Thank you for starting this thread. I'm surprised it received any responses. Thanks to those who answered, as well. Education is not valued by our society like it is in many other countries. I've had the pleasure of meeting teachers, teacher aids, and other school personnel that were from other nations. The observation that I heard the most was how disrespectful American children and their parents were compared to their homelands. I know that is off topic, Clem. I just thought you might want to hear that little tidbit.

I did not have a ton of favorite teachers. Things were a bit different in the '60s and 70s than they are today. A lot of teachers were mean and would demean the students. I had a couple that I loved, like Mr. Marulli, who was a jovial little round man w/a loud voice and personality while possessing a kind heart. I had a teacher who was a lesbian that was ultra-cool. We would analyze the lyrics of Don McCLean's Bye Bye American Pie, numerous Dillon songs, Cat Stevens, Joni Mitchell, etc. It was all very "heady" and it was cool. I loved trying to interpret the meanings of these songs. She would also suggest that if someone really wanted to cut the grass w/a pair of scissors, why should we question them if that was their choice and that it did not hurt us in any way. That bizarre scenario opened up doors to meaningful discussions about tolerance, acceptance, and diverse thinking. I knew that I never wanted to be a sheep and just bleat and babble away while following the crowd.

What might be surprising is that one of the main reasons I became a teacher is that I saw so many bad ones. I remember vowing that I would never treat children the way they treated them. I think this was in 8th grade when that revelation was born. We had one teacher in particular that reveled in a student's misery. He'd pick on someone each and every day. Making us feel small and inadequate. 8th grade is tough enough w/all the changes one is going through physically. Dude was fat. Walked w/his feet pointed out almost perpendicular from his legs, had a short hair cut that was spiked w/grease, thick eyeglasses, sweated profusely, etc. I always had the feeling he was picked on as a kid and took it out on his students. I remember thinking that I would do my best to make my students feel good about themselves and to build their self-esteem if I ever became a teacher. So, in a weird way.........the bad teachers motivated me.