Teacher Appreciation Week is May 4th-May 8th this year, so what better way to celebrate our teachers than giving away $500?!
Five winners will be selected from the comments below to win a $100 E-Gift Card!
To get 20% off your next order with us, use offer code E4221!
All you need to do is COMMENT BELOW with your favorite teaching experience or your favorite memory as a child that you had with a teacher! Winners will be chosen on Friday (5/8). Good Luck!
UPDATE! Winners have been selected! Thank you so much for all of your entries, they were so inspiring!
WINNERS:
1. b*****[email protected]
2. d*************[email protected]
3. m**********[email protected]
4. b**********[email protected]
5. c***[email protected]
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Thank you, Katie! I have the paper she wrote taped up in my office and it still makes me smile every time I look at it. Since then she moved to another school, but I will always remember her for this. 🙂
The best teaching exoerience besides teaching my wonderful 4 kids about lessons in life and new things to do is teaching my sunday school class about Jesus and God and all about loving others and theirselves!
Yes, that is # 1! Good for you!
My three favorite childhood PE memories are scooter boarding, playing lots of basketball, and field day with Coach T!
Yes, my top 3 are kickball, two hand touch football and basketball.
One year I was selected to teach first grade after teaching kindergarten for seven years. At first I was not happy about the change, but then I adjusted. As a part of our weekly test day I would always have the children repeat positive affirmations after me. One of my students was extremely introverted and shy. One day before the end of the school year she brought in a sheet of paper in which she had written, “I will do my best on the test, I believe in myself, and I awesome (she forgot the “am”) it touched me to see the the affirmations I had the kids say made a difference for this little girl.
This is adorable Robin!
Wow. What a difference you have made and what a great feeling!
One of my favorite teaching experiences came with an Odyssey of the Mind team I coached. All but one member of the team was a special ed. or remedial student. Another team had taunted them and said they’d embarrass themselves and the school if they participated. The other coach and I told them not to listen to the others. They worked hard and our team came in 8th out of 13 teams; I couldn’t have been more proud!
I’d say so! Congratulations!!
Using everyday science as learning experiences with my kids is always my favorite! I take things in weekly as something tangible for student learning regardless if we are on that particular topic or not. This is my favorite thing about teaching science! Those moments that you just “happen upon”!!
You sound like an excellent teacher! Love this!
As a PE teacher and after school coach, my favorite moment(s) is when I run into parents of former students or the students themselves and they share the positive impact I have had on them and how it affect their decision making mostly in regard to living a healthy lifestyle or on the athletic field.
Wonderful teaching moments occur all the time, but I truly revel in the moments when a child has been working on a particular skill for a long, frustrating time and they finally master it. The sense of accomplishment they are rewarded with is unforgettable.
In the mid 80’s, when I first started my teaching career, I had a precious little 1st Grader who came up to me on the very first day of the school and announced proudly, “I’m going to learn to read today! My Mama told me I would!” Well, you know she didn’t learn to read on the first day but she did learn shortly after that. And…needless to say, Reading became her favorite subject in school!
So many great memories as a student of wonderful teachers. In 2nd grade, Miss Sakano would spend a few of her precious Saturdays taking groups of 2nd graders on field trips: to Cape Arago, tidepooling, etc.
In 3rd grade, I got my first taste of octopus as Mrs. Nunnally cooked it up right there in the classroom.
Fifth grade brought the lovely Mrs. Hein, who piqued my interest in reading. I actually realized I liked reading that year!
Mrs. Pajari honed my academic skills in sixth grade history and my love for the subject grew by leaps and bounds.
Seventh grade science was amazing…Mrs. Cantrell’s fruit fly lab was fascinatingly disgusting…or was it disgustingly fascinating?!
The list goes on and on…hmmm, do you think any of these life-changing educators influenced my decision to be come a teacher myself? LOL
My best teaching moment I that I cherish from my experience as a teacher, is when my students raised their hands to get my attention and confusely call me “mommy” to address their needs. That make me feel that the connection with my students is real.
The teacher that made the biggest impact on me was Ray Davis, Music Teacher at Waynesville Schools in Ohio. My parents had split up and my grandmother raised me. A Father/Son event at Scouts came up and I had no one to go with. Mr. Davis found out and took time away from his family, and attended the dinner and function with me. That left a lasting impact on me until this day. Now as a Teacher myself, I keep up to date with my kids lives and step up when I can to help them. Thank you, Mr. Davis…….
I have had several wonderful moments while teaching high school students., but one of my favorites is when one of my students that had had several brushes with the law came up to me and said, “I want you to know that I had an opportunity to get into some stuff this weekend but I could hear you in my mind saying, “Make wise choices. Are you going to be a problem or a solution for our future? Because you ARE our future.” I decided that I want to be a solution., not a problem.” I’ve got to admit that I cried on the way home that day!
How wonderful that you had such a powerful and positive impact on this student!
I remember a teacher telling me you have to look at the whole picture before you can really know what’s going on. I run in house detention and this statement has true meaning now. Each child has a whole picture to look at before you can really know them.
One of my very favorite moments was actually a series of moments. A few years ago, I had the opportunity to teach an adapted PE class for students with severe autism. I chose to focus on bicycling and brought in typical,peers who also did not yet know how to ride so that they could model learning to ride. I took videos of the kids to share with their parents and although the progress of the special needs students was slow, it was steady and so exciting to witness. There were also frequent celebrations as the typical peers learned to ride and “graduated” to make room for new students. By the end of the year, our most severely impacted student was riding independently with training wheels and wearing a helmet (which we never expected because she has such severe sensory issues that she gets her hair cut when she’s sleeping). It was so exciting and so gratifying to get to be a part of this experience with these students – it was almost magical.
The best teaching experience, so far, was a what a student said after class one day. She approached me and was crying. I asked what’s wrong. She said, “Mr. Barrett, I always thought I was stupid. I remember you saying that some people just have to work a little harder. You always make things seem easy for me. I just wanted to tell you that.” I said thanks and she left. At the end of the day, I cried a little knowing that I truly helped and reached a student.
One of the best parts of teaching is when you get through to one of your “hard to reach” students. The highlight of my year so far is hearing my student, who is very vocal about his dislike of math, mutter to the kid next to him, “Hey, this isn’t so hard after all – I think I can do this math”. It makes it all worth while to know that you have not only taught skills and strategies, but have changed a child’s attitude towards learning.
One of my best experiences as a teacher was when the parent of a former student saw me outside of school and said she could not wait to tell me her child and another former student had both been accepted to Oxford. She said she knew how happy I would be and that I was one of the first people she thought of when she found out. I taught her daughter in first grade. Like many teachers, I like to keep track of former students through the years. I was very pleased to be included in this exciting information.
Being a first grade teacher I love to show my students new things and have them create new experiences in their lives. I love when I get to teach the kids about animal habitats. The best part is when I have the students do an in class research project on an animal they select. They research their animals through nonfiction text and then write a short report. From their research they create animal dioramas that just blow my mind because they are so creative. I love this project every year because their parents get to see all their kids hard work at our open house night. It is truly amazing.
Last week my favorite moment was just after we released butterflies. The firsties now believe every butterfly on campus is THEIR butterfly! This week my fave moment was seeing two students working together to read a story. We all live for the lightbulb moment when kids finally “GET IT” but sometimes it is the little things that really get to me.
My biggest teaching achievement has been seeing a group of students whom I started teaching Math when they were sophomores grow into responsible and mathematically strong students by the time they took AP Calculus AB. I saw these students transform from little children to adults who cared and took responsibility for their own act. The students’ love provided me motivation to carry on teaching them. They showed their gratitude by designing their class T-shirts with my face on it. It was emotional experience to see around 80 seniors wearing a shirt with your face on it and letting you know that they love you. As a teacher I believe my greatest success has been in making strong connections with my students.
One of my favorite memories as a child in school, was a science activity. We were given a challenge of dropping an egg from 3 stories with out breaking it. There were a few restrictions on size etc. I covered mine with rubber cement and then put it in jello. It resulted in a small crack. Some of the winners used jello, peanut butter, styrofoam.
As a teacher, I think some of our stories are best forgotten, or maybe I am getting old. This year I have a student that likes to play in the bathroom. It’s a good thing my room is next door to the bathroom. We have had climbing on the urinals, toilets, stalls etc. I had a boy decide to pick up the blue rubber mat from the urinal and try to flush it down the toilet. When the Principal came in to talk to my class about appropriate bathroom behavior, one boy said, “and don’t try to eat the pink thing because it does not taste good.” The pink thing being the urinal cake. I couple of weeks ago, I was informed that the toilet was clogged. They said it was clear for me to come in. Clogged is an understatement! The toilet paper was in the shape of a pyramid and went above the rim of the toilet. How I don’t know? The custodian had him watch while he cleaned it up. He said it was because “he had the Hersey squirts.”
Add in a few butt slaps, pee contests, running naked in the hallway…
I am sure there is more but I am getting forgetful.
One of my favorite childhood memories was when my 5th grade teacher and her student teacher taught us the word cacophony. I guess my classmates and I had to have been really loud and noisy in the cafeteria. When we returned to the classroom, they began making noise, talking loudly, and running around the room. Of course, by this time, we were quiet and were trying to figure out what was wrong with them. Finally, they told us the cacophony in the cafeteria was too loud. I’ve remembered that word and that incident every since. 🙂
Having a student tell me they love to read because of all the books I introduce them to in our school library! It makes me glad to be a librarian.
One of my favorite elementary school teachers was Mrs. Upton. Everyday after lunch she would read a chapter from a book as everyone settled down. She read us Mrs. Piggle Wiggle, James and the Giant Peach, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and many others. I’ve been a teacher myself for 26 years and I love to read stories to my own class.
