I STILL cannot post comments on other people’s stories, so….

Comments on “Favorite Teacher” prompt.

Educator of the Year – Remembering Milton by Dana Susan Lehrman

A very evocative tale for me…my grade school had a Milton of its own, although he was the shop teacher, not custodial staff. Mr. Crawley never got full peer-to-peer respect from the “real” teachers (who forget that little kids have big ears). I think that both disdain for his subject and racism played their parts in that. But he was my favorite teacher in grade school. He taught wood shop and life, with an emphasis on kindness and respect for others.

On Principal by Susan Bennet

You very economically painted a vivid picture of Principal Buckley!

All I remember of my school principles was dreading their presence in the school yard. For some reason they dampened down the fun by 30% just by watching it.

Thank you, Esther Perrin! by Sara Gootblatt

I never re-met any grade or high-school teachers, although there was one in 8th grade whose friendliness toward the older boys would, today, be considered at least worth investigating.

Now, as a University staff member, I work with a bunch of Professors. Whether I am first name basis with them is generally an age thing. With one or two, no one would DARE….

Good Morning, Mrs. Shaffer by Edward Guthmann

Grade school teachers have the opportunity to be such a strong influence on their students, for good or bad. By the time a kid is in jigh school, they are, usually, pretty much formed in terms of personality and outlook. The grade school teachers I remember most are second grade, who loaned me all of her first edition Hardy Boy novels to read, and kindergarten, who was nice enough to start quietly passing me by in the “reading circle” because it was getting me bullied after school.

Refuge in Drama by Marian

Teachers can touch our souls in ways big and small. Mr. G sounds like the sort of teacher we can all be thankful we had, if we did!

Frances Henne by Dana Susan Lehrman

Too many academics give short intellectual schrift to professions other than their own. Being a librarian fascinates me the same way being a person who designs tools fascinates me; you get to contribute to MANY fields of endeavor!

Teacher: Here and Now by jonathancanter

Your teacher selection was interesting, but obscured by how much I now crave some salami! And OMG that view…

Señor G by John Shutkin

John, Señor G reminds me of my high school chemistry teacher. Mr. Russo was also young, and less formal with his students than were the older teachers. He was talking about global warming due to fossil fuels back in 1975!

Elaine Zeve by Betsy Pfau

A touching tribute to someone who changed your life, Betsy! We are what, about eight years old in second grade? At that age we are so vulnerable, so malleable. The right (or wrong) person can make such a huge difference. Coincidentally, I had a second grade teacher who helped widen my reading interests by loaning me all her first edition Hardy Boys novels!

You Have Made A Difference by Suzy

I’m running behind (again) on Retrospect reading and commenting…. I hope Miss G. has contacted you. May you become pen pals!

Ave atque Vale by Susan Bennet

You end this wonderous story on a mysterious note! I too hope Miss Stanhope found happiness both personally and professionally.

Latin always reminds me of my first wife. Val was a classicist who was conversant in (ancient) Greek and Latin, as well as French and Spanish. I recall her teaching herself German one summer, just for fun. She was a linguistic polymath. During our (frequent) arguments, she’d call me nasty things in ancient Greek.. The only one I ever managed to translate was “doulos.” I suspect that that was one of the nicer ones!

For Mr. Hollander, Ms. Vit, and Linda by Laurie Levy

My Miss Cartwright was a music teacher. Her way of inspiring young children to love music was to shriek insults at anyone who sang out of tune, and to slam kids whom she thought were misbehaving against the blackboard, hard. I learned to sing so she couldn’t hear me….

Glad you had Mr. Hollander as a counterpoint!

Mademoiselle Moulin by Jan Fox

A short short story in free verse. Love it!

We don’t give a person’s scent the credit it deserves in how we react to them. The bike ride, the mowing…very evocative.

Repeating Fifth Grade by Anne Burdett Srigley

This is an amazing entry in the It’s a Small World annals! I think reconnecting after many years takes a significant measure of courage. Sometimes our recollections are rosier than the reality was. Sometimes people change for, for lack of a better word, the not-better; many of my old friends from before I left for college are now various flavors of MAGA. I have no idea why.