HOW TEACHERS INFLUENCE LIVES?

Question Asked by Prof. B.L.Handoo
Which Teacher influenced and shaped your Life? What was it that he had in him or did for you?
We all have been influenced by our teachers. I want to know from you in what ways were you influenced and how did your teacher do so. Please give us the details as it might help us to tell and inspire our teachers as to how their predecessors have influenced and shaped lives
Good Answers (8)
Steven Engravalle
Chief School Administrator at Hamburg Borough School District
This was selected as Best Answer
1.Being a professional educator is a privileged position that demands humility as much as respect. It is crucial that educators recognize the power inherent in their roles and are self-reflective about their actions. In my work, I strive to be attentive to my position as a role model of the type of learning and character I strive to promote among students. Learning is a reciprocally educative endeavor that is informative and uplifting for teachers and students alike. Education is about opening hearts and minds and changing lives for all those involved in the process. Your students will know they are successful in their work as educators when students tell them that they have learned to see the world through a new lens and to think more critically. Without a doubt, these are tools of empowerment and the rewards of teaching and learning. This all becomes possible when teachers choose to know their students before trying to teach them. Children want to know their teachers, and teachers must want children to know them as well. Teaching is about relationships: significant learning only becomes possible once significant relationships have been established. The teachers whom made the most difference in my life and career were the ones who cared for me as a person.
Alan Bleiweiss
Senior SEO and Internet Marketing Consultant at Hey Dude Where's My Site?
2. There have been several teachers who have helped shape my life. In every instance, they've done so through seeing where I was passionate as it could relate to the subject matter, and helped to draw that out - encouraging it, reinforcing it, rewarding it. A major aspect of this has also been that each challenged my thinking, - from my motives to my reasoning. Not to shoot me down - instead to help me understand how to evaluate my own position, to allow myself to change my view / perspective or belief if in the process I discovered flawed aspects of my assumptions or motive. These teachers all set an example for me in how I can best participate in life, remain open minded, and succeed in any aspect of life where I am passionate about something. Truly remarkable people.
aurora bramble
Independent Entertainment Professional
3.althea kaplan was my music theory fourth term professor she assigned our class to write 24 bars of music in any style we wanted i found a melody based on indian ragas stuck some chords under it and handed it in the next day i was asked if i would like to be a composition major with ms kaplan as my private lesson instructor (she had a phd in music comp from eastman rochester school of music) i went for it it was the best thing that ever happened to me and the most meaningful gift i have ever received she poured everything she knew into me in the two years she was in remission from cancer she gave me everything: direction career status and unshakable confidence and deep satisfaction
Robin (Yates) Burgoon
I help users to understand SAP (and other software and hardware) with clear, direct documentation and other materials.
4.Great question! For the most part, I think that almost every teacher that I have ever had, from nursery school (preschool) through college, has influenced me in some way. I can still remember and name almost every one of my teachers, too. Although I could go into a good bit of detail here, I'll just say that my teachers of whom I think first are the ones who took time to understand the differences in the students in their classes, and challenge the students appropriately. While I excel at languages, I'm not so great at math, so while many of my language teachers challenged me by giving to me more difficult assignments than they gave the rest of the class and, in some cases, even 'student teaching' the lesson for part of the class period, many of my math teachers spent extra time, one-on-one, explaining the lessons to me in more detail. I really struggled with Theoretical Algebra in high school, and even with the extra help and my best efforts, only managed a 'C' in the class; however, when I had the same material, the logic part, in college, I finally *got* it, and ended up tutoring others in my class. Recently I had the opportunity to speak with one of my high school English teachers, who is now the principal, and he remembered me, more than 15 years after I graduated. A few years ago, my *Kindergarten* teacher recognized me at a community event. I was happy and yet surprised that the teachers still recognized me from the hundreds (if not thousands) of children who have gone through their classes! That is so special to me, and I think it's a great testament to those teachers that they remember students from their classes decades ago!
Kelly Karius
Owner, Karius & Associates Conflict Resolution Consultants
5.Hello Professor! A lot of teachers influenced me in many ways - most that I didn't realize or understand until later. In Elementary years, I was lucky enough to have my mom as my grade one teacher, and an influence and a support that was always in the school. In later years, I was a difficult teenager - fun, but difficult. A few memorable teacher interactions: I had an invisible dog and one teacher used the dog to make me sit alone in Chemistry class - the first day of class he told me that he had a table for me and my dog, specially reserved...influence: humour, distraction and using what you have at hand. In my grade 12 year, I was living on my own - spoiled by my parents, not neglected - and shouldn't have been. I was drinking way too much. My French teacher was the only person that ever commented on it, I didn't realize it at the time, but the fact that I thought a lot about what she said, then and over the years tells me that she was a great influence. influence: being direct. And finally, my policies professor - who took a class that should have been painful for me and turned it into something that allowed me to embrace and interpret policy, without fear or resentment. influence: unlimited ability to deal with policy! Thanks so much for this question! Have a great day. Kelly
Brian Thoma
President of Thoma, Inc.