One of my favorite memories was when my 7th grade Language Arts teacher invited our entire class (yes this was public schools) to her home one evening for a Christmas Party. Her comment to us at the time was we were her favorite class in all her years of teaching. We felt so very special. Looking back, she probably did this every year but we sure felt special!
My husband’s 7th grade history teacher created a weekly radio show about a student. This was their weekly highlight my husband said as they would gather around to hear the show! It contained all the sound effects of a radio show and the students would be the star for the that show. It was tailored for their interests and activities. This was a great way for them to learn about each other.
I have tried to find ways to make my students feel special and unique. I will find out their likes and interests and make assignments around them and leave surprises on their desks. I’ll just stop what we’re doing sometimes and tell them how fantastic they are and why. Each morning I great them at the door give them a compliment and each afternoon I stand at the door as they leave and wish them a great afternoon. So it is with great delight when students from years prior stop by for a chat.
Laura – We love all of these stories. The fact that you and your husband still remember the impact your 7th grade teachers had on you is so amazing. Do you teach 7th grade as well? You are doing a great thing by making these students feel important every day by greeting them at the door and making their importance as individuals stand out. You’re awesome!
Thank you for your kind words. Our PTO honors the teachers each year with a theme day each day. One day is a book made by the children. I love reading about our class through their eyes. It can be a hoot! One of the boys said how much he liked having me tell him good-bye each day.
I am currently teaching second grade but have taught grades 3,4,5, and 6. My husband is a college professor.
It is so hard to pick a “favorite” teaching moment because there have been so many. I think I would rather focus on a favorite teaching feeling. When I am teaching a lesson that has all my students engaged, when everyone is humming along and interacting with their team members in a focused manner, when I can see the light-bulbs lighting all over the room and hear the conversations that tell me my students are getting the point of the lesson, that’s my favorite feeling and a favorite moment that is worthwhile. That’s when I know I am in the right place doing what I was meant to do.
My favorite teaching experience has been this year. I have an autistic student and he has been a complete joy to work with! I am so proud to see how far he has come not only with his academics, but also with his interaction and communication with the other students. This class has been so sweet to him. They cheer him on and tell him how proud they are of him when he does something new! This is the best feeling for me because I know I am helping my other students to see how everybody is different and how kindness can helps everybody involved!
Sorry for the duplicate comment…I didn’t think it was going to go through. I don’t know how to delete one of the messages.
Oh gosh my favorite teaching experience has been this year. I have an autistic student and he is such a joy to teach! It has been a wonderful experience to watch how much this child has grown this year! Not only in his academics, but also in his interaction with other students in the classroom. My students always cheer him on and tell him how proud they are of him…it is precious to watch!
My most memorable teaching moments were when I was teaching in a science lab. I was able to give kids experiences with real world things that they may not get an opportunity to see or interact with. I was able to provide understanding to everyday things we take for granted that kids know. To see them “get it” with a huge smile on their faces was worth it’s weight in gold.
One of my favorite teaching moments is when one of my first graders came running up to me and said, “Ms. Dee! Look, I can count to ten in my head!”
After watching his head bob up and down ten times, I said, “Way to go!”
My favorite memory is when my 3rd grade teacher would take time to tutor me in Math during her/my lunch time since I had so much trouble with it – we would eat lunch together while she gave me problems to work on and and explain them to me.
I started teaching Special Education and I absolutely love it. I have one child that always asks for how long? any time you give her a task to complete. I have another that tells me every day that he missed me the night before. I love coming in to kids that care about you as a teacher and you care about them as students. I miss them when I am not at school and I know they miss me too. It is a very rewarding career and I am glad that I get to do what I love.
CAMS is the most wonderful school. I have so many memories. One of my favorites is when one of my students was worried about the fate of “wild” cows in America.
I have several favorite memories, but one tthat I will cherish forever, is when a 6th grader student told me about the impact a book had on him. I had shared a chapter with his class one day during their time in the library. I always liked to read aloud to students. He told me how hearing that chapter had him hooked on that book! By the end of the year, he confided that he had not liked reading until this year becuase of the books I read with his class 🙂
My favorite childhood memory was when I was in 5th grade. I had truly amazing teachers that inspired me to do my best every day. I had an exceptional teacher, Mrs. Walker. She truly instilled in me the love for math. During that year, I truly learned fractions–adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing fractions was not a roadblock for me. Mrs. Walker utilized pizza pieces to teach fractions. I can still remember them now. My love for math grew each year.
I am thankful to be completing my 20th year in the classroom! I’ve taught in Brazil, along with several districts in Texas. A memorable moment was the day that a toucan flew into my class window. My students were so caring and concerned. I was thankful that he flew safely away, since I didn’t know exactly how to care for a hurt toucan! That’s definitely not something that I learned in teacher ed. courses!
I love when a student is able to relax and just enjoy learning no matter their reading level.
Teaching remedial reading to reluctant readers is always a challenge. However, I am always thrilled when I “turn them around”, and they understand the joy they can get from reading a book. It’s always a great moment when they tell me they are sad that the story they were reading has ended. Then I know they have officially “caught the bug” of reading.
My most favorite memory from teaching happened about 5 years ago. I am usually given more difficult children because I have a pretty structured classroom. One student I had was very strong willed with anger management issues and separation anxiety. We worked all year to create a safe and loving environment for him. I taught him how to express his anger in a healthy way, how to use physical exercise to release the tension brought on by anger, and how to develop relationships with his peers. At the end of the year, he hugged me. This is a boy who had never voluntarily hugged his mom, but he hugged me. His mom broke down in tears (even I got a little misty eyed), and thanked me for helping break through his tough exterior. It was an eye opening year. I learned so much about what different children go through, and how our first words can affect their entire day.
Kristine what a great moment! Thank you so much for sharing with us and having the patience to not give up on your students.
My favorite teaching experience happens every year when I see my English Language Learners become successful to enter a regular reading/language class and continue to become life-long learners.
My favorite teaching experience was when my first graders grew vegetables in our class greenhouse. Nothing was growing for a week or so, and the anticipation was building. The looks on their faces when things began to grow was so priceless! A little soil and seeds are all it takes to make some magic! 🙂
Mr. Quinn’s hands-on approach to 6th grade science was the best!
I teach Choral Music and my favorite part of teaching is when my group finally nails that 3 part harmony and they realize it too. Sometimes it happens during rehearsal. Sometimes it doesn’t happen until the performance but you can see it in their faces and mine. (I usually have tears running down my cheeks at that point). Those were the moments I remember with my own choir/band teacher, He is why I’ve been teaching music for 30 years! Thank you Chuck Madden!
My most memorable experience of teaching was in my Career Exploration class. I was getting after my students about talking in class. I remember making a comment like, “Ya’ll don’t even listen to me when I teach.” One of my students that always talks says, “Yes we do!” I give a look like, you for real? Then I say, prove it? Then, he says okay, and he starts to list a few things I had mentioned in class during lecture. I stood there dumbfounded, it blew me away because he had been paying attention the whole time. Then another student was like, Yeah Miss, we listen. And then I smiled and was like, Ok!
Ask any teacher why they became a teacher, and the answer you hear will be infused with variations of a common thread: to make a difference in the lives of others.
My story is no different, but there is a twist that you may find interesting. In elementary school, I was flunking math, and my mom spent a day at the school watching to see why. When she observed that the teacher had basically put me in a corner of the room to work on worksheets all day, she finally asked about this, and the answer she received conveyed the message that I was unable to learn and had been categorized as “dumb.” She promptly moved me to another school, several miles away, and I began excelling. Skip forward to high school, and my struggle with math resumed. I hated it, so much so that I opted to take AP English instead of math my senior year. Breathing a sigh of relief, I thought I was done with math, but a few years later I was struck with the reality of needing to take more math in college. To make a very long story short, I found myself loving math again as my instructors cleared misunderstanding with gentle guidance, and I began to realize that I was helping many of my classmates succeed in our classes. I knew then that I wanted become a math teacher, not for the love of math but for the love of helping others in an area that had become dear to my heart. So I pursued my masters in math (yes!).
When I got hired full time at West Valley College five years ago, my dreams had come true (and the long road to get there was complete), but the story wasn’t over. Seeing the light bulbs turn on, and the fear diminish for many of remedial students, has been absolutely amazing and rewarding. Watching some of my remedial students start in Algebra and work their way through Calculus, becoming math tutors, has been thrilling. The stunning moment for me, however, was when one of my math students came to me and told me that I had changed his mind about math to the point that he was considering becoming a math major! I’m still in awe! I knew I wanted to make a difference for students, to make math something to appreciate rather than fear, but I wasn’t prepared for the sense of exhilaration that coursed through me in that moment. (He is now studying math at UC Davis!) That, for me, makes all the long, hard days worth the effort. Those moments when I see I have made a difference, especially when I see I have changed the course of someone’s life, make my heart tingle with emotion! And when the students come back to thank me for all that I taught them? Wow! My students are amazing gifts, and I treasure each one!
What a great story! I love that your mom also played an active roll in supporting your learning and making sure her child would get proper support to be a success! Parents are important teachers too!
Thanks so much for commenting on my story. I’m glad that I took time to share it. I wasn’t sure anyone would read it (haha!), but it felt so good to share my experience.
