Who was your favorite or worst teacher you ever had?

[LikeASista]

Originally Posted by kiml122

My worst teacher was my 11th grade history teacher Ms. Lobo. She was horrid. She never got up from her desk ever, and she didn't teach anything. It was basically read it in the book.

We had several teachers like that in Junior High. It was like all the teachers at that school hated all of the students there. (And to think, now I'm going to be one.) I had more favorites once I got to high school and college(s).

My absolute worst teacher, though, was a woman who was my 5th grade Math teacher. (This was during the time they were experimenting with 'changing classes' in elementary school.) Corporal punishment was an acceptable standard of punishment, and this lady was always such a warm and friendly person before the bell rang. But as soon as the bell rang, she'd slam the door, walk into the class, give us all dirty looks and think of every single reason to pull her paddle out and beat the living plasma out of us. It could be anything. She'd pull students out of other classes, bring them in front of our class, beat them to smitherings and then send them back to class crying. Some of her reasons included: Selling Girl Scout cookies in her class, ... writing notes in her class, ... digging in our purses, ... need I go on? She was always trying to intimidate or scare us in some form or fashion. She even went so far as to say, "I don't care about you telling your mother, because I'll beat her, too." We couldn't breathe in her class, and we lived in constant utter fear daily as we walked through the door of her room. She obviously enjoyed what she did, albeit too much. One morning she absolutely refused to teach the class until she could find who the culprit was who'd brought in a most foul and disgusting odor. Her words, "I will not teach this lesson until I find out who is stinking up my classroom." She stopped class, went by every single desk, sniffed every single student, and when she finally reached the perpetrator, kindly volunteered, "Come on, Emma, it's YOU!" and dragged the poor girl off to the restroom to be washed ... (not that I can actually blame her. ) It turns out, though, that this woman was actually one who really DID care about our grades in her class and that we did a good job. She'd even talk to us about our progress during class one by one if she had time. But I also discovered later that she had some mental imbalances that went ignored for years, and I don't think she's teaching anymore. I have not seen her since elementary school, but I happened to go to college with her daughter. Interesting, I guess.

[KAPital PHINUst]

In my almost 20 years of schooling (pre and post-secondary), it has become difficult to pin down one specific teacher as best and worst. There has been some that were notable though in their own right:

Kindergarten: Ms. A. Bennett - Known for paddling her students--in KINDERGARTEN (this was 1979, and paddling was allowed in schools). And evidently she was good at it because every time a student got paddled in the cloakroom, they could come out crying a river. This put the fear of God in me to stay on the straight and narrow--and I never got paddled by her, though I came close once. I think she belonged to a sorority--just by the notion that she appeared to be good at swinging the wood.

2nd grade: Ms. Eleanor Gaskill (which my older brother and I often nicknamed Ms. Gasbutt). An old white lady that I thought was dumb ( I said that 2+3+5=10 on a math test and she marked an answer wrong). I was placed in her classroom after being labled LBD and that class was slow paced than a mu'lova--hence I was bored, constantly disciplined and thought 2nd grade was pure HELL).

3rd grade: Ms. Mary Estepp - actually I had 2 teachers that year. Check it out. I was still in a LBD class with a teacher who I liked a lot better, (Ms. Marsha Williams - a black teacher) but I went to a "regular" classroom for reading and math lessons, the teacher there being Ms. Estepp - a white teacher. Ms. Estepp loved me to death. She knew I had no business being in LBD and I'm sure she campaigned to get me out of the LBD curriculum. I was a "part time" student in Estepp's classroom and spent the rest of the day in Williams' classroom. I credit Estepp for introducing me to Judy Blume books - she even let me borrow the book Superfudge that she was reading to the classroom during spring break. I read that book 1,000,001 times during the break. She made my 3rd grade year heaven after a school year of hell. I have been trying to get in contact with her for a number of years to thank her for all that she did for me, but no such luck. But I'll keep trying.

4th grade: Alberta Edwards--I'll just say that if anybody here pledged Delta at Benedict College, she is one of your chapter sisters and she crossed c. 1963.

8th grade algebra teacher: Daphne Harris. She was a dark skinned black woman with a short Jheri curl that was extremely ornery and would give you a detention AND call your parents if she heard you cussing anywhere around school. She would also give detentions for you not turning in your homework--and she wouldn't collect it half the time. One of my classmates got back at her on the last day of school but putting a potato in her car's tailpipe and messing up her car in the process: she drove a 1980-something Datsun 300-ZX. Between her and Ms. Gasbutt, they were tied for the two worst teachers I had.

