The other day I started thinking about my high school English and Speech teacher, Ms. Goldstein. She was 26 years old at the time. Cute, totally hip and alot of fun (which is probably the definition of being 26.) When we’d get sluggish in class, back in 1982, she’d say stuff like, “Come on you guys, let’s rock the casbah!” But she wasn’t a pushover either. She’d tell you to your face that you were flaky. Well, to me at least. I wasn’t sure what flaky meant at the time, but I guess I was too flaky to bother looking it up.
Anyhoo, Ms. Goldstein was one of my favorite teachers. She talked to us like a concerned big sister and got us thinking about our future. I’ll never forget how she used to tell us all the time to “get into computers because that’s where the future is going.”
Teachers impact our lives so much, sometimes much later on when we’re sitting around feeling like old sad sacks (What? Not me!) and reflecting on our childhood. And not just teachers from school, but also the extracurricular coaches, piano instructors, church people, basically anyone who leaves us with a new idea or skill.
And we never realize when we’re in grade school that our teachers were real people with lives outside the classroom. For example, my 5th grade teacher, 27 year-old Mr. Pearson, seemed so unassuming and not the boom-chicka-bow-wow type at all. Well, 5 years later, when I was working at Baskin-Robbins (my first job), he came in with his good-looking girlfriend — and she was about 45! Oh, I did the math. You go, Mr. Pearson. Actually, go Cougar Girlfriend!
So, you know my next question: Who was your favorite teacher and why? I’ll be checking for grammar and punctuation and there will be a test afterwards. Just kidding. You know by now, there’s no strict anything on this blog. Although, Ms. Goldstein would rip my head off for always using long sentences. I’m trying to do better.
And now – To Sir With Love by Lulu (and as always, check out Nostalgia and Retrospection for a ton of retro videos and music to get you reminiscing!)
20 kids playing along so far ↓
1 ReformingGeek
// Mar 31, 2009 at 6:57 am
The English teacher I remember wasn’t anything like yours. Unfortunately, most of my teachers were forgettable. It’s not that they were awful, they just didn’t stand out.
I had a teacher that I took flute lessons from that was a great listener. She was used to kids and their tears (awkward teenage years)!
ReformingGeek’s last blog post..What? Another one?
2 Joe
// Mar 31, 2009 at 10:22 am
I didn’t have any nice teachers. I hated them all.
3 Joe
// Mar 31, 2009 at 10:26 am
I had this one science teacher, Mrs. Ritchie, and she always work silk blouses. She never seemed to wear deodorant, because when she’d raise her arm to write on the chalkboard, she’d have these huge wet patches in the armpit area of her blouse…
Joe’s last blog post..Good day sunshine, hello skin cancer:
4 Joe
// Mar 31, 2009 at 10:27 am
… another teacher lived down the street from me, and I started a rumor in school that she mowed her lawn in high heels….
5 marissa
// Mar 31, 2009 at 10:29 am
Jeez Louise!! I guess I was a little too optimistic with this post. Just assumed that everyone was touched by a teacher (not in the bad way).
ReformingGeek: MAJOR awkward teenage years. (Hey everyone – it’s RG’s birthday!)
Joe: I disliked most of them. Maybe nowadays teachers are alot cooler.
6 marissa
// Mar 31, 2009 at 10:34 am
Joe: Yuck. You’d think Mrs. Ritchie, being a science teacher, would realize the effect armpit sweat would have on silk.
It would be awkward to live down the street from a teacher. But high heels lawn-mowing is a better visual than the pit stains.
7 Joe
// Mar 31, 2009 at 12:13 pm
Hey it’s not like I asked her to be my teacher. I got what I got.
8 grannyann
// Mar 31, 2009 at 12:22 pm
There’s no way I knew how old my teachers were. I guess my first grade teacher Mrs Haynes was my favorite. Most were pretty old and crotchety.
grannyann’s last blog post..Had Not Thought About Calling 911…..
9 marissa
// Mar 31, 2009 at 12:33 pm
Okay then, if you could’ve had ANY teacher, fictional or otherwise, who would it be? I pick Mr. Miyagi or Master Po.
