Teachers I Remember

Virtually every one of us had a teacher we remember vividly, someone who touched us and changed our life in some way. I think my most memorable teacher was Mr. Sheehan, with whom I studied Russian language from 10th-12th grade. Ivan Vasilevich, as he had us call him, ran a tight ship with Russian-style discipline in the classroom but turned out to be a mentor in helping me develop a larger world view both politically and personally. I don't speak much Russian anymore but his gifts to me are lifelong.

I was once at a teacher seminar where we broke into small groups and each of us shared a memory of a teacher who had touched our hearts. It was startling to have such an immediately intense, intimate conversation with a couple of strangers, and even more surprising to see middle-aged men mist up at their memories. The leader then instructed us to write a letter to our teacher to let him or her know of the impact. Have you ever written to a teacher to say thank you? Have you ever written to one of your child's teachers? Do it! (And click on "comments" to let me know how it goes!)

Kids love to read stories about teachers in books -- good ones and awful ones. They are probably comparing the one in the book to the one they have now. Some of my favorites:

1. Avi, The Secret School. In 1925, fourteen-year-old Ida Bidson secretly takes over as the teacher when the one-room schoolhouse in her remote Colorado area closes unexpectedly.
2. Andrew Clements, The Landry News. Clements may be the most subversive author in my library. A fifth-grader starts a newspaper with an editorial that prompts her burnt-out classroom teacher to really begin teaching again, but he is later threatened with disciplinary action as a result. Also hilarious: Frindle, A Week in the Woods, The Report Card, No Talking, Lunch Money.
3. Roald Dahl, Matilda. Matilda applies her untapped mental powers to rid the school of the evil, child-hating headmistress, Miss Trunchbull, and restore her nice teacher, Miss Honey, to financial security.
4. Jean Kirkpatrick Hill, The Year of Miss Agnes. Imagine a school in Alaksa where no teacher will stay: the children smell of fish and the weather is awful. Ten-year-old Fred (short for Frederika) narrates the story of school and village life among the Athapascans in Alaska during 1948 when Miss Agnes arrived as the new teacher and changed everyone.
5. Allen Kurzweil, Leon and the Spitting Image. Featuring one of the nastiest teachers in our collection, based on the author's actual teacher. Leon, a fourth grader at The Ethical School, tries to outwit the school bully and learn to sew for fanatical teacher Miss Cronheim, with unexpected help from his final project-- a doll with magical powers.
6. Susie Morgenstern, A Book of Coupons. It's oh-so-French! Elderly Monsieur Noel, the very unconventional new eighth-grade teacher, gives coupon books for such things as dancing in class and sleeping late, which are bound to get him in trouble with the military discipline of Principal Incarnation Perez.
7. Marilyn Sachs, The Bear's House. Here's a clueless teacher about to retire. Although she sucks her thumb, smells bad, and loses herself in the make-believe world of the three bears' dollhouse, ten-year-old Fran knows how to take care of her baby sister better than anybody else.