Yes, my mom is amazing! She took a very active role in my education. I owe so much to her. She has been my biggest cheerleader, my confidant, and my shoulder to lean on when I needed to cry when things were rough. She tutored me from a very early age (I still remember how she would quiz me until I got all my spelling words right, or sit with me until I understood a math concept). Neither of us realized then that she was teaching me not only the subject matter, but something far deeper. She modeled to me how to be a good tutor and teacher (something which I use daily now!), and she passed on her good work ethic (always homework and chores first, then play), her sense of determination (she made me sit in front a mirror practicing the flute until I got it right), and her love of learning new things (her joy of exploration continues to this day). She deserves a medal!
In that vein, thank you for all that you are doing to honor teachers. You are a light shining in the dark, and I, for one, and am very thankful that you care.
Have a wonderful day! 🙂
My 5th grade teacher (in 1986) was already differentiating, using collaborative learning, addressing special populations. It’s just what she did. She recognized the value in each student and pushed them to do their best. Every student she’s had thought they were her favorite.
I now have the distinct pleasure of working WITH her as a counselor in the building where she STILL teaches 5th grade.
Good teachers really do matter.
Yes they do!
My best moments are when I am working with students who are struggling to grasp a concept, and the light suddenly goes on and they have their “a-ha!” moment.
My favorite experience was with a special ed student who was under bad influences at home to join a gang. I heard him singing in the hallway one day and asked him if he wanted to be in the choir. He was very happy to be given the opportunity. When he transitioned to the high school, I made sure he was enrolled in the choir class. He came back to visit his senior year. He had transitioned out of SDC and was enrolled in college. He thanked me for helping him stay out of trouble and giving him reasons to stay in school and do well.
This is so great Donna!
My very first American Heart Association Jump Rope and Hoops for Heart Event that I did my first year of teaching to honor my Grandfather who died of a heart attack.
The best teaching moment I had was when a student, who had been struggling with writing for months, came up to me with a huge grin and said look what I did. It was the best, you could see how proud she was of herself!!
I love teaching Math. It gives me great joy to see when students’ faces light up when they get the concept.
My favorite part of teaching was when I was coaching Special Olympics and to see the joy on those kids faces win or lose!! It just warms your heart every time!!
Watching kids make the connection from chemistry to their lives is priceless! When they begin to understand the concepts, they see how science and chemistry affects every part of their lives.
I teach music and just love it when my students performs a song successfully for the first time and smile from knowing they accomplished something wonderful!
My favorite memory is of my senior Theology teacher, who encouraged me to become an educator. She gave us real life projects to complete and arranged for our class to “adopt” a young girl who was severely disabled. This little girl prompted me to go into education and I’ve never looked back.
I love teaching math and science! Everyday is a new challenge
I don’t have to leave a lengthy comment to let you know that teaching is an ever changing, every day rewarding career. I love to see my special education students grow, mature, and learn throughout the four years there are here in high school. The greatest moment for each of them is when they walk across the stage and are handed their diploma. It’s such an accomplishment for them because of how much harder they work than the typical student. My whole body show the joy and pride I have for these people as they move on to the next part of their lives.
One of my favorite memories is when my classmates and I would use our recess time to dig up worms in the dirt everyday. Teachers didn’t say anything; they just let us explore and use our senses to enjoy nature and fuel our curiosity. It’s the simple things that we no longer do that we cherish and remember in our adulthood 🙂
I always feel so hopeful, and with a sense of accomplishment when a student feels like “I figured it out”, “I’m a learner!”, “Yes, I did work hard and I created this!”, “Oh, now I understand! I’m going to do another…!”
I have a binder full of letters, pictures, notes etc. from past students. When I’m feeling exhausted or defeated, I pull out that binder. I’m reminded that I can handle anything that the kids, parents, administration, or government (standardized test) throw at me. The notes remind me how much I love my job and that I am making a difference to my kids.
As a special education teacher, I love seeing that moment when my students truly understand a concept. It happened this week while factoring polynomials. What a joy it was to see true understanding.
When I was in 5th grade, I had a teacher that really worked to understand the individual needs of all her students. It was her overall caring manner that has stuck with me for years.
I am a Kindergarten teacher, and I have had so many great memories in my first 3 years. I have been at a Title 1 School for these three years, and it has been very satisfying and fulfilling to see how much a teacher can really make an impact on a child’s life! When a kid absolutely loves coming to school because they really don’t have anything to look forward to at home, it really shows you to be thankful for what you have, and what you can give to these kids.
I remember my Kindergarten teacher like I was just in Kindergarten yesterday, and he was one of the biggest reasons why I actually decided to become a Kindergarten Teacher! So thank you Mr. Lanier, you really helped shape my future at even such a young age. I hope I can make as much of an impact on my students lives as you did on mine!
Thank you Mr. T, sounds like you are well on your way to be just like your Kindergarten teacher 🙂
My favorite memory is running into some of my former students and having them describe their memories of being in my classroom. I found that one boy went on to get his teaching license so that he could teach Social Studies. He told me it all started when I let them picket the hallways for “No Taxation without representation”, then hang King George in effigy on the playground. All to help them role play some of the Revolutionary War era. He also remembered supplying his wagon and getting “bit by a snake” while role playing Oregon Trail. To have him tell the stories to his friends and remember so vividly, made me realize the impact our classroom had and how positive it could be!
My favorite words to hear are “I love Math” from the students who used to hate it! Making those connections and seeing the learning take place right in front of me is the most rewarding feeling.
My favorite words to hear are “I love Math” from the students who used to hate it! Making those connections and seeing the learning take place right in front of me is the most rewarding feeling.
The greatest moment is when my students contact to me after all the heartaches and struggles in the EMT program and let me know that they have not reached their goal of becomming a doctor or paramedic. One stated I am glad I did not give up because you wouldn’t let me. I cried and you said “go clean your face, take a breath, and lets tackle this because I see what you don’t see” I never gave up and I will not let them give up especially when I see potential there. I use the ACCC’s of life to be successful. A- assert yourself, C-have confidence, C- Be competent, C- Be compassionate and you will succeed in what ever career you have planned.
I love teaching physics because my students discover the complexity and the beauty of our world around us. I love when they can look at something like a rainbow, or magnets on a fridge, or a bicycle rolling down the street, and they can explain what’s actually happening. Their view of their world is irreversibly changed for the better and they appreciate the order and patterns in nature because of what they learn in physics.
My most recent, favorite teaching moment, was when I had a parent tell me that I was a positive influence on her son, who is now graduating. Also, she considered me as part of their family. Wow, I was speechless.
The best memory I have of school is going on the first day! I was deemed to young and could possibly be held back if I did not perform well. To my teacher’s surprise, I was her top student! Thanks to Mrs. Pelfrey! 🙂
My favorite memory of teaching happened two years ago. One of my collaborative classes is an English 12 class. We had a student who had pretty much given up on graduating, but still kept coming to class. We worked on him to continue getting things in and while he was not gaining full credit for the work, he was making progress to obtain enough to pass. The day before graduation, he was still several assignments short. He showed up in our room, while his fellow senior class practiced for graduation. All day long he worked on the computer turning in assignments. These assignments included a major 5 page research paper. The time rolled on: Graduation practice finished: Next thing we knew, it was nearing 5:00pm. Guidance counselors and a couple of administrators were the only ones left in the building along with us in the room. Even with all of his work, he was still a few points short of obtaining the grade needed to pass and graduate. We had him open, “The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass”, and begin reading the book to us. He then summarized each chapter verbally to us as he read. After chapter 5, we told him that is was done. He began to shake and state that no, he wanted to finish reading so he could get his points. We then let him know that he had indeed obtained the points needed and that he could stop reading. The room radiated with the largest smile I have ever seen. He said that he could not go to graduation the next day because he never got a cap and gown for the ceremony, nor did he purchase any tickets. He wasn’t sure his parents or anyone else could attend with such late notice. At that point, we got on the phone and let guidance know that he had passed the class and would be graduating. We then asked if they might have an extra cap and gown available for the student and tickets for his family. He went down to them and they did have an extra cap and gown for him and they gave him 15 tickets that they had remaining. He came back up with that same smile still attached to his face. At that point we let him know he was not allowed to go to graduation unless he did one more thing. He got a puzzled look on his face and asked what else was there to do. We stated that he had to stand there and call his parents and let them know. He did, reluctantly. As we waited for his parents to answer, he began to shake. They answered and he explained that he would be graduating the next day and that he was inviting the family to come to the ceremony. You could hear the excitement on the other end of the line and tears began streaming down his face. After he hung up the phone, he gave both of us a hug and said he would see us tomorrow. We finally left the school at 6:00pm. The next day we paraded in to the Seigel Center in front of 6000 people who were there to watch the graduation. We both spotted the young man as he walked in with the rest of his class. That same smile was still on his face. When it was his turn to walk across the stage to receive his diploma, his name was read and there was a huge roar from his parents and the rest of the family he had invited to attend. At that point, tears welled up in my eyes. I was so happy and proud of that young man. At the end of the ceremony, the school has the teachers leave first and then form a procession line in which the kids can walk through to say goodbye or thank you to their teachers. As our young man came through, he spotted us and issued the biggest hug I have ever had. He also said something that will remain with me forever. “I am so thankful for the two of you and the fact that you never gave up on me. I am here today because you believed and wouldn’t let me throw in the towel. I will remember you two for your effort and will always work hard to make sure I succeed. Thank you again for everything.” I have heard back from our young man and he is doing very well in a job that he loves. This is the main reason I teach. It’s the students that need the help, work hard when you assist them and then go on to become successful that make this job worth doing. Thank you for allowing me to share this story with you.
Thank you for sharing this story. You brought tears to my eyes! What a blessing! You are an amazing teacher! 🙂
Thank you so so so much for sharing this with us and for changing that student’s life!
