Your best ever teacher?

Who was your best ever, life-changing teacher?

I was lucky, I had a couple of them. The first one was in grade 3. This beautiful flame-haired and slightly crazy teacher taught us with energy and stories. She recognised something in me and affirmed it, and more than any other teacher, she was the one who turned me on to the power of writing, of imagination, and of doing your best. Shortly afterwards we left the state (in a hurry) and that was the end of that.

I was lucky enough to meet her again last year, in a writing workshop where, ironically, I was presenting and she was the "student". Before I had said anything to her, she remembered me, and wrote me a poem (!). She was still reaching out and affirming my strengths all these years, half a lifetime later. What a remarkable teacher, what an extraordinary human being. It was such a blessing to be able to reconnect long enough to express my deep gratitude to her.

Who was YOUR best ever teacher?

(PS: you're allowed to say Mr Jones who was the PE teacher in Grade 9 because he had awesome guns).

There were 2. The first, year 4, in Canberra. Our class was his first class ever! Mr D recognised how much I struggled with maths and would sit with me while we did it. He was my favourite primary school teacher.


The second, high school, year 9 I think. Mr B. He was my maths teacher. He too recognised my struggle with numbers and would teach me how to do maths in words.... Because I am good at English.

They both gave me so much confidence and I was so grateful.

I had a few. Worthy of mention:

Mrs Culph - Prep - the true embodiment of what every early childhood teacher should be. Mary Poppins of the classroom. Had beautiful shiny black piano in the room and used to play for us everyday. We all adored her. Never said a cross word. She is still alive, and still living in the same area, my bestie sometimes runs into her and she still remember all our names. A truly amazing lady.

Merv Chiswell - Grade 3 - Mr Chiswell was one of the best teachers going around. He always wore shorts and knee length socks, honestly loved kids and was an all round top guy, wicked sense of humour. He was our sports guy at primary school too, taught everyone how to high jump... He was a Kunyung Primary School institution, I don't know anyone who knew him who did bawl when he retired. Last I heard he and his wife owned a milk bar a couple of hours south of Perth. If anyone knows him, tell him hello.

In high school, Jenny Burrowes, Mrs Weiner, Ms Henry and Mr Bennett.

Peggy. The headmistress of my boarding school. She was always dressed impeccably even when she did the rounds at 3am she dressed in her fabulous dressing gown and kid leather slippers (will never forget the night of the possum - she leapt on the closest bed and screamed PMSL).
I spent a lot of time in her office. It always ran the same way. I got into trouble. I went to her office then we spent about 5 minutes discussing what I had done before settling down for a chat about something totally unrelated. She read the newspaper cover to cover every day and discussed any articles of interest with us and saved anything interesting that she stumbled across in a magazine. She flirted with our Dads (much to our astonishment lol) and enjoyed G&T and a nice wine. In short, she demonstrated every day that one could be an intellectual powerhouse without sacrificing style and femininity.

I kind of envy my old classmates who still live near her and catch up on occasion.

Primary school was my grade 3 teacher Mrs Jones!! (that's her real name :D). probably the most caring, passionate teacher I've ever had. looking back you could tell that teaching was her passion, not just a job :)

highschool was my English Lit teacher, Mr Whitehead! taught me to pursue my poetry writing and never doubt my abilities. awesome teacher.

Mr Knight from grade 6. My first ever male teacher and had just changed schools from the "good" school to the "poor" school.

It was the first time I was told I was smart. I never knew before, the other teachers had their favourites, being from one of the two single parent families in the school meant I could never be favored. I never knew that 99% in a maths test was brilliant, I was always made to feel like it was not good enough that I was never good enough.

Mr Knight changed that. I finally saw what I could do. He encouraged me, he taught me to play cheese in the lunch break. We would have races in the maths test. He would do the test at the same time as us and we tried to see which one of us could finish before him.

Oh and he had an awesome beard.

Rumour has it that the principal left her husband for him ;)

That gave me goose bumps Marydean. How fantastic that you recconnected in an extrodinary way.

