There have been a hand full of teachers out there who have inspired their students to try things once thought impossible. They have taught us to look at subject material differently, dared us to try something new and have given us hope for our future endeavors. Here a few brief stories of those remarkable teachers:
Melissa's Story:
Looking back on my college courses, I remember one that made me feel extremely intimidated. The subject was Chemistry, and it was not one of my better subjects. My feelings would soon change.
I recall sitting there on the first day with sweaty palms glancing through the textbook. Chemistry seemed complex, and although I was good in math I was still nervous.
As these emotions stirred, the door opened and in walked a tall man with glasses and a briefcase. He introduced himself as Mr. O'Sullivan, and said he would be our teacher. We went through attendance and the syllabus, and then he was ready to begin a lesson.
While listening to the lesson, I happened to notice a lot of puzzled faces on other students. I didn't quite understand all the material myself, but I was going to do my best. Just then, as Mr. O'Sullivan was discussing electrons, he jumped on the desk and pretended to be one. Talk about getting "into" your work!
From that point on, the entire class felt so much better and not so intimidated. The manner in which Mr. O'Sullivan explained the material, whether through visuals or animation, was one in which it was easy to understand.
Thanks to Mr. O'Sullivan, I received an "A" in Chemistry. His way of teaching will never be forgotten!
Jennifer's Story
I remember sitting on my bedroom floor one rainy afternoon. Scattered about me were wrinkled papers covered in bright blue ink. I remember sitting on that floor, staring at the watery patterns forming on the windowpane, and thinking that this assignment was impossible! Write my own fiction?! What could Mrs. Gershwin have been thinking? It was impossible!
As I sat silently, listening to the rhythmic sounds of the wind and rain, I was instantly inspired. The sounds of the storm were no more, and all I heard was the light scratching of my pen against once empty sheets of paper. The next day, I entered Mrs. Gershwin's English class. I was nervous and excited all at the same time. What if she called on me to recite my fiction? What if she didn't like it? What if she did? As these thoughts soared through my mind, I felt invincible.
Through Mrs. Gershwin's assignment, I was forced to create something from the depths of my soul and subsequently display it for all to see. That assignment was empowering.
Without the guidance, support, and prodding of Mrs. Gershwin I may never have taken the risks necessary to excel.
Cristina's Story
All throughout my schooling, I was never overly excited about my science classes. It was not that I disliked them, but they just produced a neutral feeling. I actually think that I did not know what was going on most of the time. Simple concepts, such as those of volume and mass, were never explained to me. I just figured it out on my own. I am not saying that my science teachers were bad teachers, but they did not make the subject come alive. Then my Sophomore year in high school I took biology with Mrs. Harrington. I still spout out facts that I learned in her class. She made the subject grab me and I became truly interested in Science. I even took Marine Biology because she was the teacher. I do not even like fish, and I am actually disgusted by them. But because of Mrs. Harrington, I know more about Marine Biology than I ever thought it was possible for me to know. I went snorkeling in South Florida to look at the Coral Reefs and kayaking through a river to observe Mangrove trees and the environment they lived in.
Mrs. Harrington conducted a very hands-on approach to science, and this is what made me interested in it. I am shocked at how much information I have retained from a class that I took nine years ago, but my teacher was really something else.
Teachers such as these leave lasting impacts on their students. It is in this manner that they have achieved immortality, for their teachings live on in the hearts and minds of their students.
Jennifer Sherman, Cristina Sierre, and Melissa Stiehler, Florida Atlantic University