
Who was your favorite teacher? Why? What was the impact he or she left on you?
As we approach a new year with students, with a blend of nervous excitement and uncertainty, think about how your favorites would handle themselves now, in preparation for a new school year in 2021-22.
10 Lessons From My Teachers
Here are ten lessons that’ve stuck with me from ten teachers who’ve impacted my life.
•Kindness Matters.
Ms. Devlin (grade 2)
Being hospital-bound for extended periods of time was often boring for a seven year old. Having a teacher who knew what it’d mean to a kid to get a special package made all the difference. Varied art supplies, such as colored pencils and cray pas oil pastels, delivered to the hospital room, brightened my days.
•Brevity is the soul of wit.
Mrs. Lincoln (grade 6)
In class, we’d learn about oceanography watching the Voyage of the Mimi. We’d have trivia questions for bonus points on our weekly spelling tests (“Who said, ‘Brevity is the soul of wit’?”). On Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, we played basketball. Tuesdays were for instruction. Thursdays, for games. And maybe most memorable was on the last day of school, when our class walked home from school together, down the street to my house, for a class pool party.
•You can do it.
Mr. Steinberg (grade 7 Math)
While not necessarily the most positive of memories, I will forever be grateful for a teacher who saw a student who struggled with math (and worse, confidence), and built him up. This would go down as the most successful year I had as a math student, and I’m fairly certain it helped shape me into the empathetic teacher I went onto become, especially with students who struggled or learned differently. For me, he was the original "Warm Demander".
•Be "the Captain" of your learning.
Mr. O’Connor (English)
Coincidentally (or maybe not), this was the same year that the movie Dead Poet’s Society debuted. So we greeted Mr. O’ heartily with, O Captain! My Captain! When asked to select from a list of options, Hermann Hesse was the name I picked. That year, I read everything I could get my hands on, because I had a teacher who immersed his students in literature that challenged their minds and captured their hearts. Listening to someone speak in great depth and detail about all of the authors was impressive.
•Discover what matters to you. Then do all you can to positively impact it.
Mr. Dolan (Biology)
Learning by doing, project-based learning, civics, and activism, were cornerstones to my learning experience. Genuine field experiments and seeing a teacher’s enthusiasm for a subject culminated in a symposium. Organized entirely by students, it featuring prominent politicians and activists discussing local environmental matters.
•Honor and serve all students.
Ms. Powers (College Professor)
As a mid-year transfer, I was lost in transition. Enrolled in a course entitled, “Psychology of the Exceptional Child”, I honestly admitted to my professor that I wasn’t sure this was for me. She responded by saying, in a warm and gentle tone, “You know, Dennis, all children are exceptional. This class will make you a better teacher for all students.” I can honestly say, it has.
•Every day’s a job interview.
Mr. Onorato (College Professor/Administrative Mentor)
I wore a baseball hat for most of my nineteenth year of life. One day (on the first day of a new semester’s class), I was greeted by my professor who asked that hats not be worn in class, because they were not professional and we were becoming professionals. Not only did I respect this expectation, but I enrolled in other courses taught by this professor. In the years since, I learned the value of preparation, interview skills and leadership strategies, sat times over a hamburger at a local pub with my now mentor. And I’ve traded my daily baseball cap for a daily shirt and tie.
Share the joyous experience of reading.
•Dr. Bausch (College Professor)
Midway through my teaching career, I decided to immerse myself in learning as much as I could about early literacy. When a professor shared a love for picture books and modeled what’s expected, it’s contagious. Designing thematic units around genres that excite students is magical. Having a professor who has high expectations while setting a tone of flexibility and trust, ignites students’ passions for their own learning.
•What you put into it is what you’ll get out of it.
Mr. Lentini (College Professor)
"You have to reach them before you can teach them." Rarely have I seen a college professor who modeled the preparation of a classroom teacher. Experiments, cooking, building, presenting, we used all of senses to create meaning to every experience. And we learned how to use rubrics and give meaningful feedback. All the while, we saw how “the wow factor” could engage students, because we were wowed each and every class period.
•There’s always time for one cup of coffee.
Dr. Moraghan (College Professor)
Quite possibly, this was the most important cup of coffee in my life. I learned a bit late, the value of connecting with professors. Up to that point, I’d underestimated how generous most were and how much they genuinely cared for their students. One evening, during a break, I’d asked a question of this professor. Rather than rush me along or tell me to make an appointment during office hours, he invited me to join him for a coffee. As we walked and sipped, I received career advice that would ultimately separate me from others in pursuit of my first job as an administrator. Since this day, I make a point to always have time for a coffee, and the conversation that comes along with it.
These are the teachers and the memories that have remained with me through the years. And while I have met and known dozens of great teachers since, they will always be measured against the impact of these ten who have forever changed my life.