High school: hands down my favorite (male) teachers were Major Kent Freshwater and Chief Master Sergeant Doyle Hamlett. I would often chat with them during lunch and in the ROTC room during their non-teaching class period. Heck, my senior year myself and a few other cadets would sit in the ROTC room in lieu of study hall and watch $100,000 Pyramid and they were perfectly cool with that.

My favorite female teacher was Ms. Sandra Denton who is an AKA that pledged at U. of MO - Rolla c. 1968. I had the biggest crush on her and saw her at the AKA founders day luncheon that the Alpha Sigma Omega chapter hosted and she was so happy to see me.

I'll post the college professors in a separate post--if I think of any.

[OneTimeSBX]

my absolute fave was Kindergarten, Miss Angel.

every time you had a birthday, she'd sit you on her lap, the class would sing, and she gave you a kiss for every year you were. That was after the chocolate cupcake she would bake for you with about an inch of icing on top...

she is also the teacher who took of her high heels, picked me up, and carried my unconscious behind to the clinic when i ran into a fence post (please do not ask...i still have the scar on my forehead!)

[Infamous12]

My favorite teacher of all time is Mrs. Barbara Stewart. She was my 8th grade English Honors teacher, 11th grade U.S. History/Government teacher as well as the teach I assisted my Senior year. (FYI Walnut Hills HS housed 7-12th grades) She made me fall in love with Shakespeare, inspired my interest in politics, and was just THE best. We went out for lunch recently, my treat, and she was 'tickled' at the fact that I'm such a 'young woman' now. I remember when my brother had her 2 years ago for first period, I walked him into the class that day and, in front of her, threatened to end his life if he made even a peep of disturbance in her class.


Worst teacher was my 1st grade French teacher, I don't remember her silly name. She made me stay after class and miss playtime because I didn't eat the blueberries, melon or kiwi from my 'petit dejeuner' (breakfast). I told her that I didn't like those fruits because they felt funny and made my tummy hurt, but that I ate everything else. She told me I was being a baby and made me miss recess. I didn't eat them and eventually she let me leave the class.

I STILL DO NOT EAT BLUEBERRIES OR KIWI. THEY STILL TASTE FUNNY, AND THE SMELL STILL MAKES MY TUMMY HURT.

Dumb wench, trying to 'get me cultured'...I was a 6 year old black girl speaking french...how much more cultured can you get????

ETA: My AFAM 663 professor, who will remain nameless as she's Greek and COULD be on this board. Was the WORST professor I'd ever had at O-State. She felt like she had something to prove and it was evident in every session. She said that we (the ENTIRE) class was slow. Once my best friend, Spec, and I all realized that EVERYONE was failing her course, we reported her. I learned NOTHING except for how to read a 500 page book in one week, and question everyone's true identity. Which brings me to... Do you know who you are? Are you who you are because society wants you to be? Are you black? Are you white? How do you know?

[Dionysus]

Originally Posted by Infamous12

Worst teacher was my 1st grade French teacher, I don't remember her silly name. She made me stay after class and miss playtime because I didn't eat the blueberries, melon or kiwi from my 'petit dejeuner' (breakfast). I told her that I didn't like those fruits because they felt funny and made my tummy hurt, but that I ate everything else. She told me I was being a baby and made me miss recess. I didn't eat them and eventually she let me leave the class.

I STILL DO NOT EAT BLUEBERRIES OR KIWI. THEY STILL TASTE FUNNY, AND THE SMELL STILL MAKES MY TUMMY HURT.

Dumb wench, trying to 'get me cultured'...I was a 6 year old black girl speaking french...how much more cultured can you get????

Hahahaha, you are nuts!

Speaking of teachers and snacks. Man, my kindergarten teacher was soooooo greedy. She ate up most of our snacks. One day my grandpa sent me a huge bag of chips to share with my class. Well, my teacher only allowed TWO potato chips per student. Then she ate the rest of the chips left over in the bag.

[Little32]

Least favorite: Sister Pat (is it bad to speak ill of nuns?), she was my seventh grade homeroom, reading, and science teacher. This is the woman that told me in seventh grade that I couldn't listen and take notes at the same time. To make sure that I fully understood her point, she took my notebook (that I was taking notes in) and threw it across the classroom. She is also the same woman that told me that I could not have possibly understood a story that I read during reading, because I had read it too fast. She asked me what the story was about; after I told her and was completely accurate, she made me memorize "The Road Not Taken" for being right. That was about the only good thing that she did; I love that poem to this day. Also, before I met Sister Pat, purple was my favorite color. But that woman wore purple every day, and basically ruined the color for me. It has only been the last three years or so that I have started wearing purple again.

