In honor of Teacher Appreciation Week, Mike Gould, Director of Professional Learning, reflects on two teachers who made a difference in his life.
I was not a great high school student and spent most of my freshman year of college looking for the student within. During my sophomore year, I was required to take a science class, and was signed up for Anatomy and Physiology with the pre-med and nursing students. It was the first class I had ever been to where there were body parts in the room. The material was hands-on and functional, and I worked hard and was doing well. One day while spending some extra time in the lab, Dr. Seeman took me aside and told me how impressed he was with my effort, and asked if I had ever thought of switching to pre-med. From that day on, I was on track as a student and graduated with honors. A teacher’s encouragement can inspire even the most uncertain student.
While getting help with Geometry during class, he said, “Let’s close our eyes and think about what the figure would look like. Share with me what you see and feel.” It was the first time that I realized it was ok to think and feel mathematically. My curse of being dyslectic turned out to be a gift. A teacher who inspires you to think outside the box in a discipline can help you discover your passion for it. I made my life’s work out of mathematics.
Do you have any teachers you’d like to celebrate? Share your inspiring teacher stories with us in the comments!