Chawlk

1. Drawar
2. Fenxy
3. Decaflon
4. Two Credits
5. Wriging
6. Loose Suits
7. Chixe
8. Dud3s
9. Wing Colors

 

I grew up in Berryville. Our tiny high school had the International Baccalaureate program (and at one point the smallest in the U.S. though that was many years ago now so it may have changed). We had about 500 students when I was there, so I think that had a lot to do with it.

My favorite teacher was also a good friend and mentor. He taught me that no idea is too crazy, and to try things out. The worst that happens is that you fail, you learn and you try again.

He was my English teacher and more importantly Literary Magazine advisor. That's where the real madness took place. We produced a CD of student music one year, and routinely put out three magazines per year when most schools did one. We had great times at the VHSL (Virginia High School League) conferences every year. I still have the letter of recommendation he wrote me for college. And I cherish the four years I spent with him, learning and playing and producing magazines. :)

Three, actually. The first was my private violin teacher, who taught me that if you're going to make a mistake, make it a big one. No reason to couple incompetence with invisibility. That's gotten me through a LOT.

The second was my first Editor in Chief over at Linux.com. Not an official "teacher" per se, but I learned everything I know about reporting from that guy (at least the stuff I didn't figure out on my own).

The last was a high school teacher who was my favorite for completely different reasons. She was young, hot, wore plunging necklines, and had a surprisingly sexy Mississippi accent. (Yeah, I know. Mississippi accent + sexy = oxymoron. But it worked well on someone that not only was, but also sounded educated.) But I guess that really doesn't count as "teacher" so much as it counts as "eye candy". Just say'n. It's what happens when you're 16.

I liked English teachers which use proper English and not some Americanised version. Excuse my poor sarcasm :)

I blogged about my favourite teacher, so I'll quote from that:

While most teenage boys were ogling Heidi Klum and Carmen Electra, all I could think about was Mrs Kneller. She was my schoolboy fantasy.

Music was probably the only class I actually asked for extra work in. Any excuse to gaze upon Mrs Kneller’s luscious curves, perfectly tanned skin and almost-but-not-quite see through blouse. All the kisses behind the bike shed and fumbles in the bathroom couldn’t displace my longing for her.

Yeah, I was a shallow kid.

She was young. She was bubbly. She was smart. She was one of a kind. I had a crush on my general paper teacher.

After I finished my A-Levels. I went out on a couple of dates with her. That says a lot for being my favourite teacher. :)

I can only remember one teacher that I think highly of, Mr. Yu, my socio-political thought professor in college. He was very intellectual, demanding and sarcastic.

In highschool my favorite teachers were my English teachers. They were strict but they loved their job and they allowed to to speak/write American or British English as long as you were consistent. They also had great essay assignments which I loved doing.

At the university I have two favorite teachers who both have an enormous passion for their work. Everything is on a first name basis, you are always allowed to ask questions, have a vivid discussions, have lunch after class and most of all they're stimulating. Of course they always ask the tough questions you rather not hear but they make me think (out of the box). They also ask our input for subjects we wish to be treated thus receiving customized classes.

I'm not really picky. A good sense of humor always does it for me. There is a wide range of "funny," from witty toughness to a dorky affection of the subject matter, but if a teacher can make me smile while getting the point across, they're memorable in my book.

The teachers that are FIRM but clearly funny and care about their subjects and/or students. I remember one of the most popular teachers in my Jr. high was also the strictest/scariest... he also handed out detentions like they were going out of style. And yet, people RESPECTED this guy, and on top of which, everyone thought he was hilarious.

My personal favourite teacher was my Gr. 5/6 teacher. Mrs. J. She was, again, pretty strict/firm. But it was VERY clear that the care she showed students wasn't casual or a facade. At least when she dealt with me, I felt like she really -- cliche as it sounds -- believed in me. Also, she read stories to the class like an expert storyteller. :-)

Meanwhile, the ridiculously uptight teachers or the teachers that tried the "strict but not funny nor caring" routine only got stepped on.

He fed us crickets.

My favorite teacher (so far) has been my biology professor. I took two classes with him, and I learned so much. I think I learned more about me--what I believe, how I feel about important issues, how to better organize my thoughts-- than I did about science. Actually, I learned a lot about science too.

If I were an old man, I'd want to be like Mr. Jenkins.

Like Anne, my favorite teachers were English teachers. I can think of a couple male prof's who asked challenging questions and always knew how to cut down superfluous writing. One in particular really knew how to get you to explore a point of view you had never even thought of but still was relevant to your argument, somehow.

I also has a Philosophy prof that had such passion for his work, he could articulate seemingly nebulous concepts into concrete ideas.

No matter what, you could always get the sense of passion from these teachers like this was their first time teaching the class, yet their expertise was as if it was their hundreth time doing it.

My favorite teacher was my Maths teacher in 7th grade, Mrs.Idriss and I have many reasons that make her different from others...I learnt a lot from her, as in my studies and also in daily life.A teacher can always be a very good example for the students.Well, she was a grand example to me. Being a qualified teacher is not just about knowing how to teach, it's about making the student see what kind of person he can be.When she taught me last year, I understood that little words can make you feel better, little winks can make you smile, little things can make a person special, and that teachers can also be special.

My favorite teachers were the ones who gave me a lot of free reign on assignments and let me go as far out as I wanted to go.

There were two teachers I remember but their impact on me was related to their 'human interaction' and not at all with their academic subject.
The first was my high school chemistry teacher. He is the only teacher in the entire high school who asked me what my future (after graduation) plans were. I was not a fine chemistry student and have no idea he even knew my name.
The second teacher I remember was at college and I was volunteering at a couseling center in the community. He was my teacher and also on the Board of Directors of this place. He's probably retired now but at the time, he was very passionate about issues in social work. He gave me some advice about my career in that field that I understood and deeply appreciated

Another English teacher scenario with me, too.

Part of it was my own passion for the subject, true, but equally the subject allowed its teachers to indulge that all-important human touch that fosters love/respect. When you're dealing with a subject grounded in opinion and argument (as in, defending a position) then it's hard not to show sparks of personality that result in an admiring relationship, assuming they're likeable/just. The categorically bad English teachers were the ones that treated it like a science.

You're right about every lesson being a show, Scrivs. That's the only way to engage with jaded, lethargic kids... or at least awaken hidden passions within them. And it's why I'll never be cut out for teaching; I'm far too lazy and easy-going. That and kids are annoying little bastards.

My favourite teachers don't come from any particular subject. Some of them were science teachers, others were English teachers (a breed I found to be more zany than the rest) ... and then there were piano teachers, and Judo instructors.

The thing that all of them had in common were the pains they took to know their students. As in really, really know, really care about us.It helped if they made learning the lesson fun, but above all it was their rapport, the personal touch that glued them to my memory.

@Rich: that post was friggin hilarious.

I remember my HighSchool Physics teacher, I satarted loving sciencs especially physics through him. Everytime he was happy to explain all my doubts and questions. I often visit him in his house too :)