Favorites: One of my favorite has to be my AP English teacher Mr. Gilbert. It was in his class that I decided to be an English major in college; and his methods of teaching influence the way that I teach today. Also, he was really nice to me outside of class too. I felt, in highschool, like something of an ugly duckling. One day, Mr. Gilbert told me a story about a student of his who was to use his words, "a late bloomer," not particularly popular or sought after in highschool. He told me that he had seen her when she was about 30 years old in a restaurant, and that she was easily the most stunning woman in the place. Though at the time I thought, "so it's true, I am ugly now," now I understand that there is something to be said for growing into your beauty--and I think that this is what Mr. Gilbert was trying to tell me.

Dr. Carmines, at Hampton University. She is another one that has influenced my love of literature and my style of teaching. She was tough and challenging, but in such a way that I always felt really good about what I accomplished in her class--even if it wasn't the A+ that I was used too. She was one of those teachers that really forces you to push your thinking about a topic or a text beyond your comfort zone to the next level. Also, to this day, she is a mentor to me professionally and apparently I for her. She has told me some of the ways that my own pursuits have influenced her ways of thinking, and a couple of years ago, she told me that she was going to use something that I had written for her senior seminar class (thesis). That was really flattering. I really love that we have this relationship that has evolved from professor/student to collegial.

[Still BLUTANG]

the only teacher whose name i can remember (terrible of me, i know) is Mr. Adkins. he was my AP us hist and i believe AP civics or govt or some other class i took with him. i basically had him for all social sciences my last 2 years of high school. he let us do video projects and get creative when turning in assignments. i loved him for that. he was the spitting image of ned flanders (mustache and all) and just a true sweetheart, you could tell he cared about the kids he taught.

my least fond memory of an educator (i dont have a worst teacher, amazingly i've had pretty good teachers my whole life) was my 8th grade science teacher. i dont even remember he name but she made me SICK. she always had on big, puffy clothes or those multi-colored track suits trying to be "hip" or "down" or whatever. I was always good in science until i got her. i never knew what the hell she was talking about (and i was smart y'all!) and was reprimanded whenever i asked a question. one time my best friend got put out for chewing gum and i left the class in a show of solidarity. UGH i get sick just thinking about her. she wasnt really a bad teacher just weird and i think this was the 1st time i wasn't a teachers pet so i wasnt sure how to handle being "average"

edited: i am leaving out college and grad school because, well... those professors aint really teach. it was like i'm throwing out this information. you can pick it up or whatever. as long as your parents keep paying tuition we're cool.

[KAPital PHINUst]

Fortunately or unfortunately, I don't have as many best/worst college professor stories as perhaps I did in grade school, but these ones come to mind:

I would have to say the best college professor I had was my College English 2 instructor Susan Murray at Kent State. She taught freshmen level Literature to primarily adult students (I had to take that course in the evening due to scheduling problems). Would you believe on my first assignment I turned in she ripped me apart (and a whole lot of other students as well). She said in no uncertain terms she gives out very few As on the papers she grades. So on the next assignment I try harder--matter of fact I stayed up all night one night trying to write a simple 3 page paper on The Horse Dealer's Daughter by D.H. Lawrence. And she STILL gave me an F on it for not being able to follow a thesis statement completely throughout the paper.

(sidenote: I had to write another paper on the very same reading 2 years later for an English 200 class at Columbus State and I tore that mess up--I was writing some deep, bottom-of-the-ocean type of stuff and aced that paper without breaking a sweat).

Anyway, she challenged me into writing clear, concise, well thought out papers that improved my grades as time went on. The most challenging paper I had ever wrote was a 3-page research paper on Hamlet and his personal struggle between good and evil, complete with 3 research sources, footnoted, and with a bibliography. I had NEVER done anything like that before. Anyhow, I was up to the task, and actually got a B on that paper for content. Btw, at this time I was pledging Alpha Phi Omega, so I felt that at least for this course, I was academically pledging that as well, and for that, I was a better writer and researcher for it. How fitting the circumstances were. I passed the class with a C.

