Teacher Appreciation Week

Do you have a favorite teacher?

My Dad is a high school history teacher and he LOVES his job - mostly he loves working with high school students. He has them write book analysis. He puts cartoons on his exams. He has a wicked sense of humor and teases his students. He makes them cookies for fun holidays. He uses war games to teacher about battles. He's been teaching for several years and it's hard going into the town he teaches with him because I always hear students calling him over and chatting with him. This happens without fail: in the mall, in the grocery store, and two weekends ago at a stoplight. He also used to coach - football and women's lacrosse. My Dad works in a different district so I never had him as a teacher (both lucky and unlucky for me). In some families, he's taught two or three generations. He's certainly touched many lives. I'm immensely proud of him.

I have had several favorite teachers.
Here are the two biggest influences on me.
What do they have in common? They both challenged me. They both taught me skills that improved my way of looking at the world. They both had a sense of humor. They were always available if I had questions, concerns, or needed help.

High School: Mr. Everett from Fair Haven Union High School

He taught me English for three years and had the reputation of being the hardest English teacher of the bunch. Some tried to switch out of his class - I switched in. He was that good. He dissected novels and short stories. It was amazing how he looked at great works of literature. He vastly improved my poor writing skills. Plus he taught drama - I was terrible at acting. However, I did end up with assisting with the school plays and because of this experience, I found a job at college working in the theater.

College: Prof. Ciletti from Hobart and William Smith Colleges


She made me fall in love with Art History. I had her my first semester in college and she rocked my world. I took every class she offered. She expected a lot from her students. She would sing in class when no one answered her questions. She came into class one day with purple streaks in her hair, explaining that she bought the kit for her niece, but couldn't give it away. She made me look at the world differently - to see beauty and it's history.

When I went to Italy years later, I saw the art we talked about in class. It was amazing. I remembered her teachings and share my knowledge with Chris. We were both happy not to have to listen to our tour guide.