I get to teach science at the NC Zoo every day! I love to be able to work with my high school students at the AHS Zoo School and make environmental and educational connections using the NC Zoo as my teaching back drop. My students are able to have experiences that they never would have in a traditional school setting. I love to teach science but I also love to teach real life lessons in stewardship and environmental awareness.
I was inspired by the love and compassion of teachers in my young life when I was struggling with my parents divorce and several played a critical role in making a difference during this difficult time. I have never forgotten that teaching is first and foremost about building relationships with students.
My favorite teaching memory is when I was teaching preschool, and looked over to see a child putting his shoes on the wrong feet. So I said “Jonny you are putting your shoes on the wrong feet” He looked at me confused and said “These are the only feet I have!”
How cute!
I am a kindergarten teacher. My favorite teaching experience is when my students learn how to decode and blend words. It’s amazing how they come into the classroom barely knowing their letters and then by the end of the year, they are reading really challenging books. I love how proud they are of their accomplishments.
I LOVED my Kindergarten teacher. She made every child feel special. I remember receiving her “Best Coloring” award at the end of the year. She said she liked how I always outlined the picture with the same color as the area I was filling in. She did however have a special award for every child in her class 🙂 But what a great way to start your school years!
I have been working in the reading room for ten years. It is always so exciting and such a feeling of accomplishment helping students achieve the life skill of reading. The hard work that the students put in is rewarding for them and me. The look on their faces when they see the progress they make every year just keeps you coming back for more. Sometimes they grow by five to seven reading levels in one year. Once they see their progress, they are so eager to hit it even harder to get as far as they can. This truly is a rewarding and satisfying job to have.
One of my favorite teaching experiences happens when I have my Geography students read the article by Horace Miner called “Body Ritual Among the Nacirema”. The students find the article fascinating, and repulsive. It displays American culture in a barbaric way, from an outsider’s point of view. The article masks Americans as a tribe called the Nacirema (American backwards). It’s a great way to introduce culture, stereotypes, bias, and ethnocentrism to my students. We always share the students’ thoughts about the tribe before I inform them that it is a writing about our culture, disguised as a barbaric people. It is a great way for students to better understand that we shouldn’t judge the way in which other cultures view things or live their lives, but that we should try to understand why they do things. The kids are always shocked when they find out it is written about us. I look forward to doing it every year!
What a great way to influence children on the ways they can choose to act in our culture!
Last year, we began a program where Chinese students come to our school for a year. This year I am fortunate to have 20 students in my computer classes. When asked their favorite class, they replied, “Mrs. Raimo’s computer class!”
I am thrilled to be able to reach not only our students, but also those from another country.
What I like most about teaching is when I am able to change a student’s attitude/outlook on life. My favorite example would be when L. P. said he was not going to participate in the public speaking competition. He made plans to skip school. I had my suspicions already about his numerous absences; so I called his mom and told her not to let him skip. L.P. was the third place winner that day out of 27 students.
I became a teacher because of the wonderful 5th grade teacher that I had. She made me feel loved and special every day that I came to school. She made every student in our class feel like they were important and what they did mattered. I wanted to make sure that as a teacher, I make my students feel the same way. I have taught preschool, Kindergarten, 1st grade, and 5th grade but I have had the honor of teaching Title I Reading and Reading Recovery for the past 8 years and that has been one of the most important jobs of my life. Everyday, I get to help struggling students feel success as I take them on their own journey in reading and help them see that they can succeed when they have often felt failure in school. I get to see their “light bulbs” go on and see their smiles light up the room. This is by no means an easy job – I have worked in a very low SES and high ELL populated elementary school where reading may not be a number one concern on some days – sometimes they just need a person to talk too – but the relationships that I have the opportunity to build with these kiddos is the best gift I could ask for. I hope that I have made my students feel like my 5th grade teacher made me feel!
My favorite experience is when parents and new students report to open house and lots of them walk in my room knowing me or about me. That tells me I made an impact on someone in their family or someone they know. Another great experience, almost feels like a celebration:), is when one of my kids served in special education, exits program! They show so much pride!
My favorite high school teachers was my English teacher Mrs. Peters. She was so hard on me because she saw great potential. By the time I got to college, I was familiar with all of the readings, so it was much easier. After graduating, I aspired to be an English instructor like she was!
One of my favorite memories about teaching involve taking students to engineering expos. They love it and have lots of fun, and its nice to see them outside the classroom environment.
My best teaching moment happened 3 years ago when I received a letter from a former student thanking me for being more than just his teacher. He said I was his mother, his friend, his advisor and his inspiration to become a teacher himself. He is now finishing his third year of college to become an elementary teacher.
My best days as a teacher is when I have helped a child who has no support at home. Many of our children have no adult supervision or assistance at home so when they come to school, the teacher is their only line of support. I take these children under my wing and try to be there for them- whether for extra help tutoring them, when they need to talk or have a problem, or even just to let them know they are loved and are special.
For teacher’s appreciation week I had a student that made me a bracelet with rubber bands. I know that came from his heart. That is the best present a teacher can get.
My favorite moments are most of the time. I enjoy my students being in the classroom, and when they answer questions with clarity so I know they are learning. I enjoy when a student I have had in the past comes up to me years later and say they really enjoyed being in my class and that they really learned a lot.
I’ve known since about 3rd grade that I would be a teacher. Mrs. Eleanor Claggett was my teacher and she was just everything I wanted to be. She was patient and kind and laughed a lot. It felt good to be in her room. She would let me help with other kids who had trouble with reading and I got to “play” teacher. From that moment on, I just knew what I was meant to do and there was never any doubt in my mind (although the allure of being a cruise director like Julie on The Love Boat was tempting) and I kept various things throughout my middle and high school years that my teachers had me to do that I still have my students do today.
My favorite memory of my teacher was in Kindergarten. We had a small kitchen with a hippo as the stove, an elephant as the sink, and a cow as the refrigerator. Mrs. Leis would get on the floor and play with us and every time the refrigerator opened, she would let out a long “mooooooooooooooooo.” I’m in my 40s now but still remember that special teacher that taught me how to put extra fun into playtime.
One of the truly special moments are those that do not occur very often. I work exclusively with the struggling kiddos whose norm is failure. They rarely get to taste what it feels like to understand quickly the teachers’ words. That lack of successful understandings culminate into failure on state tests through the years. One of my kids this year had failed all tests for her prior years. She just received the results of passing for the very first time. She was ecstatic, as was her mom. I loved being a small part of that success & most importantly how failure sometime can be turned around because while failure breeds failure, success also breeds success.
You’re making such a difference! Thank you for sharing this story!
My favorite moments in teacher are when students or parents let me know that something we did or learned has stuck with them. It doesn’t matter if it is academic or not. For example, just recently a young man told me that his mom still talks about a phone call I made home to tell her how much her son had improved his writing. I asked what year he graduated and he said 2003!
Favorite childhood memory was getting a book from the traveling library. We didn’t have books at home and I loved reading. So, being able to take book home for two weeks was a dream come true.
I was teaching at a middle school several years ago and I was having a difficult time with a yuoung man who could not read very well. He kept wanting to check out books above his reading level. I finally got him to get some books that we could work on and use in a one on one situation. He struggled all year with his reading. We read in English class almost 15 minutes a day. He did not like it at all. Near the end of the year, he had progressed and was reading a little higher level book. One day, he was reading to me and he started laughing. He had understood the joke in the book and he got it. He got the joke and it made my day!!! He was understanding what he was reading.
One of the best parts of being an elementary music teacher is that I get to see the kids each year from Kindergarten through 5th grade. I get to watch them grow up and see them grow and mature. It is really amazing to see the changes the kids go through in their elementary career.
My favorite teaching memory was few years ago. My first grade class was lined up outside the classroom door just after the morning bell rang. I had yard duty and as I approached them to let them in they all yelled “Happy Mrs. Angona Day!!” and gave me flowers and treats. It wasn’t teacher appreciation. It wasn’t my birthday. It was just a random day in October that one kid decided should be a day to celebrate their teacher just because. He had his mom email the other parents with this cute idea. Even though these kids are now in 6th grade, this memory still makes me smile!
I would say the best days of teaching is EVERY day. I drive over 50 miles to school every day, and honestly I do not want to drive that far every day. UNTIL, I get to school. The open arms, the smiles, the hugs these little faces greet you with each morning! I cannot think of a better place to be every day, every morning!! Not all days are happy for children in the mornings, but the kiddos know where they are ‘wanted’. It is amazing how they are so caring to each other also! We lost a student because of health reasons this year, and the kids has chosen to keep the child’s name up, work displayed, and everything in place like it has been all year. Every day we “wish them well’ with our Safe Keeper box, and we will continue on for the remaining of the year.
What I love most about teaching PE is to see the improvement feom the beginning of the year to the end of the year. I work at a community Center and the students all come from families living beneath the poverty line. Learning how to persevere through hard things, working for the outcome, and looking to the future are all mindsets they struggle with. They are not taught how to persevere, they are taught that they should be given what they want.Their focus is all about here and now, there is no looking to the future. I love that in PE, I can help change and shift this attitude as they learn about Cardiovascular Endurance, fitness, teamwork, and more. I love watching them grow and change and blossom in athletics!
I will never forget when this freshman boy wanted to quit Spanish because it was so hard for him. I sat with him and his mom and told him that quitting was not an option because I knew that he would be able to overcome the problem and succeed. He not only took Spanish 1, but was able to take up to Spanish 3 and spent a few weeks in Spain. How rewarding it was to give him the Foreign Language Award and see him graduate with Honors! The joy of being a teacher!