Mr Randall, my year 7-8 science teacher. Just one of those teachers that held you the whole lesson and he never made you feel like you were in a class.

Worst teacher was Mr Butler, PE teacher, he made you lazy by always just following him around starring at his lovely beehind ;)

Been thinking about this all morning, it is such a tough choice because there were so many!

In my senior years I had a maths teacher and she could always tell when something was up. It really helped turn anything around just for someone to notice you enough, to know you enough to tell things weren't right and show concern and care. And she was a maths wizz which is always impressive to me! She was just lovely and glamorous and brilliant.

I really enjoyed our sience teacher in year 8. Mr smith. He was easy going. Boys were allowed their hats inside, the occasional curse word was fine! He even used them. He could have a joke & got along with everyone.

Turns out he was apparently under witness protection. Was only there for that year. I have no idea weather or not he was a real sience teacher, but he often talked about a car he was working on to convert it to running on water. So he had an idea at least.

Thinking back now, there were some inappropriate topics discussed. But we didn't think much of it at 13/14

I had a few but 2 stand out for me.

One in primary school, Mrs S. Had her for 4 of my primary years. In the early primary years she would bring her guitar an we'd sing songs. She was one of those maternal, understanding teachers who was never too busy to listen.

Then in high school, Mr F. Had him for a few subjects but it was Math that he stood out for me. He had about 5 different ways of explaining things so that one way or another, everyone understood how to solve whatever the problem was.

Oh lovely thread!

Grade prep- Miss Milne. She was to me as Miss Honey was to Matilda. Kind, sweet, gentle and encouraging.

Then fast forward to a few different years in high school when I had the same English and later, Literature teacher. She was a hippy in a country town. Rumour had it that she threw eggs on VIPS at local protests. And she loved and encouraged my writing, always.

In university I had two fantastic tutors, very creative, very attentive and always positive even when critiquing. One told me writers only ever drank red wine, one told me she loved to sit next to me as I made her feel so calm and happy. Neither of these comments had much to do with my - or their - craft but to me they represent their wonderful characters.

I had two Grade Three teachers and they were my favourites. Mr Blackman was a graduate. He was always smiling, enthusiastic and taught us Take the Pressure Down (John Farnham was BIG then, lol!). I loved having a guitar playing teacher!

Mrs Ebers polarised her students. She took no $@&? (so the 'naughty kids' hated her!) and did awesome art and craft! I still have snowman and stocking Christmas ornaments I made with her. She was one from the 'old school', a 'proper' teacher who knew her stuff (unlike many of the the teaching students I've mentored that didn't know their contractions from their compound words).

Sadly, both have passed away. Neither from old age. Both within weeks of me looking to contact them to say thank you for inspiring me.

Senior chemistry teacher, really fun and did lots of crazy stuff. Once blew out all the second story windows and caught the curtains on fire when exploding sodium in the courtyard. After that he used less sodium.

My little group of friends and I were rejects from the majority of kids but we had a lovely english teacher who let us sit in her room at lunch time for the last few years of high school. We often chatted and when we graduated she gave us each a gift that we all treasured. Fast forward a decade or so and one of my group ran into her at his choir - she didn't recognise him and after a few months he approached her and said who he was - she totally didn't remember any of us at all!! With some prompting she had a vague recollection. Sort of spoiled the memory lol.

I have a couple who are memorable....

Mrs Woods year one, she played an awesome stringed instument thingy that she held in her lap (wonder what it was called).
Mr Cusbert year 6 - introduced us to brightly coloured sweaters and The Carpenters lol
And Ms Buckley in highschool who road a motorbike to school and had a deep and meaningful with all of us 'unpopular' girls at school camp that boys eventually learn the hard way lol.

This is one awesome teacher.....Rita Pierson: Every kid needs a champion - YouTube

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highschool was my English Lit teacher, Mr Whitehead! taught me to pursue my poetry writing and never doubt my abilities. awesome teacher.

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Was that at Lilydale High?

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Was that at Lilydale High?

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nah, Scared Heart Girls College, Oakleigh :)