Who was your favorite teacher in school?

United States
May 13, 2010 5:19am CST
Was there a teacher that really stood out, that went the extra mile to help you with problems you might have had, or had a special way of helping students learn? My favorite teacher was my high school biology teacher Mr. Coleman. He was very strict, and many students didn't like him. But when you were in his class you learned alot. We took lots of notes. I had huge binders full of notes from his class. He insisted on it. And he was very picky. But underneath all that he was a really nice guy, and I learned so much. Our classes were always way beyond any other biology class.
4 people like this
14 responses
• China
13 May 10
My favorite teacher was Mr. Dinesh sir. He was my chemistry teacher. Wow he is great. He always solved my problem and i did very well in chemistry. For him chemistry was and still my favorite subject.
• United States
13 May 10
Did you learn alot in chemistry, or did he do all the work for you?
• United States
14 May 10
That's good. You always learn the most from the best.
• China
13 May 10
I have learn so many things about chemistry.
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
14 May 10
The teacher that had the most influence on my life...and yes, I was only about 9 at the time, was a lady called Miss Gregson. If you think of Diana, the Princess of Wales you don't even get close to the charm of this woman. Her male pupils would take turns on carrying her briefcase for her, such is the positive influence she had on others. What I remember about her was her soft voice and she had no favourites in her class, something that is most important. She was way ahead of her time (late 70s) and could shut a class up without raising her voice. The way she did this was to reward her pupils. For example..she knew that the whole class was obsessed with The Hobbit, a book she read to us at regular intervals, along with Watership Down. If the class misbehaved we wouldn't get the next installment, it was as simple as that. She also let us make things. Be creative. I have never known a teacher (before or since) that would encourage EVERYONE to be the very best at what we wanted to be. I shall be forever in her debt. Awesome teacher. They should all be like her!
• United States
14 May 10
Its always important to reward students when they get things right. To give them encouragement to keep on learning. Or else its like why bother? What will this get me? People don't think about the future, they think about right now. What happens in the future doesn't matter because its not here yet. Only here and now matters. So you have to give students a reason right now to want to learn. And then its also great to have someone want you to do your best, and not just get by. It means teaching is important to her. Its not just a job. Thank you for sharing.
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
14 May 10
It's funny how we choose to remember the good teachers rather than the bad ones. I was lucky in the fact that good teachers always outnumbered the bad anyway. The main reason I was no good at Maths was due to the teachers not having the patience to deal with kids like me with less ability than the cleverer ones.
• India
20 May 10
Hello i was in primary school long back lol that is from 1951 to 1953, my favorite teacher was Mr Das, he was my class teacher in class one and i was monitor of the class, i was so much attached to him, he is no more lol..but i remember him.. Thanks for sharing. Welcome always. Cheers. Prof
@thanks1961 (7035)
• India
13 May 10
My favourate teacher was our local language (Hindi) teacher. She was a born teacher and dedicated her life for children. She paid from her pocket to poor children. She arranged to the long distance travelling (students who walk about 10-12 km. to walk daily up/down to school and home daily)to stay at her home for 1-2 years and provided food and accommodation. Even though it was about 20 years before, I still remember her and her husband's role for supportings to a community like students. Her support is never ending and each and every students from my school have something to tell about her. I dedicate these words for her. Thank you for giving a chance to remember Mrs. Agnes Teacher. Regards, Thank-s
• United States
14 May 10
God bless Mrs. Agnes and all the teachers out there like her, who go beyond the classroom, to help the children of the community. Its important for teachers to pay attention to what's going on in their students lives. If they're not happy, then how can they focus on their studies? Thank you for sharing this with us.
• India
14 May 10
Thank you redhotpogo. Thank-s
@oldchem1 (8132)
13 May 10
I have to think back a long way!! I think that the teacher I remember the most goes WAY back - 55 years in fact, my very first teacher at infant school - Mrs Taylor. Mrs Taylor lived very close to me and I remember at a very early age being desperate to start school and I used to watch her walk past my house wishing I was following her to school. She helped me a lot and throughout my life always kept in touch. I can remember well when I drew a house, my dad had taught me how to draw a house in perspective, when I drew one at school, Mrs Taylor asked me where I had learned to draw a house like that, when I told her, she out a gold star on a piece of paper for me to take home to my dad, he cherished it for years - I think it was the only one that he'd ever had!! I also remember the day the letter came when I was 11 to say that I had passed the 11+ exam to go to grammar school and me running round to her house to tell her - and I remember how proud she was of me. Then when I was 16 and chosen to be presented to the queen, again I went to tell Mrs Taylor, again she was proud and bought me a pair of stockings to wear!! Happy memories!!
• United States
13 May 10
lol. That's a really nice story. There should be more Mrs Taylor's in the world. Most teachers just want to get paid, and whine they don't make enough (as they drive off in their brand new mercedes benz).
1 person likes this
@oldchem1 (8132)
13 May 10
So true!!
@maxyl12 (236)
• Philippines
14 May 10
There are a lot teacher's have been a great mentor to me. My favorite is in Philosophy class in college. Her name is Ms\. Atilano. At that time she was a fresh graduate in college then she decide to teach philosophy 102 during my sophomore years. She is really sexy and hot as guys just fell in love just watching her. But what more surprises me is that she and me are more compatible alike. I mean we think the same ways in views and opinion. No wonder I got I high grade from her class. Maybe I was just in love with my teacher or she became my inspiration. She is so cute when she smiled at me and I feel like I was in heaven floating. I even got exempted to take her exam but failed courting her. Too bad. well that's my college life and my most favorite teacher I eve had.