As a child I struggled in all areas of learning. I hated school because I could always see the frustration on teachers faces when I would study and study and not do well on test. I hated school until I got the the third grade. My third grade teacher was the very first teacher to actually try and help me. She took time to individually tutor me and also made sure to differentiate my lessons and meet my learning needs. She always smiled and gave me encouragement even when I didn’t succeed. She is the reason I am now a teacher.
My favorite teaching experience actually happened last year. I had a student who was a behavior problem and never wanted to work no matter what I did. He literally drove me crazy. On the last day of school he really melted my heart. When it was time to leave he refused to learn and then started crying because he was going to miss me over the summer. His mother even cried and thanked me for caring about him all year. I won’t lie once all the students left I cried as well. Everytime I see a behavior student now I think of my student last year and smile.
My favorite experience in teaching was my last day teaching in my previous school before moving to New Hampshire, when my students (current at that time, as well as former) came by and brought sweet letters and cards with notes about their favorite memories of their year in my class. It was so touching and sweet to read them and see just how much of an impact I had on their educational journey. I had so many tears that afternoon, but it reminded me of why I went in to teaching.
I have several great experiences as a teacher and I continue to have them. One of them is participating in Adventure to Fitness and Go Noodle with my students. They love to watch me work out and dance with them. It is so much fun!
When my son was in the NICU he was near death. My daughters kindergarten teacher brought toys and made dinner for my family while we were in the hospital. Teachers don’t do things like this so it meant the world to us that she took time from her life to make our lives better/easier
After being a teacher aide for ten years I just couldn’t deny the love I had for the classroom and students. I returned to college and gained my degree. Everyday is a new experience in the inclusion prek class. I now hold a EC-4 Generalist, EC-12 special education, and a master in curriculum. Just today my prek students were writing words that ended with X the letter of the week. It gives me so much joy to see young children excited to begin writing words.
I well remember my 5th grade teacher who made our class into a well run city! We each had various positions and made sure the city ran well and efficient -it was so much fun! Even after all these years I will never forget Mr. C!
One of my favorite authors is Laura Ingalls Wilder. I am forever grateful to my fourth grade teacher, Sr. Jesse, for turning me on to those books. I will still pick one up today and read it cover to cover, if the opportunity presents itself. My love of reading and imagination was because of those books. I was able to put myself in Laura’s shoes each time I read those fascinating stories.
My fifth grade teacher was amazing. She had all of us writing poetry every day. We left her class with an appreciation for language arts and for the gifts that we each received.
My best days teaching are when I see a child who for years has slipped through the cracks, finally understand what she needs to do and anxiiously asks when I will be working with her again.
A few years ago I had a student that was failing all of his classes. I tried motivating him all semester to try to get him to do his work and learn the material to pass my class. Finally, at the end of the semester I was able to get him motivated enough to pull him up to a D. When I asked if he needed help with his other classes he said it was to too late, that he would fail. So I asked him, “So, I was the only teacher that got through to you?” And he told me, “No, you were the only teacher that never gave up.” I will never forget that moment.
I am so lucky! I teach in the very same building where I attended elementary school as a child 45 years ago! (I don’t feel that old!) I teach right across the hall from where I was a third grader in Miss Becken’s room. Miss Becken cared so much about her students. She knew I headed home to an empty house, which was a little scary for a third grader. Therefore she let me stay after school to “help” everyday lessening my time alone. I am not sure how much help I was, but she certainly helped me. As I enter my classroom each day I think of Miss Becken, who still lives in town. I try to pay that love forward by listening, caring, and letting my students “help” me when they need some extra TLC.
We love that you are carrying on your inspiration’s legacy!
I love dressing up for various units of study to see my students’ reactions! They can’t believe how crazy their teacher is and it makes them remember the content forever!
I love it when I am teaching a new concept and the “light bulbs” come on one by one with my kids
When I was a little girl, I couldn’t wait to start going to school. My mother told me that I would learn to read and to write. The first day of kindergarten I came home extremely disappointed in my teachers. I told my mom that school did not teach me to read or to write — AS IF I’D LEARN EVERYTHING ON THE FIRST DAY!
My favorite moment as a teacher is when I had a student who was in my PK Severe Behavior and Communication Disorder class who is now in a Regular Ed. classroom with Resource Support. This student came to me with severe behaviors and would have tantrums almost daily. By the time he left me those behaviors were almost non existent. I saw him a couple of years ago and he was very well behaved.
I am currently in my favorite teaching situation ever!!! After 20 years at the elementary/middle level, this year I transitioned to the high school to teach Visual Arts. It’s so exciting to see high school students grow and mature and prepare for life beyond this.
My favorite memory about a teacher…being a first grader, raised in a small town in South Carolina and getting to “GO” to my teachers home for a party. As a 6-7 year old I was enamored at being at my teacher’s home. I was well into adulthood before I outgrew believing that teachers disappeared into a fairy world of teaching when they weren’t at school.
i think one of my favorite teaching experiences was doing a weeklong unit on bigfoot. such a fun unit to integrate all studies [science, social, historical, literacy, math…]; we read a lot, debated [having debate teams made up of 5-10 year olds in mixed groups is hilarious], and used the scientific method to try and determine if bigfoot is real. it was a lot of fun and engaging every step of the way!
I remember a junior high school Social Studies teacher. he tried to dress young and hip, but he wasn’t. His toupee wasn’t that great and we saw his scalp often. He gave tons of notes to copy from the board, but was very interesting and knew his history. It was the best Social Studies class I ever took! Thank you for your service, Mr. ? (don’t remember his name)!
Everyday is my favorite teaching experience! Everyday brings new challenges and new ideas to the forefront of the classroom.
Last year I had a student that had given up on his education. He had never passed any district or state test and this was his 5th grade year. When he came to me he was defeated and didnt want to try. That year we worked really hard on building a relationship of trust and support. When this student took the state reading test (I teach reading) he not only passed he scored an advanced score! This we a true example of being a loving advocate for children is what they need to be successful and happy. I appreciate my students and their families. They teach me everyday how to strive to be a better person so I can always be my best for them.
When you work with children for twenty-five years, you have many teaching experience. One of my recent favorite teaching experience is listening to one of my third grade student actually read a book. When he started coming to me he was reading on pre-primer level and his mother stated during a conference that he hates to read but loves to draw. I was able to use his drawing interest to get him to read by letting him check out my drawing book after he learned some many words. He began checking out library books and began increasing on reading levels. He is now almost on grade level. I do believe “Every student can learn just not on the same day or the same way.”~George Evans
When I was in middle school, I hated math with a passion. But somehow I have ended up teaching math. I teach kids the way that would have helped me learn things. I was not the typical student and needed things presented multiple times using multiple methods. The thing for me that makes my day is when I have struggling math learners that have never “gotten it” really get a good grasp on new concepts or concepts that need clarification.
My favorite memory is when my students who are non-verbal and have very limited functional communication used an iPad to communicate what they wanted to snack. Or any of the achievements my students with autism have had over the last three years!
My not-so-favorite but most unforgettable was having a first grader decide to use the back pocket of my pants and the seat area behind the pocket ripped. Good thing I had a jacket I could use to tie around me that day.
The best career move I ever did was to go the elementary level to teach physical education & health. I never worked so hard in my life. I work in a toy store and loved every minute of it. Children love coming to class. The smiles, the hugs, the “I want too” attitude is infectious. No time to sit down, always moving. Plus I work with the most dedicated classroom teachers who value my subject matter!
now I’m helping to get elementary PE, Music, & Art back in the schools. Life is so good!
I think one of the most memorable events in my teaching career took place with a group of special needs students in the early part of my career ( I have been teaching 41 years). I was working with the YMCA and United Way to fund and set up a swimming program for special needs students in my county. The summer before that year school year we had lost four students to drowning and three of them were special needs students. They had gone fishing with family and friends , got too close to the water’s edge or had been in a family activity around water. I worked hard on all the things that lead up to getting in the water (changing clothes, sitting still while waiting turns, being able to let someone know when you are uncomfortable without becoming upset and physical, etc.) and the aquatic instructors and volunteers learned about the students and their special needs. WE WERE READY!!! The first day we went to the pool, we had the students sit on the edge of the pool and play in the water with their feet. Some students were okay and others were very unsure. Suddenly, one of the largest boys (age 9 and 125 pounds) in the class shouted “WAT” and fell over into the water. He quickly floated up, stood up, and said “FUN”! All the adults were in almost panic mood. He was laughing. That is when I realized what had happened! This student had said not one word the six months he had been in my class and we were not sure he could even talk because his parent had only heard “noises”. He had shown very limited emotions, mostly crying or slight anger. He also had not tried to do anything on his own without an adult close by guiding him or even holding his hand. Here he was laughing, saying words and having a SUPER time. He became a different person that day and in the years to come. He became a SUPER swimmer, participated in Special Olympics all the way to Nationals and won blue ribbons, began to talk and express his feelings and thoughts verbally and written. He graduated in a regular class with a regular diploma and went to junior college to become a teacher assistant and vet tech. He worked with special needs students and small animals for several years. He then went back to college and became an elementary eduaction teacher.
That experience made me believe even stronger that EVERY student is waiting for that special moment to show what he/she can really achieve and we as teachers need to provide as many moments as possible for our students. WE JUST NEVER KNOW WHAT A CHILD CAN DO UNTIL HE/SHE HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO !!
Wow! This is such a wonderful story.It’s so important to never give up on any child.
