Teachers Can Make an Impact

Recently, I overheard several people talking about their favorite teachers. Mind you, these were no kids in school, nor were they of traditional fresh-out-of-high-school college-aged people. These were people who appeared to be in their 40s and beyond. Add to that the occasional TV commercial featuring famous people mentioning people who made a difference in their lives - including teachers - and the fact that the school-year is winding down all got me thinking about teachers who really made a difference in my life.

My mom was a teacher for a number of years, first in Connecticut and New York (state, not city), then in Florida. It's because of Mom (as well as a B.A. journalism) that makes me such a stickler about grammar. But Mom was there decades before I ended up working towards my journalism degree. Blame my mom if you see me trying not to strangle someone who's talking about "John and me went to the store."

But my first non-parental teacher who made a really big impression on me was my sixth grade teacher at Crompond Elementary School in Yorktown, New York. When I was there, the school went from kindergarten through sixth grade. Robert Schattales was the sixth grade teacher most kids wanted to have. His wife taught fourth grade in another school. (I've probably spelled his last name wrong; I graduated there in 1965, which is definitely showing my age.) I doubt that either are still alive. But here's what he did for his students: He cared. He listened. And every couple of weeks, he and his wife would have three or four students a piece from their classes over for dinner, which turned out to be almost a party. Both teachers, and six to eight kids. And it wasn't just the popular kids; every student got a turn to go for dinner at their house.

Then, there was high school. I went to four different high schools, due to several moves. But the teachers at Putnam Catholic Academy (PCA) in Putnam, Connecticut - most of whom were nuns - were great. One of the non-nun teachers, John Huckle, taught math my sophomore year there; he made math fun!

Years later, after a move to Florida, I attended St. Petersburg College (SPC) (though when I started, it was St. Petersburg Junior College). My favorite teacher there taught Composition I and II. Martha Denny loved my writing; she was one of the first people outside of my family (and outside of PCA) who encouraged it. Thank you, Mrs. Denny!

There were other outstanding professors during my time at SPC: William Nixon, Star Weihe, and Thomas King (all in the natural science department), William Rice in the math department, and Bonnie Jefferis and Dean Kohrs, who taught the intro classes to mass communication.

Finally, at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg (USFSP), there are several professors who really influenced me in a positive way. Without getting into all the whys, they are: Ken Minor (who taught writing), Deni Elliot, Tony Silvia, Beth Reynolds, and Bob Dardenne (all in the Mass Comm department), Thomas Hallock (Arts & Sciences), and Gary Mormino (Uncle/Father Gary) and Ray Arsenault; the latter two built USFSP's Florida Studies program.

Teachers can make or break his or her students' academics. Here's to all the good ones out there! You surely don't get paid enough!