Think back to your favorite teachers over the years. Do you remember them because of what they taught you from books, or do they stand out because they taught you life lessons? I always seem to remember the ones that were able to teach me something unrelated to academics.
Way back in pre-school, I remember we made autograph books. We were to go around the class and have our peers sign our books. One boy made scribbles all over mine, because he did not yet know how to write his name. Being a perfectionist, I sighed loudly and made it known several times that I was not happy about this. My teacher took me aside and explained that the boy did not know how to write as nicely as I did, but that he was trying really hard and I needed to calm down. She taught me to be more accepting of differences.
During second grade, one time another student and I went looking in the teacher's desk, and we got caught. Instead of getting mad, she just told us it was never ok to go through a teacher's belongings. She explained the reasons, too. Her quiet way of handling it made me feel more guilty than yelling would have, and of course I never did it again. She taught me respect of elders.
In high school, I had a teacher who gave us a syllabus like a college professor would. We had to plan ahead for the semester and make sure the work all got done on our own. He also had a room we could go into if we didn't feel like listening that day. At first this sounded very tempting, but it was surprising how quickly I learned that going into the "magic room" would hurt my grades. He taught me responsibility, and that carried into the college years.
My senior year math tutor didn't manage to teach me much geometery, but he encouraged my writing. He asked me to write an essay, which he later helped to get published in a national magazine. He taught me to believe in myself, and that even if I was lousy at one thing, I just might be good at another.
My American Literature college professor had a great, small, laid-back class. I remember he had us sit at a large table together instead of at desks. He let me sit down when I gave speeches, because he knew I got too nervous if I had to stand. After our huge projects and presentations were done for the semester, he took us all out for dinner. We all had a great time and didn't run out of things to chat about. He taught me that sometimes different generations have a lot more in common than we think.
I wish there was a way to tell these teachers what an impression their little bits of wisdom made. Sometimes it just takes a minute to teach a lesson to last a lifetime.
Debbie Akers, a northeast Phoenix mom of two young sons, is a member of the Arizona Republic's Parent Advisory Panel.
Debbie Akers, a northeast Phoenix mom of three young sons, is a member of the Arizona Republic's Parent Advisory Panel.