I remember thinking my 6th grade Social Studies teacher was the hardest teacher on the planet. All my friends told me not to take her because she was mean. So when I found out she was my teacher, I was terrified. On the night of open house, I really did not want to go meet her…and I told my parents that I didn’t want to meet her. When we walk into the room, Mrs. Beltan, the Teacher of DOOM, greeted my parents and they just talked as if they were old friends. THEY REALLY WERE OLD FRIENDS!!! I was so mad that my parents kept that from me.
To make a long story short, she quickly became my favorite teacher and she was always there to lend a hand when I needed it. She inspired me to be who I wanted to be in life…a Social Studies teacher! I got the chance to thank her for all she did for me with a special award my university gives to inspiring teachers. Mrs. Beltan is my inspiration and she will always hold a special place in my heart!
My 7th grade teacher obviously cared about all of us in her class. I wanted to emulate her when I began teaching 17 years ago. I now teach middle school because that is such a critical age and my students face more challenges every year. At least they know that I care about them.
My favorite is always the breakthrough moment when a student who came in always focused on “What do I have to do/ Why do I have to do it / How can I get out of doing it?” finally starts asking “What more can I do with what I just learned?”!
I teach 7th grade at a Title One school, which means most of my students receive free/reduced lunch. There isn’t a lot of money for school supplies and such, and most of them have never had a pet in their household. I have pet rats and chinchillas in my classroom. It is exciting to see them turn into caring children, who are fascinated with animals. It makes them more compassionate with others to watch this:)
My favorite teacher was my Music teacher beginning in 7th grade. After coming into her class, I refused to miss a day of school from that point on! She motivated me to major in music education in college and I am now still teaching elementary music after 36 years! I hope I am as motivating to some of my students as she was to me!
I remember vividly my experiences in Mrs. Campbell’s third grade classroom. I had enjoyed reading before this, but her class cemented that for me. We earned colored keys for each book read. (So we were learning some math at the same time–that’s the brilliance of this woman.) We didn’t have to write book reports, we just lined up each day at her desk after we had finished a book and told her about it–while she asked us some questions. It was fun one-on-one time with her. When we reached 10, we traded them in for the 10 color key; at 50, we traded our 10s for a silver key, and at 100, we traded up for a gold key. I remember having 3 gold keys by the end of the year, plus a silver and some purples (10s), so I read nearly 400 books that year! (And these were books like The Five Little Peppers, Little Women, etc.)
Luckily, my favorite moment has come around a few times. It is when a child who I have been working with in a social skills group for awhile comes in and tells me that they finally have a friend! It breaks my heart that there are kids out there that don’t have any friends. I work on teaching them the skills, role playing, and even going out to recess with them to teach more, assist, or just be there as a support. I LOVE my job and it balances out the calls that I have to make to child protective services every once in awhile. It is ALL about the children!!
I have worked in education for the last 22 years and I really can’t come up with just one favorite moment. There have been many and I know that there are many more to come 🙂
My 5th grade math teacher, Mrs. Carolyn Call, was the one who lit my fire for passion to teach. I was struggling in math that year, and she worked with me one on one, always building me up, never gave up on me and pushed me to do my best always! I will never forget her and always strive to light my student’s passion for learning like she did for me.
I am in my 32nd year of teaching secondary English. I LOVE my students! One of the greatest riches I receive is seeing my students “get it.” The looks on their faces is priceless. I feel extremely blessed to be able to share my gift of teaching with so many.
The best teaching experience is the one I have now working with Intellectually Disabled students. I work with 9-12th grade (up to their 22nd birthday) students. They are such a joy and inspiration to others. They never give up and are always fun to be around.
I have been an adjunct mathematics instructor in a community for 11 years now. I really enjoy seeing my students learn anything, but especially that they can do the math, since most of them have math anxiety or have had bad experiences trying to learn math. I guess some of my most fun and joyful moments are when students get that Ah-ha moment. I call it the light bulb going on over their heads.
It excites me to see that they “get it!” I love teaching and am glad that God called me to be a teacher. It’s the best profession ever!
My favorite experience as an elementary music specialist was a day when I went to bring my daughter something that she had forgotten to her high school classroom and I over hear a girl whispering “Hey, that’s my music teacher!” then to my surprise she starts singing the musical greeting that I use in my classroom– “Hello, Ms. Austin..” The tune and greeting had stuck with her all the years since being in elementary. Music is AWESOME
My favorite teaching moment came this year when my 7th grade students were doing a unit of study on the Holocaust. We had just begun talking about Genocide and Human Rights and one of my students came into my classroom with all of this research he had done on the Holocaust. He was so excited to show me how he was learning on “his own” and without me asking him to. I told him how excited and proud of him I was. That same student a week later showed me a video he watched about a Holocaust survivor and how the survivor has made it their goal in life to teach others what happened to him and many others during the Holocaust. The student was so moved at the video and explained to me that the survivor should have been angry and mad at everyone for what he went through, but he wasn’t. Instead, this survivor made it his goal to help everyone understand how this should never happen again…
The student then told me that he was going to make it his goal to teach others about tolerance and understanding that all people should show each other so that the Holocaust would never happen again. (Insert tear here…this was a proud moment as a teacher)
Your unit of study took on an entirely additional and welcomed lesson! this is so great.
I remember my high school algebra/geometry teacher getting up on our first day of Algebra II and saying she was nervous because she had never taught it before – and she had such a great attitude about it, it caused me to be a math teacher!!!
I have loved working with kids for the past 40 years and seeing their eyes light up when they grasp a concept. Plus as Art Linkletter would say “Kids say the darnedest things”. One of my fondest memories was from my years teaching Kindergarten was when I was helping a child tie their shoes. When I reached down, the child put their hand on my shoulder and said, “Oh, Mrs. Walker, your brains are showing!!” I looked puzzled and they responded with, “Look at the top of your head, there is white. I think your brains are starting to come out!” I laughed and said, “I guess I’ll have to tell my hairdresser to help me get them back in.” They said, “Yes and hurry!” Even though that was many years ago, I still laugh about that. Teaching is so much more than just teaching!
My favorite moment teaching happens every time a have a former student excitedly come up to me after they have either been out of school or have moved away. The fact that they remember me and want me to know what is going on with their lives warms my heart everytime. Not every thing is always going great for them but that is ok as well, I take that moment to ask if I could add them to my prayer list because not only are they still important to me but that also allows me to be an active advocate. I am a firm believer in the power of prayer, it might not be what we want at the time but it always helps to know that you are not alone. I’ve never had a former student tell me no, if anything they tell me thank you.
I love passing the students in the hallway and them letting me know what book they are reading and what they think of it. It is wonderful to see they have a love for reading!
My favorite memory was actual yesterday when one of my former students came back to our middle school and was the keynote speaker at our Cinco de Mayo program. She talked about her achievements and being a 1st generation Mexican American student and how she faced adversity even from her family for wanting to pursue higher education. She now has a master’s degree and works with others on obtaining higher education.
I recently ran into one of my former students from 12 years ago. She was working at an eye doctor’s office and doing well. She was married with two children. She told me how much she appreciated my patience with her and how our alternative program helped her to settle down, recover from her mistakes and move forward to be successful. It was a great feeling to know we had made a difference.
When I have a student come to me in the library looking for a book that was developed into a movie and then bringing it back saying the “Book Was Better!”
My favorite experience in teaching is taking students on field trips to compete against other students around the state or nation in their CTSO competitive events. The joy they receive from the experience and networking with other students is awesome! 🙂
My favorite teaching moment is when one of my ESL students actually began to understand English and began scoring “Basic” on her assessments. She scored a “Mastery” on her last assessment. Before this she would always score “Unsatisfactory” I was so proud of her!
my best teaching moment was when my special education student walked across the stage at graduation by himself. The smile and triumph on his face was enough to last me a lifetime !
Okay, so I love all the wonderful things about teaching, but my very favorite moment isn’t a warm fuzzy one, but it IS the funniest thing I’ve ever had happen in my classroom. I had a group of kindergartners, and in my classroom, they sit on the carpet, criss-cross-applesauce. One of the students passed gas, and it was fairly loud. I could tell it kind of embarrassed him, so I redirected the students and moved on as quickly as possible. A few minutes later, I saw him squirming around, and asked him what he was doing. He said that he had his hand down his pants. I asked him WHY he had his hand down his pants. (I know…not really bright on my part. LOL) His answer was “I’m plugging my hole.” 0-0 I immediately sent him to wash his hands, but then I got tickled, and I spent the rest of that class period actively trying not to look at him, because I would get tickled again. That has been several years ago, and I still think of it every time I see that particular child.
My favorite memory from my childhood was when my teacher, Sr. Joan did a complete unit using “Charlotte’s Web” as the focus. We did reading, writing, math, science all around that story. It was the first time I remember any teacher being that creative with a novel for 3rd graders. I told myself that when I became a teacher, I would want to make that kind of impression on my students. And that is what I keep in mind as I go through each year with my kiddos!!!
Wow – we teachers make a difference – all our hard work pays off some day for these kids and even if they never see it – we make a difference in their lives
I went to visit a family who experienced a death in the family. The grandson of the deceased was in my class five years ago. As I was sitting the boy pulled out the Tri-Fold project about character development that he completed in my class. He showed me that the Tri-Fold was placed in a prominent place in the home even to that day.
My favorite teacher was Mrs. Williamson, who was my 3rd grade teacher. I had moved to Texas from Floriday and was struggling to fit in. Mrs. Williamson made sure I felt special. She would spend one-on-one time with me; let me help grade papers and other “jobs”; she would also comment on what I was doing well. I had a speech impedament and she made sure I recieved the help I needed. Students need to know that their teacher cares for them and accepts them.
My best memory is the day the tennis courts at our high school were finished and we got to play on them. I raised $250,000 in grants and donations to build 5 courts because we didn’t have any.
