and blogging about it yesterday, as led to me thinking about other teachers who inspired me.
I realized, as I thought back over the approximately 20 years of my education, from pre-school through University, that all of the teachers I can remember clearly, who inspired me, who helped lead me to where I am today, were from my 2 years at Emma Willard School.
There was Mr Betterly, who taught me History. And Mr Turner, who I never had in class, but was my adviser my Senior Year, who would sit me down in his office and make me tell him what I wanted to be ‘when I grew up’. And Mr Davidson and Mr Patterson (who I never actually called Mr Davidson and Mr Patterson, but Brian and Vaughn), who gave me my love of theatre.
There was Ms Carroll, who taught me to write well, and Ms Hamner, who was Acting Head Mistress and Senior Class Adviser while I was there, and who also made me sit in her office and tell me what I wanted to be ‘when I grew up’.
There was a French teacher, whose name escapes me, who managed to put up with me mangling the language and my antics with the girl who sat next me (whose name also escapes me) when he asked how you say chicken in French and we answered chickon! Which of course became our swear word for the year. OH CHICKON! (you have to say with a French accent. I swear its hysterically funny). And he never once tried to separate us!
I am sure there were others, during those 2 years, and if I had unpacked my year books yet, I could tell you about them.