Worst professor: Joann Bossenbrock (a 50-something white woman) who taught Precalculus. I didn't like her because her teaching style was incompatible with my learning style and when she would tutor me, she would get audibly frustrated when a concept didn't click with me or I just couldn't catch on. And I would bust my butt in that class. The only reason why I didn't drop the course was because I was graduating from Columbus State that quarter and I didn't want to delay it by waiting for another professor to teach me. I took that final, which was the most challenging final exam I had ever taken, and learned I had BARELY passed the course with a 61 percent (D). I was as estatic as crossing the burning sands AFAIC. That to me was as good, if not better, than getting a A.

Sidenote: I had flunked a previous college math course taught by a female teacher (Kathy Struve), retook it with a male teacher (Ken Seidel) and breezed through it (perhaps my already knowing the course content helped matters). But his teaching style matched my learning style, so that could've been the other factor.

[*ClassyKeshia*]

My favorite teacher was Ms.Hendrickson (Mary Mcleod Bethune Academy M.S 394 JUnior High) She always told us to do our best in everything we did. She was also there for me when i was about to get into trouble. Thanks!!

[WenD08]

my worst teacher was Mrs. Goggins, my 4th grade teacher at Infant Jesus of Prague in Flossmoor, IL. she embarassed me in front of the whole class which was mortifying to as a new student at the school
my favorites were my English teacher in 7th grade, DST Mrs. Ramey and my HS counselor (not a teacher) Mrs. Lovelace. these women were so good to me, all kids should have educators like them in their schools.
plus, having Mrs. Lovelace was a sign that i should've been an AKA. her late mother-in-law was Soror Laura Lovelace, the 13th National President

[Little32]

Originally Posted by Infamous12

Which brings me to... Do you know who you are? Are you who you are because society wants you to be? Are you black? Are you white? How do you know?

Come on, these are actually important questions to ponder at some point in your life (says the humanist).

[LikeASista]

Originally Posted by KAPital PHINUst

I credit Estepp for introducing me to Judy Blume books - she even let me borrow the book Superfudge that she was reading to the classroom during spring break. I read that book 1,000,001 times during the break. She made my 3rd grade year heaven after a school year of hell. I have been trying to get in contact with her for a number of years to thank her for all that she did for me, but no such luck. But I'll keep trying.

SUPERFUDGE!!! I didn't think anybody knew about Superfudge but ME!! I loved ALL of Judy Blume's books. My favorites were Superfudge, Tales of the Fourth Grade Nothing and The Adventures of Sheila, The Great.

[KAPital PHINUst]

Originally Posted by LikeASista

SUPERFUDGE!!! I didn't think anybody knew about Superfudge but ME!! I loved ALL of Judy Blume's books. My favorites were Superfudge, Tales of the Fourth Grade Nothing and The Adventures of Sheila, The Great.

[hijack]There is a third book in the Fudge series: Fudgemania (published 1990) that had the Hatchers and the Tubmans spending a summer together in Maine. Notable part of the book; Fudge was beginning to refer to his brother as Pete instead of the usual Pee-Tah. It became a made for TV movie in 1996 featuring Florence Henderson and Eve Plumb (both of Brady Bunch fame). This subsequently led to a short-lived live action Saturday morning TV show called Fudge based on various chapters of the Fudge books. [/hijack]

[LikeASista]

Originally Posted by KAPital PHINUst

There is a third book in the Fudge series: Fudgemania (published 1990) that had the Hatchers and the Tubmans spending a summer together in Maine. Notable part of the book; Fudge was beginning to refer to his brother as Pete instead of the usual Pee-Tah. It became a made for TV movie in 1996 featuring Florence Henderson and Eve Plumb (both of Brady Bunch fame). This subsequently led to a short-lived live action Saturday morning TV show called Fudge based on various chapters of the Fudge books.

Guess what: I got that one, too. I had to think about it for a minute, but I do have it. Not as memorable as Tales and Superfudge, as I didn't read it a gazillion times like I did the last two.

[KAPital PHINUst]

Originally Posted by KAPital PHINUst

8th grade algebra teacher: Daphne Harris. She was a dark skinned black woman with a short Jheri curl that was extremely ornery and would give you a detention AND call your parents if she heard you cussing anywhere around school. She would also give detentions for you not turning in your homework--and she wouldn't collect it half the time. One of my classmates got back at her on the last day of school but putting a potato in her car's tailpipe and messing up her car in the process: she drove a 1980-something Datsun 300-ZX. Between her and Ms. Gasbutt, they were tied for the two worst teachers I had.

I found a mini-website on Ms. Harris with a pic:



Link to site here

PS, I knew she was a very devout Christian; but I still thought she was extremely ornery and I didn't like her at all, and I always acted a fool in her classroom for that very reason.