Is there a teacher who has changed the course of your life forever?
Who are the teachers who supported and encouraged you the most? How about those who pushed you to think deeply? Has a teacher ever made a real difference in your life?
In the guest essay “What Mrs. Bailey Taught Me in A.P. History Changed My Life,” Esau McCaulley writes about how his love for learning came from his mother, but that parents need partners:
Parents can send us to school full of purpose, but they need teachers to co-sign their vision. Teachers have the power to build or destroy, to plant or uproot hope in young minds. In the midst of a debate about the content being presented in America’s schools, the equally pressing issue of how teachers teach is in danger of being lost. I can testify to the life-changing gift of quality teaching because I received just that in an A.P. U. S. history class my junior year of high school.
Mrs. Bailey, who taught the class, from the beginning assured all of us that we could take the A.P. test, pass it, and get college credit. College credit was no small thing. At the time, my sister was in her freshman year at Tuskegee. She would be the first person on either side of our family tree to receive her college degree. College credit as a high schooler seemed impossible, and when I protested that I didn’t have money to pay for the test, Mrs. Bailey helped locate the funding.
She held study sessions during lunch and after school, where we explored the often troubled and sometimes glorious history of this country. The day I found out my result on the test felt like a pivot point in my life. I had done well enough to receive college credit. Mrs. Bailey told me: “You are a junior in high school and are smart enough to be in college. You can be whatever you want.” Suddenly, the world felt larger, my hazy future a little clearer. That class was the reason I majored in history with the goal of becoming a high school history teacher.
Students, read the entire article, then tell us:
How have your teachers shaped who you are today — and who you may become as you grow older?
Is there one particular teacher, like Mrs. Bailey, who stands out in your mind as someone who has made a difference in your life?
Has a teacher ever inspired you to study a subject even further? Or inspired your future goals?
Mr. McCaulley writes, “Mrs. Bailey did more than tell us we could do it. She was not mere sunshine and encouragement. She forced us to have opinions and defend them.” Do you have teachers who have pushed you to defend your ideas? Who expect you to think deeply?
Mr. McCaulley describes what he thinks are the qualities of an excellent teacher. What do you think are those qualities, and why? Who was that one teacher that changed your life forever and why? Teachers are some of the most important people in our lives. We may hate some of them, make fun of them behind their backs, or complain about how boring they are or the tremendous amounts of homework they give us. And yet--they are also the people who help to frame our view of the world, open our eyes to new and exciting things, and inspire in us a love of learning. Sometimes they're the only adult who will listen to us, sometimes their caring makes a world of difference, and sometimes they change our lives completely. What teacher in school made the most impact on you and why? What small decision did you make that altered the entire course of your life?
Mine was to study translation instead of medicine in school. Although I certainly do wonder what would have happened otherwise, I am very happy with my life as it is currently: good friends, a job that pays decently, a loving spouse, etc.
Which student has left the biggest impact on your life? Who was the coolest teacher you ever had who made teaching fun? Did you ever have a teacher who changed your life for the better?
College, high school, middle school, any teacher. What happened and how did he/she impact you for the better?
Good, bad, sad, or happy... what ever stories you can share are welcome. What is one seemingly small decision that changed the course of your life?
My husband claims that playing Final Fantasy as a seven year old started him on the path that eventually lead to our meeting. He makes a fairly good case, too.
In the guest essay “What Mrs. Bailey Taught Me in A.P. History Changed My Life,” Esau McCaulley writes about how his love for learning came from his mother, but that parents need partners:
Parents can send us to school full of purpose, but they need teachers to co-sign their vision. Teachers have the power to build or destroy, to plant or uproot hope in young minds. In the midst of a debate about the content being presented in America’s schools, the equally pressing issue of how teachers teach is in danger of being lost. I can testify to the life-changing gift of quality teaching because I received just that in an A.P. U. S. history class my junior year of high school.
Mrs. Bailey, who taught the class, from the beginning assured all of us that we could take the A.P. test, pass it, and get college credit. College credit was no small thing. At the time, my sister was in her freshman year at Tuskegee. She would be the first person on either side of our family tree to receive her college degree. College credit as a high schooler seemed impossible, and when I protested that I didn’t have money to pay for the test, Mrs. Bailey helped locate the funding.
She held study sessions during lunch and after school, where we explored the often troubled and sometimes glorious history of this country. The day I found out my result on the test felt like a pivot point in my life. I had done well enough to receive college credit. Mrs. Bailey told me: “You are a junior in high school and are smart enough to be in college. You can be whatever you want.” Suddenly, the world felt larger, my hazy future a little clearer. That class was the reason I majored in history with the goal of becoming a high school history teacher.
Students, read the entire article, then tell us:
How have your teachers shaped who you are today — and who you may become as you grow older?
Is there one particular teacher, like Mrs. Bailey, who stands out in your mind as someone who has made a difference in your life?
Has a teacher ever inspired you to study a subject even further? Or inspired your future goals?
Mr. McCaulley writes, “Mrs. Bailey did more than tell us we could do it. She was not mere sunshine and encouragement. She forced us to have opinions and defend them.” Do you have teachers who have pushed you to defend your ideas? Who expect you to think deeply?
Mr. McCaulley describes what he thinks are the qualities of an excellent teacher. What do you think are those qualities, and why? Who was that one teacher that changed your life forever and why? Teachers are some of the most important people in our lives. We may hate some of them, make fun of them behind their backs, or complain about how boring they are or the tremendous amounts of homework they give us. And yet--they are also the people who help to frame our view of the world, open our eyes to new and exciting things, and inspire in us a love of learning. Sometimes they're the only adult who will listen to us, sometimes their caring makes a world of difference, and sometimes they change our lives completely. What teacher in school made the most impact on you and why? What small decision did you make that altered the entire course of your life?
Mine was to study translation instead of medicine in school. Although I certainly do wonder what would have happened otherwise, I am very happy with my life as it is currently: good friends, a job that pays decently, a loving spouse, etc.
Which student has left the biggest impact on your life? Who was the coolest teacher you ever had who made teaching fun? Did you ever have a teacher who changed your life for the better?
College, high school, middle school, any teacher. What happened and how did he/she impact you for the better?
Good, bad, sad, or happy... what ever stories you can share are welcome. What is one seemingly small decision that changed the course of your life?
My husband claims that playing Final Fantasy as a seven year old started him on the path that eventually lead to our meeting. He makes a fairly good case, too.