• United States
14 May 10
lol. maxyl and Ms. Atilano sitting in a tree.... Pretty girls smiling is the best thing in the world. I can't believe you courted her too. I would have guessed she was married.
• Philippines
13 May 10
My favorite teacher is my Filipino teacher Mrs. Regana. She is very strict and authoritative. Just like your teacher, many students dont like her and consider her a Teacher enemy number 1. But when she teach, she will give all her best and in fact she always bring out the best in me and in us. I will never forget her.
• United States
14 May 10
There are just some teachers that really have a reputation for being mean, and scary. All the students say watch out for so and so. But then you get in their class, and you realize they are so nice. Strict yes, but reasonable. Then I've met teachers that everyone liked, and said "oh they're so cool." and they turned out to be the biggest jerks.
@cream97 (29087)
• United States
13 May 10
Hi redhotpogo. My favorite teacher that I can remember was Mr. Stanley Barrett. He was my sociology teacher. This was in my ninth grade class, in high school. He was very funny, sweet, calm and nice to his students. I liked having him as a teacher so much until I just asked if I could use him for my reference on my resume. I wanted to get a job, and I know that he would speak very well of me. He was a very sweet teacher. He was glad to let me use him as a reference.
• United States
14 May 10
Haha I used my fav teacher for a reference once. It was for my first job. I felt akward asking for him to be a reference, since he's a biology teacher, and it was my first job working at a fast food place. They have nothing in common, but he said sure, he would be honored to be a reference. That's one of the characteristics of a great teacher. They remember you,and treat you as one of their students even after you've left school.
@paula27661 (15811)
• Australia
14 May 10
I did my first five years of schooling in Italy and over there we used to have the same teacher all the way through primary school. We had a fantastic teacher, her name was Mrs Cerro and she was married to a rather wealthy doctor and therefore had no real need to work but she did because she had a great passion for teaching and it showed every day in the way she interacted with her students. Over the years she taught me we got to know each other so well and to me she was like a second mum. When I left Italy to come to Australia she and I cried and she gave me a fabulous book; it was a children’s novel about a girl who was a journalist, could talk to animals and would go around the world interviewing them. She is the only one who knew all those years ago that my two passions are writing and animals! That was one special teacher!
• United States
14 May 10
lol you cried together? I'm sorry. Its touching, but I can just imagine it. Its great when someone teaches, not because they have to, because they need some money or whatever other reason, but because they want to. Its good that you had one teacher for so long, really gives you a chance to get to know them. She's almost like another family member. In our schools we changed teachers every 6 weeks.
1 person likes this
• United States
13 May 10
My favorite teacher was Judith Haes. In my small private school, to run a class for GCSE (the exams we take at 16 in England) they needed 6 people who wanted to do it, and they didn't get that for music that year (it was a very small school, only about 160 pupils) So I did my GCSE music privately at the music teachers home, with one other girl. She spotted that I could write songs, and helped me enter a National schools songwriting competition, in which we came in the top 5 in the country. WhenI was at school, I was diagnosed with arthritis. I was in pain every day, and went to physiotherapy before school every day. I had several teachers who treated me like I was faking it to get out of things, or that I was just lazy when I was tired and in pain. So my life at school was not particularly pleasant. But I remember Mrs Haes being the one person who believed in me and I don't think she knew what a difference that can make. I went on to do a performing arts course and a degree in Drama, and to do a lot of musical theatre, and I still write songs today. If it wasn't for her my confidence would have been destroyed at school, but she made me see beyond, and that actually school wasn't really that relevant to whether I could do what I could do. Thanks Mrs H!
• United States
14 May 10
yay Mrs H! I'm artistic student myself. Probably not as talented as you are, but I still love it. Besides the required art, and music classes, I was in drama, and chorus. Its so good to have someone, just one person that believes in you. It makes all the difference in the world.
@evepin (721)
• Philippines
13 May 10
my favorite teacher is my chemistry and physics teacher (high school). i loved both subjects and quite excelled in them. both teachers were very accommodating whenever i have a question and always encourages me to have really high grades. they believed in me, in short.
• United States
13 May 10
If you had to choose, which one do you like the most?
@kirthy (383)
• India
13 May 10
hai my favorite teacher name is st.glory. she is my role model in my school days. i like her approaching style with others. teaching style etc.
• United States
14 May 10
I don't know if any of my teachers were actually role models, but my fav teacher Mr. Coleman was pretty close to a role model. He taught me the importance of not listening to what others say, no matter who they are. Just because the world says the earth is round, don't believe it until you see the evidence for yourself. If you want to learn how things work, don't look in a text book, go find out. I admired that go out there, and do it, adventurous style.
• Philippines
13 May 10
Way back then, my favorite teacher is my teacher in college in the name of Edward Descalsota. He is annoying sometimes but can is approachable. What I like this tracher, is that, he is true to his words and have a great time joking with him all the time. But he is never afraid of giving failed grades even if you are that friends.
• United States
13 May 10
Fun, but responsible. Its good that he didn't play "favorites". That's a good quality to have in a teacher.
@manubla (472)
• Philippines
13 May 10
Yes, she was my Elementary teacher. Patient in teaching, good at her craft, injects real life stories in her teachings. She also interacts well with her students. Our school has a small population so she knows my parents on a more personal level that her daughter even chose my parents to be her godparents on her wedding. Whenever I see her after I graduated from Elementary, I can still feel her fondness for us.
• United States
14 May 10
Ah yes I love the stories. Its cool when a teacher uses real life experiences to help explain things. It makes it interesting. Another characteristic of a great teacher. They make things fun and interesting.