Appreciating My Favorite Teacher

Office Depot REAL Change

I will never forget my 8th grade teacher. She was my favorite teacher. She made me the passionate, effective teacher I became years later. My style of teaching came directly from what I adored about her. Her name was Miss Travers, marrying and becoming Mrs. Takach during that school year. I thank her for my years of success in an elementary school.

What made her a great teacher?Office Depot REAL Change

The most important aspect of Mrs. Takach’s teaching style was her ability and desire to respect each child. She genuinely cared about each student. She showed a true interest in the lives of her students. She received instant respect by her students. 

When I began my teaching career 9 years later as a third grade teacher, I knew exactly what I needed to do. I needed to be like Mrs. Takach – respecting my students and showing a real interest of their lives. I did just that. I developed friendships with my students. I developed friendships with many of the families. I attended soccer games and family parties. I extended my role of teaching beyond the four walls of my classroom, just like Mrs. Takach. I earned great respect from my 3rd graders and later 5th graders in my years of teaching. I was a great teacher because of the opportunity of being a student in Mrs. Takach’s classroom.

Thanking Teachers

Many of us are moms of students. Teachers have an important role in the lives of our children every day. Your child’s current teacher may be making a lasting impression on him/her, one that he/she will remember forever, just like Mrs. Takach did for me. Thanking your favorite teacher, even if it’s YEARS later, is the best thing ever. Believe me. Former students have told me, through messages, letters and cards, how much they adored me as their teacher. It warms my heart more than I could ever explain.

REAL Change Honors Teachers

This Tuesday, April 23rd, REAL Change, a star-studded television special will honor teachers and the heroic role of education. Here’s a sneak peak:

 

Check your local listing to see specific time and channel.

Did you watch the trailer above? Any tears? I had plenty.  

Office Depot is a “presenting sponsor” of the REAL Change broadcast and official retail partner. Makes sense, when we think of the abundance of school supplies teachers purchase every year at stores like Office Depot!

Take Time to Support a Teacher

After Tuesday night’s broadcast, be sure to find a moment to show appreciation to a teacher. A current, former, your child’s, your own…regardless of who and when they taught, the words of appreciation will be forever remembered. Find a way to support him/her. Maybe by volunteering time in the classroom or purchasing extra supplies for an upcoming project or daily classroom activities. Check out www.officedepot.com/realchange to learn how to support any teacher through simple donations. . 

I’ve shared my favorite teacher. Who is your’s? Have you thanked her/him?

Disclosure: I am an Office Depot REAL Change blog ambassador. This post is part of a campaign where I was compensated for my time. To learn more about REAL Change, visit their website.

 

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One thought on “Appreciating My Favorite Teacher

  1. Everytime I think of my favorite teacher I get emotional. My favorite teacher was my 8th grade Biology teacer, Mr. Johanson. When I was in 8th grade, I was going through that “finding who I am” stage. I went from preppy to grunge to nerd to boring. I went through groups of friends trying to find out where I belonged. And through one of those stages, I had hung around with a group of kids that weren’t necessarily the best role models. They stole, they lied, they cheated, and they were crude. And even though I never participated in their shenanigans … it still resulted in me getting punished for it. My parents tried to talk to me, but I shut them out. My siblings tried to talk to me – but I felt they were hypocritical. The only person that truly made a difference was Mr. Johanson. He never gave up on me. And when I eventually decided that running was my passion and it was the one thing that I felt I was good at … Mr Johanson made sure I was on the track team. And through every meet … Mr Johanson was at the finish line being my biggest cheerleader.
    When I “graduated” from 8th grade …. I unfortunately left middle school with some not so great memories. But because of Mr. Johanson, I also left with some really awesome ones!

    Thanks for giving me the chance to relive some of my good memories and reflections! I’m going to go search for Mr. Johanson on Facebook now to reconnect 🙂

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