Most people don’t think of teachers as heroes for kids, but that is what they are sometimes. I had a teacher in high school who was that to his students. Every time I think about the relationship that I want to build with my students, he comes to mind. He was my Foreign Language teacher (Spanish) for 4 years. He had almost the same group of student all those years, so instead of just being our “teacher”, he was our motivator, who challenged us and encouraged us to achieve our goals…he was our friend during those important years that shape our future. He took an interest in our lives, our successes, our joys and sorrows-and built a connection with all of us that after almost 20 years, I still have not forgotten. He inspired us to go after our dreams and to believe we could do it! He had a genuine care and dedication for all of us, even the ones who got a little lost during those years and needed that extra motivation. He worked hard to build up our confidence and pushed us to be the best we could be after high school. I wanted to have an impact on others the way he did…which is one of the reasons I went into this profession! Teachers change lives every day! My teacher certainly did, and I aspire to do the same for my students and be remembered not only as the one who taught them, but the one who believed in them!
This time of year I have some very stressed out students. Many of them are taking their first AP test on Friday. AP US History is rigorous and challenging and I love the day after the test when we can sit and talk and the stress is gone and they feel so accomplished, so smart and so happy to be done .
It’s exciting when students come in and said they ran into a native French speaker and could speak with them!
My favorite teaching experience: I teach a behavior focus class and I love when students are able to exit our program and back into regular education because they have their behavior under control. Not only do they have their behaviors under control but they have also reaching grade level with their academics.
I have taught for many years, 19 of which have been in Kindergarten. One morning, a student arrived and said, “Mrs. Rose, you are cute to my heart.” It is one of my favorite compliments from a student.
As a special education teacher of students with mod/sev disabilities we celebrate the even the smallest of moments, so it could be that a student remembers to push in the chair without a reminder and that could put a smile on my face for the rest of the day,
I think my favorite experience as a teacher is having students come back and visit after they have started in the work place. Nothing is more satisfying than seeing students as successful young adults. Hearing that what I taught made college easier is always nice, but seeing successful, happy, working young people is a real mark of success.
I LOVE TEACHING ART! STUDENTS LOVE BEING CREATIVE AND LOVE GETTING AWESOME COMMENTS ON THEIR ARTWORK!
Thank you for supporting educators! I have been teaching for over 30 years and am still going. There is nothing like a hug & a smile when students take pride in an accomplishment! While my energy is fading with age, the kiddos are my fuel! It may be an old hat saying, but it is so very true – Where else can you touch the future every day!!! What we do, matters for many years to come!
To all of the new teachers out there – Thank you for joining the team! Together, we truly can make a difference. If you have not already started a folder, a file, a box of treasures – start now. When a student gives you a card, says something your want to remember, etc. drop it in your Treasure container. Go through it often — It will help you remember why you went into this great profession!
After being out of school for over 30 years, I still remember the teachers that made a difference in my life. I always try to make a difference in the lives of the children I teach. A good teacher makes the difference in a student being successful in a class. I will always try to be “that” teacher.
I always loved my Phy. Ed. Teachers & Coaches. As far as my academic teachers, Ms. Allen was my math teacher and she made it special. Granted I was horrible in math…she just made it much easier. My Phy. Ed. Teachers were Mr. Hodges, Mr Daniels & Ms Miles and loving sports as I do, they made my day every day at school. Thanks to these teachers, I got my degree in Education and I teach Phy. Ed. & Coach. It’s fun to make a difference in the life of our kids.
When I was in elementary school, I was selected to participate in a special music project with a few other students from my class. We recorded a song about the love of reading, and then were able to shoot a music video in the school library. I felt like a celebrity, and had a blast with my music teacher!
My favorite memory as a child was being a part of math club in middle school. We played math games and even competed in the county. My math teacher stayed with my class from sixth grade through eighth grade. She really sparked my interest and love for math!
My favorite teaching experience was my first year of teaching. We were learning about habitats in my second grade classroom. I had an idea of having a debate on why we should save the rain forests and why we shouldn’t. The students came up with fascinating ideas that included saving the animals as well as getting medicines from parts of the rain forests. It made me happy that they were learning so much about what rain forests have to offer!
As a physical therapist working in the schools, my greatest moments are when I am adapting and supporting students with physical needs to participate with their peers in PE class. The support the students receive from their classmates when they realize that they can participate in a game while in their walker or wheelchair is heartwarming. My favorite was when a class was playing a version “hungry, hungry hippos” and my wheelchair-bound student was able to play by laying over scooter boards!
I work with ELL kids. I find this enjoyable as I am teaching them, they are teaching me. I find that the older I get, the more fun I have and the more kids enjoy coming to me. When it is testing time, I have the ELL kids come to me and they put more effort into a test than they do in their homerooms.
Facebook has reunited me with all the students from my time at an international school Barcelona, the oldest of which are now 43…many have sets of twins that are older than my set of six year old twins. It is so interesting to see where they ended up in life…from excellent jobs and families, to alternative lifestyles, to four being deceased…but, to a one, they all thank me for turning them on to ultimate Frisbee and freestyle Frisbee, as well as double dutch. Several have revealed to me they followed in my footsteps, with one even getting her Master’s Degree in Olympic History in a special program in Greece, where she hopes to eventually work with the International Olympic Committee. Another was a pilot sitting in the airport in Arizona, and thought to himself, I can’t do this anymore, Mr. Chris said I needed to follow my dream of working in sports, and is now a boot camp for females instructor and owns his own gym. Glad I made a difference as my teachers did for me…
I had a severely autistic little Kindergarten girl my 1st year of teaching. I was fortunate that it was a small school and I had the opportunity to see each class everyday! In the late spring, she understood what to do in “germ tag”. She was a Dr. and realized if she tagged a ‘sick’ student they got healthy. The joy on her face that day was priceless!
When ,y special needs students made the connections between money and purchasing power
My favorite time teaching is when one of my Special Education students passed the Texas State Assessment for the first time in her school career. I was so proud!
My favorite event as a teacher is when I received a Christmas card from a student who had continually argued that she did not need the information we were covering and would never need it at any time in her entire life. The card contained a note letting me know that she did indeed need the information and had actually made a 100 on a college test over that same information. She thanked me for not giving up on her even though she gave me a difficult time. She let me know that I made a difference.
My favorite junior high teacher was my Science teacher, who also happened to have the same last name as me (although we were not related) – Mr. Moyer. He also have innovative ways of learning included in lessons, especially hand-on type of learning. He had control of the class without ever having to raise his voice. All the students adored him. He even agreed to participate in the junior high dance with us.
I was working with a class of 25 students on a building project that was especially difficult. One particular 12 year old boy was having success only when I worked directly with him and would give up every time I walked away.
I kept encouraging him to try but he seemed determined to give up. At one point he even packed away his project! I determined to not give up on him and together we finally completed his project. Before my eyes I watched a sullen, defeated boy turn into a smiling confident young man. I worked with him for several more years and each summer saw him grow in every way. I was encouraged that no matter how hopeless a child feels, a caring determined adult can turn them around 🙂
I have been providing PT for many years in the school district. Prior to this I got my teachers certification and taught special needs students. I have mulitple favorites but will tell you about the most recent. I have a kiddo on my caseload that is essentially trapped in her body. She can’t speak, but effectively communicates with her eye, kissing sounds, and a smile. I felt like she had so much more to say and do,unfortunately she did not have a way to express or move. She can extend one arm and has limited grasp in that hand. We put her in a power wheelchair with switch access in the head pads or head aray. With tears and fear on her part we placed her in the seat and in under a minute she was driving the chair. With a full on smile she headed to her Mom and reached out for her hand. Life changing moment for all! With the advances in technology this scholar can access the computer and communication devices thru the wheelchairs electronics. Her future is bright.
We’re beginning to see the theme in your hearts as educators! Not giving up is essential to making a difference! Thank you!
My first year of teaching, I taught at an Interim-alternative school setting with ESE students. In the beginning of the school year, my students were resistance to learning and I had to find ways that would entertain them while learning. It was a difficulty task to work out but I was up for the challenge. At this school, my job was to help them read, and, eventhough, these middle school students were reading at a first thru third grade level, I knew the task would be difficult. I chose music because to me music is the key to everyone’s heart. I started with classical music and moved to jazz/blues and a little bit of country music and ended with their favorite rap music. At the end of the school year, most of my reading students reading level went up a grade level and I was thrilled to know that this worked well with my students. Happy students, Happy teacher and Great music to entertain their minds. This was my most exciting teaching experience as a beginning teacher!
One of my favorite moments was when I heard my son telling someone else that I was one of only two teachers that really challenged him in high school.
My favorite memory is of my 2nd grade teacher giving me a book, Cinderella, for Christmas. I read it ragged!
My favorite teacher was my fifth grade teacher. I have never forgotten the caring she showed to us, her students. I felt like one of her children. Even today, when I see her, she still remembers my name and we have long talks. We are going to have lunch together one day soon! She inspired me to work in the school system where I have been for over twenty three years now. You can never under estimate the difference a teacher can make in the life of a child.
One of my favorite teaching experiences was during my very first teaching job. I had taken a job as an arts and crafts counselor at a summer camp at a time when I was becoming disillusioned with my previous career as a theater designer, and was tentatively looking for new experiences. On this day we were making paper collage/mosaics. When I explained that we would be using scissors to cut the paper for our artwork, I saw one little boy’s face fall. Later, when I sat next to him to see how he was doing, he said glumly ‘I am not good at cutting.’ He and I brainstormed something he would be excited in representing with his cut paper (‘skyscrapers!’ he said), and worked with him for a bit with the scissors. It was so amazing to see his excitement when he realized he could actually create his vision with the paper. At the end of the lesson, the little boy proudly held up his cut-paper ‘skyscrapers’ and said ‘ I guess I AM good at cutting.’ At that moment, I knew that I needed to make teaching my career.
