Amazing Classes

While postponing a bit of long-overdue studying for 2 tests I have coming up before Monday, I've been thinking about teachers that have changed my life. I have had a number of fabulous teachers/classes in my education, and after a dry spell, I can add another teacher/class to my list of life-changing experiences:


1- I loved elementary school. The teacher that I can say has had the biggest impact on my life so far is my 6th grade teacher, Ms. Ford.

I. LOVE. Her.

Love. There are too many ways that she helped me to become who I am to elaborate all of them. Best moment since then: When she came to my wedding reception. I Love Her. So so so much.


2- It wasn't until high school that I had a few more teachers to add- one being Mr. Allred. He had this memory that was A-mazing. My favorite day of class (I still specifically remember this day... it happened twice) was when he explained all the marriages between royalty in Europe- it was phenomenal. He even tried to draw a diagram on the board, but it became so intertwined and complicated it didn't make sense at all... Anyone who was able to take AP World or European History from him can attest he knew EVERYTHING. No kidding.

One thing that amazed me even more was that he could remember your name after meeting you once. Even though I know he could do this with every student he's had, I still love the feeling I have knowing that if I ever run into him again, he would remember me. And be able to remember I'm Amy, not Emily. And that I sat on the front row and colored in a princess coloring book instead of taking notes most of senior year...


3- The next class was AP Art History taught by Mrs. Hughes. My love for art history was born, and has never been tamed since. She was enthusiastic about the most mundane of art periods, and I can remember the first day of class climbing under our desks to draw on newsprint she taped to the bottom of them while we listened to aboriginal/traditional/native american music. All done with the lights off with candles, like they would have done for "real" in cave painting. I also remember crying when I learned about this painting-

The Deposition by Rogier Van Der Weyden

I also cried when I saw it for real in the Prado Museum in Spain...


4- Mr. Frishknecht. My Pre-Calculus and Calculus I teacher. I was lucky to have him two years in a row in high school. He is my favorite math teacher of all time. We listened to Enya and the Tarzan soundtrack every time we took a test or quiz. (It's trained me so much that I can't hear that music and not want to take a math test... or at least think about math...) Mr. Frisch. also looked like Superman- Christopher Reeves. Almost exactly...


5-Now, I add to this very short list- Professor Nelson. Human Development 210, taken Spring Term 2010. I'm not sure if it was the class, the teacher, or the combination of both, but I can confidently say this has class changed my life.


My goal- to be a teacher with the enthusiasm of Professor Nelson, Mr. Frisch, and Mrs. Hughes, while also having the compassion and love for my students as Mr. Allred. In short, I want to be a teacher like Ms. Ford.