6.One of my college professors helped me in making a decision about which university to attend for graduate school. One of the schools had a better reputation in my chosen field of study, but was located in a "rat hole" (those were his words -- he had lived in the city). He suggested that I choose the school with the lesser reputation (in that field of study) in the very nice city of Williamsburg, VA at a school with a beautiful campus. Here was a college professor who made his career in this particular field of study steering me away from the (alleged) academically "better" school towards the "nicer" school. I was extremely happy with my choice of the nicer school. To provoke some additional thought, what is the message of this story? ************* I had a college professor who, I assume, was burned out. He taught courses in my major field of study. He was the oldest professor in his department. In the classroom he simply provided information. He was severely boring and seemed to not really care whether we learned or not. One of my favorite teachers was an art professor. The art appreciation course was one of those courses that I was required to take even though I wasn’t really interested in the subject. I initially had no interest in learning how to appreciate paintings and sculptures. But, this professor was so passionate about art that she excited me about the subject. I loved watching her face light up as she explained about a certain shading or form. Her lectures were like performances. It was education and entertainment. The boring professor was very influential in a backhanded way. The passionate professor exhibited the kind of passion that I seek.
Michael Sanford
Graduate Student at Carleton University, Freelance translator & application localizer
7.Though this will sound like a stereotypical answer, my high school physics teacher was arguably one of the most influential teachers I've had. Aside from expertly teaching physics, he was also the coach for the rowing and cross-country skiing teams (which our school always did exceptionally well in). As an extra curricular facilitator, he was also an instrumental mentor in the Canada FIRST robotics team (in which we designed a robot to play a sport). He taught me how to manage people (in all three senses of manage: as their superior in a hierarchy, as a collaborator and in tolerating difficult people). These skills have stuck with me ever since, and I believe have helped to shape the way I behave with colleagues and with students. He was also a fantastic teacher, and imparted knowledge in a way that I try to model myself. His vigour was viral, and has stayed with me ever since. I've become a life-long learner, and
Kate Podkopayeva
ESL Instructor
8.I believe, that any person may become your Teacher, If s/he inspires you to develop, helps your ethical growth, gives rise to your thirst for knowledge. Sometimes it happens that a professional teacher becomes your Teacher. For me, one of such teachers was Igor Doubinin, who taught Logics at our University when I was a student. He managed "to breathe life" into the dry formulas and laws, he made us reflect on different social events, taught us introspection and critical thinking. Thus, he tried to bring up Active Personalities, to awaken us, students. I think that potentially any professional teacher may become a person who influences positively her/his students, shapes their lives. And first of all, if you would like to become a Teacher for someone, you should get to know yourself better - examine your abilities, your weaknesses and strong sides. Develop the best qualities you possess, and make use of them! Build up your relations with students on the fundament of these qualities. Don't try to be like someone. Instead, become a person who will be an ideal for someone else. Thus, your confidence, your constant mental growth and development will make you a teacher!
More Answers (3)
M. (Monica) Begum
Journalist (investigative)/researcher/writer/yoga addict/sports fanatic/deep thinker/firm believer/wannabe bottle washer
1. Hello and thank you for the note you sent me earlier today. The teachers that really matters to me, in fact, are essential in my life are God, the Dalai Lama and quite a bunch of Buddhist monks. They are all my greatest examples.
Neil Barker
Corporate Trainer at GS E&C
2.For me, it was a Professor I had in university that taught International Security and Strategic Thought. He really opened my eyes to a lot of the unknown conflicts during the Cold War. His way of teaching really showed me to look at information beyond the headlines and obvious places. Still remember some of his lectures from 10 years ago.
Robert Rohr
Rail and Transit Education Professional, Retired IBMer, and Deep Generalist
3.His name was Franklin Meyers and he was recruited from a Ivy League College to head up the English Department at my High School. He only taught the College level courses for the high achievers. He asked to School to give him a class of capable but under motivated students. He took this motley group and has us, reading short stories and writing papers. He also had us write papers on topics of our own choosing. I wrote one paper and it was graded and A+ on content and a F or technical grounds. He said we will now make this a A+ A+ paper. At the end of the class we discovered we had done all of the work his advanced classes had done. He had simply used a new approach. I went on to College and become the Editor of the school paper in my junior year. He was an educator and not just a teacher. I owe him as much as anyone in my life. Too many Teachers simply teach, and not inspire or encourage.