I am touched by children every day! Their creativity and individuality never cease to amaze me. I love observing their growth in stature, personality, and knowledge. Yet, I sometimes wonder who is learning more, them or me?
The first year I taught a three-year-old class, and then I transferred a few years later to Kindergarten, and I had the same children from my first year teaching. It was a terrific experience sharing their growth in learning — exploring, discovering, and becoming who they were meant to me. Many, many years later, when I was moving to a new house, I discovered pictures that they had drawn as Kindergarteners detailing what they wanted to be when they grew up. I realized that this was the year that they were all making choices for college, so I found what addresses I could find, and I mailed their pictures to them along with a note to let them know: You may not remember what you wanted to be when you grew up, but I do, and maybe this will help you with college decisions. I received so many precious emails, letters, responses, and calls. This is what teaching is all about.
This is awesome!
Nothing is better to me that to see old students of mine being productive members of society. I remember seeing a 6th grade student I had my first year teaching, helping me at the concession stand at the movie theater years later. I couldn’t believe that much time had past, but he had just graduated from high school and he told me that it was his first day on the job and he was so happy that I was his first customer. I knew he was destined for great things. What a wonderful feeling!
My favorite moment as a P.E. teacher was seeing the gleam in a students eyes who was wheelchair bound. She was so excited that she had the opportunity to actually participate with her class in P.E. No horn tooting here, just appreciative that I was able to give her the chance to enjoy the physical activity.
My favorite and most rewarding teaching experience as an elementary PE teacher (K-6) is when I do my project adventure unit with my students. Students are faced with challenges both individually and in groups that they need to overcome. They may not like everyone in their group but they learn to treat everyone with respect. Different challenges are presented to the class, and the students soon learn that with trust, cooperation, communication, and teamwork they will succeed. It is so amazing to see what happens when groups come together and work towards accomplishing a goal. I explain what it means to be a leader, how to spot someone correctly and what it means to try for your personal best. New relationships form, students are working together, and when individuals or groups light up and see that “A ha” moment, I get reminded how much I love what I do!
As a 63 year old teacher many colleagues and former students ask me when am I planning to retire. I am not sure if they think I’m too old or whether they want my job. A friend calls my p.e. job as the “best job in the world” and I agree with him. When you look forward to working with my colleagues and laugh every day with 500 of my students during the week (not all of them, but the majority); why would I want to retire?
When I first started in After School, there was a student who hated the program, he didn’t want to come to class, he complained, he didn’t want to join in the activities. I made it my mission to win him over. He started to like after school but “I won’t learn anything. School is over. My brain is closed.” He would tell me.
After activities I’d have a conversation or trivia contest to see if students recalled the facts of the activities, slowly he started to realize he was having fun & learning. But still he’d come down saying “I won’t learn anything today.” He’d mouth the answers but never raise his hand or say them out loud. One day, after an activity where we made bugs & learned the differences between a bug and an insect, he was the first one with his hand up to tell me the parts of an insect. He immediately had his eyes get wide, tried to frown, smiled and followed with “I love you, I hate you. You make me learn without knowing I’m learning.” He has been my inspiration the last 17 years, and I often tell the story to new parents to explain what After School is and does…and it inspires me to keep going too!
I was recently working with one of my new sixth grade students on throwing a softball, one of our Field Day events. She was struggling with the all aspects of throwing and realized that she really needed some help. I hesitated at first, but then brought her to the “t-position” and worked our way quickly up to a more mature throwing form. When her throwing distance almost tripled, you could see the relief in her smile when she realized that she could indeed throw a respectable distance. I love when I can help students gain confidence in themselves with something as do-able as throwing a ball. I know it made her day better, but it also made my week a whole lot better.
I am an Adapted Physical Education Specialist and wheelchair tennis instructor. S&S has numerous products perfectly designed for my students, making their experience safer and more successful. Our favorites include Gator Skin balls, Lite-80 Basketballs, and the Hanging Hoop Target. There is always a large group of children wanting to join us. Teachers and Instructional Aides are asked to take this equipment to recess and encourage students to use it rather than sitting down. That is success!
We’re so glad to hear this Sandra! It’s awesome that so many students are wanting to be active, etc.
I really have two favorite teaching experiences!
Number one – every moment of every day when I get to call as many students as I can by their NAME….an act of love that I know brings joy to them. Or, saying to them, “Susan, I love hearing the sound of your name!” I know that I am sharing love by doing this by looking at their faces. They may have had a bad morning at home or not, but I know that atvery moment, they feel loved.
Number two – this past semester, due to a grant, ALL of my 4/5th graders received Fit Bit Flex’s, and had the benefit of two PERSONAL TRAINERS (college students) who were hired under the terms of the grant, to help them improve their fitness levels. It has truly been a wonderful experience for the 4/5th graders!
I have the best job in the world! I get to MOVE everyday with amazing kids and help them learn new skills. I love seeing the bright smiles on their faces once they do something they couldn’t do before. #PETeachersRock!
One of my most rewarding expeiriences was when a former student ( I taught her when she was 3 and 4) brought her child to the school that I am currently directing in. She told me that she remembers when I was her teacher and she is thrilled to send her child to my school and can’t wait to send her other children to our school.
Great company!
Owning and operating a daycare/learning center has been so rewarding. Watching the little ones grow from infants into 5 year olds ready to take on the world in elementray school is amazing! We have such a huge impact on their little minds in such a short period of time. Early eduacation teachers can inspire imaginations and help instill a life long love for learning. It is an honor and privilege to work with the teachers that we have. Happy Teachers Day to all the teachers!!!
We had a two and a half year old Swedish girl who spoke no English in the Pre-K PE class in an international school in Barcelona. She had advanced skills for her age. She would not listen to any directions, so we ended up tying a string of 12 big balloons to her waist and told the rest of the kids to pop the balloons. At the end of ten minutes, she was the only one left standing, and no balloons were popped. She was absolutely beaming…
I had a fifth grade girl in an international school in Barcelona who had previously experienced very little success in Physical Education. I taught her how to double dutch, which she loved. She switched schools after that and three years later, when I saw her, she told me she had taught the whole middle school at her new school how to double dutch!
I run a French-immersion preschool, and a fair number of my students are from English-only speaking families. Last year, one of those families decided to go on a vacation to the South of France with their young son. When he came back, he was so very excited to tell me “Miss C! We went to a place where all the people speak like YOU!”
I highly suspect that most of those who don’t have the enormous privilege of traveling to Europe are convinced that I made up my language just for fun and don’t believe me when I talk about francophone countries around the world.
When I began to teach middle school Spanish a couple years ago, I was unsure about how to teach the age group. I had spent over 14 years in high school and this was definitely a new experience. My favorite part about teaching middle school, I quickly realized, is how fast the children learn and how much fun I can have with this age group. I have laughed more during the past two years and have seen maturity in learning and self than I ever thought possible. No one is more surprised at how much I love this age group than me, but what a fantastic job!
One of my favorite teaching experiences in elementary PE is when I announce what we are going to play for the day and an overwhelming amount of cheering occurs. They are so excited about the fun game and don’t even realize how they are actually getting exercise while doing it. The joys on there faces brings makes me smile because I know that it goes much deeper than a fun game. It is something that will help them for years to come.
Being a teacher is such a rewarding experience! Everyday I get to be a positive part of children’s lives. The best part is that as a P.E. teacher I get to teach every child in our school from kindergarten to sixth grade, and I get to see them progress, grow, and change through all of those years!
I became an elementary PE teacher because I was inspired by an elementary PE teacher. What she did for me over 30 years ago was fuel a love for fitness and instill a passion to give back. I’m proud to be a teacher and hope to be even 1/2 the teacher she was.
I love teaching middle school PE and getting to see my students learn, grow, and change so much over the course of the three years I have them.
I recently had the pleasure to run into my 5th grade teacher from app. 40 years ago, and she told me how she appreciated my best friend, Teresa, and Me, for being such sweet students in her classroom, as it was her first year of teaching. She told me that she never forgot us, and her experiences of her first year ! I never knew that, and was blessed to see her again, and hear her memories, after all those years ! Today, as I am a Teacher of app. 500 students a week, I certainly can appreciate what not only she told me, but what she taught me ! 🙂
The best days I have teaching PE, is when you can see the light bulbs go on! Many times it’s when I tell a 1st grader that they can multiply and they do not believe me at first. We skip count to our exercises. When I ask a student what 5 x 5 equals, they just stare out me with that blank look! Then I ask that student to count by 5’s, 5 times and then I say OK, what’s 5 x 5? You can see the students eyes go wide with understanding!! It’s awesome!!! 🙂
My 6th grade PE teacher always encouraged me everyday to do my best on the field and in the classroom. She knew that I had a hard family life and needed constant motivation to keep working hard. She is the reason that I became a PE teacher! I have many teachers that have helped me over the years but Mrs. Reid was the reason that education became important to me!
My best days teaching are when I watch students partner up to work together and gently guide each other about what to do, then come tell me that their partner was the best partner today and they worked very well together. 🙂
My favorite teaching experience I must say is the first time I heard one of my students begin reading. This student came to me speaking no English, and now is sounding out and reading words.
I really enjoy when my special needs students understand what I have been explaining to them. The magic of the light bulb shinning when grasping the concept that had been taught multiple times.