As much as I've resisted saying goodbye to the best summer in years, back to school is officially here! Luckily, both of my sons are really excited about their teachers so it's making the transition a bit easier. It also got me thinking that this year my back to school post should celebrate teachers!
Everyone has a favorite teacher, one that made a real difference, and this is your chance to let everyone know about them! I have a lot of great teachers to thank and some I should probably apologize to, but my high school English teacher J.C. Smith really stands out. He believed in me and I’ve never forgotten him. Tell us about your favorite teacher (past or present) for a chance to win a World’s Best Teacher Care Package that includes a Late July variety pack, a World’s Best Teacher Trophy and a $50 Amazon.com gift certificate for your teacher and a Late July Variety Pack and $50 Amazon.com gift certificate for you (for being so thoughtful). If for some reason we can’t give the prize to your favorite teacher, you can select another teacher to receive the package. Please post on Facebook or on latejuly.com by Sept 31st for a chance to WIN!
I too was influenced by my high school English teacher, but that was so long ago I can't even remember her name, LOL! So I want to talk about my son's teacher, Mrs. East, who last year gave my son the gift of a great year with her inspirational teaching and prepared him for the leap to middle school this year. Thank you, Mrs. East!
Posted by: Gina | September 01, 2010 at 01:06 PM
My best teacher ever was a Smith too and an
English teacher! She was Mary Smith and she taught my junior year Creative Writing class. I adored her. She inspired me and believed in me and I still think of her 30 years later. She was young and cool and treated us as peers rather than students. Yet she had our respect and was never inappropriate.
Posted by: Stevi | September 04, 2010 at 01:33 PM
i didn't appreciate her at the time because she graded me a "N" (Needs Improvement) in the Uses Skills category. it was the only bad grade on my customary straight A's report card. decades later, i realize that she had the insight that no other teacher had and she challenged me to live to my potential and dream bigger.
Posted by: tracy | September 12, 2010 at 05:06 AM
I would like to nominate my daughters teacher. She has been the most understanding and supportive teacher we have had when it comes to my daughters diet. My daughter was diagnosed with ADHD, ODD, and mood disorder non-specific. She was initially on medication until I learned that by removing some preservatives and artificial colors and flavors could help her more. She is now off all medication and doing great. Her current teacher, Ms. Scharman at Indian Creek Elementary Is wonderful. She is completely supportive and has asked me to bring in baked goods that she can freeze so that if there is a class party, there is something there that my daughter can have! She is the first teacher she has had that hasn't said, forget about the diet, she needs medication! She sees the true potential of every student!
Posted by: Jolene Mireles | September 16, 2010 at 09:36 PM
I know that the deadline has passed, but I wanted to share anyway. My middle school music/newspaper/chorus/homeroom teacher set the course for the rest of my life without ever knowing it. For 3 years, Mr. Travis put a lot of extra effort into keeping me level headed while I went through my most awkward phase. He was the first teacher that told me I was good at anything. He helped me decide where I was going to go to college while I was still in the 6th grade. That goal was the light at the end of a really rough tunnel that I went through as a teenager. No matter how bad things got I always knew that I was, in fact, good at all the things he praised me for and that one day I would end up there. In 2007, I was accepted to the school of my dreams and I'm now gearing up for graduation. Mr. Travis showed me the value of kindness, honesty, and sincerity. He played Simon and Garfunkel, Bill Withers, and Mozart for us when we had *NSYNC on our notebook covers. He is the kind of teacher that you get to have once in a lifetime, the one who changes the way you're thinking and sends you off in the right direction. His influence and inspiration has been immeasurably far reaching.
Posted by: Jessica | October 17, 2010 at 05:50 AM
My favorite teacher is my ag teacher, Ms.Brown. Ive taken 3 classes with her and shes a fun, loving, inspirational person. She makes sure you understand what shes teaching and makes it fun to learn. She takes us on educational feild trips and takes us to the greenhouse for hands on activities. We have learned so much from her. She talks about college and the right way to go in certain career feilds. Shes there for you when you need to talk to her about anything. She gives good advise about stress. She pushes us to strive to achieve our goals. She funny too. She can play along when were joking around but she makes us get back to work. Shes just an all around good teacher.
Posted by: Elizabeth Smtih | May 03, 2011 at 11:15 AM
I would like to nominate my son Ben's 3rd grade teacher, Mrs. Sullivan. She is everything a great teacher should be. Patient. Flexible. Caring. Supportive. Understanding. Tough. Consistent. She took everything that was unique about my son and made opportunities out of what others would consider challenges. She had such a positive impact on Ben. Just amazing.
Posted by: Sherry Nelson | June 04, 2011 at 10:36 PM