10 marissa
// Mar 31, 2009 at 12:46 pm
Grannyann: God bless 1st grade and kindergarten teachers. My son’s teacher, Mr. Crane, said that trying to keep kids in line “is like trying to herd cats.”
11 Joe
// Mar 31, 2009 at 1:38 pm
I’d pick Mrs. Robinson.
Joe’s last blog post..Random fact:
12 CoolStuffForDads.com
// Mar 31, 2009 at 1:47 pm
I feel lucky, I did have some very good teachers, that were very good natured. I could never figure out why some of the kids would want to test them. Back in the 70s, Farrah Fawcett would have been a good teacher.
CoolStuffForDads.com’s last blog post..Give Gourment Crab Cakes as a Gift
13 marissa
// Mar 31, 2009 at 2:39 pm
Joe: Good one!
CoolStuff: Finally – someone who had good teachers. And Farrah Fawcett… would she have taught in that swimsuit?
14 Bartholomew Woods
// Mar 31, 2009 at 7:38 pm
I also find it strange that you would know the ages of your teachers.
To me teachers were just like your parents – only they were paid to yell at you.
My favourite teacher was Mr. Hazel. He taught ‘Economics’. A fairly dull subject but I always enjoyed his classes.
Bartholomew Woods’s last blog post..March Music Marathon Month
15 Chris
// Mar 31, 2009 at 8:46 pm
I had a great physics teacher. Mr Murphy. The first physics class involved him pulling out the guitar, singing a song to 17 year olds about how the whales are dying and being killed by humans which is the reason why there aren’t that many new songs – just remakes. Apparently whales help humans write new songs.
I know … sounds weird and Mr Murphy was probably a candidate for the mental asylum … but we listened to every word he said after that.
Chris’s last blog post..The new cure for an upset stomach
16 marissa
// Mar 31, 2009 at 9:35 pm
Bartholomew Woods: Hhaha. We were kinda brazen brats asking our teachers how old they were. Actually, we only dared to ask the younger ones. Those that were in their 40’s and over seemed so ancient that we just lumped them all as elderly. (Egads!)
It’s says alot about the teacher when a student enjoys his class and it’s a dry subject like that.
Chris: Wow, that Mr. Murphy. Do you know where he is now?? I’m picturing he looks like Doc Brown from Back to the Future.
17 Bartholomew Woods
// Mar 31, 2009 at 9:58 pm
A funny moment from High School that I have never forgotten.
Like my fellow classmates I was required to take french in high school. And I can honestly say I hated every minute of it.
My only clear recollection of french class happened in Grade 9.
Our teacher, Mrs. Wilhelm advised the class that a school superintendent would be sitting in on one of her classes to monitor her teaching methods. She told the class of an idea that she wanted to us to follow in order to impress the superintendent. She requested the entire class to raise our arms whenever she asked a question.
She suggested that those students that knew the answer to raise their right arm, and those that didn’t, to raise their left.
She imagined the superintendent would be suitably impressed seeing all 30 students eagerly wanting to be called upon. But there was one small problem.
I was in her class.
The day finally arrive. The superintendent seated himself in the back of the class. Mrs. Wilhelm began her review of the previous day’s lesson. Of course, I followed her prior instructions and raised my hand to each of her questions.
Then it happened. She chose me to answer a question. I sheepishly pointed to my raised left arm. At first she didn’t comprehend what I was doing. Then it dawned on her. She gave a nervous laugh and moved onto another student.
Bartholomew Woods’s last blog post..TV ADVERTISEMENTS
18 marissa
// Mar 31, 2009 at 10:18 pm
LOL! I would’ve had that deer-in-the-headlight look, totally mortified, and wouldn’t have thought of pointing to my arm. But that was really clever of Ms. Wilhelm.
19 The Stabbing Pen
// Apr 2, 2009 at 2:24 am
Mr. Schoch. (Shoke)
HS. Media Arts teacher. He gave us candy bars when we got a “candy bar question” right.
The Stabbing Pen’s last blog post..3/25 – “Wtf was I trying to say?”
20 marissa
// Apr 2, 2009 at 7:56 am
Stabbing Pen: I LIKE it! Education, cavities, and pimple-inducing goodies. What’s not to like? Thanks for visiting.
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