My Favorite Teacher--from Studio Classroom

This essay was written by Billy Haselton, a Studio Classroom teacher. Since I couldn't find it online. I'd like to type it up and share here. You can see how teachers make a difference. Following the essay are words from Billy's favorite teacher and some ideas for showing appreciation to teachers.

 My Favorite Teacher 

by Billy Haselton  September 27-28, 1999, Studio Classroom, pp. 32-33

I love math. All those Xs and Ys and equations…solving word problems…playing with numbers and formulas…I call this fun. Maybe you’re surprised that a Studio Classroom English teacher could enjoy math so much. You’ll understand better when I tell you about my favorite teacher, Mrs. Lou Cleveland. She taught me—you guessed it—math. Actually, though, I haven’t always enjoyed math. In fact, in 7^th grade, I hated it.

My 7^th grade math teacher gave me a bad taste for math. It wasn’t that 7^th grade math was hard. He made it hard. And he was hard to please. When I asked honest questions (I always liked to ask questions), he accused me of trying to make trouble. He used put-downs to keep me in my place. So I kept math in its place. Last place, that is, on my list of favorite classes.

Then, when I finally got to high school, I had Mrs. Cleveland for algebra class. This cute little lady was full of energy. She seemed to bounce off the walls. She actually got excited about math. To help us remember how to perform difficult calculations, she used silly examples. All the students respected he—even the biggest, toughest football players. We had fun in Mrs. Cleveland’s class, but we always knew who was boss.

Mrs. Cleveland’s love for math infected me. In fact, when I entered university, I decided to major in math. Oh, I eventually changed my major to English, but I never lost my love for numbers. Mrs. Cleveland’s impact on my life remains to this day.

How about you? Has a special teacher made an impact on your life? Then show your appreciation. On this Teacher’s Day, find a way to make a teacher’s day brighter. After all, they’ve made all of us “brighter.”

“After all the years teaching, I have never found two students who are the same. So each semester or year becomes a challenge to find ways to assist this new student in learning the most he or she can in the easiest possible way. That is what has kept teaching alive and vibrant after all these years—teaching the student and not the subject.”—Lou Cleveland

Brighten Up a Teacher’s DayNeed some ideas for making a teacher feel   special? Try these.* Give your teacher a card. Don’t just   sign your name—write some words of appreciation.* Buy her some flowers. * Take him out for a meal. Maybe your   whole class could do this together. * Give her a surprise party. Decorate your classroom   and enjoy some snacks together. * Write him a letter. Tell you r teacher   how much you appreciate him. * Give her a special gift. Make sure it’s   something she really likes. * Study extra hard for your next test. Nothing   encourages a teacher more than seeing his students learn. * Just talk to her and tell her how glad you are to be   her student. Your words of encouragement will make your teacher feel extra   special.

My comments: These tips reminde me of the homemade Teacher's Day cards I made for two teachers two years ago, showing them my gratitude by telling what I'd learned from them. (See http://june.ettachou.com/2013/09/28/happy-teachers-day/.) I'll write more.