Jasper Juinen, Getty Images
Jasper Juinen, Getty Images
loading...

Today is National Teacher Appreciation Day. A day we give thanks to teachers and honor them. My mom was a teacher. A French teacher in a junior high and in her later years, she was a substitute teacher. It takes a special skill to do a job that I’m sure frazzles you more days than not. For many years, my wife was a Head Start teacher for Androscoggin Head Start. Kudos to her and her sister, Jessica in Florida. She too is a teacher.

In memory,  two teachers stand out to me, Mr. MacDonald, my 6th grade all-round home room teacher and Mr Murray, he was a junior high history, geography, social studies teacher. Both embraced the class and kept my attention, which was a hard task.

Teachers have a lasting impact on kids, even today when I go to see Justin or Dylan’s teachers I always have this urge raise my hand when I want to speak, not to chew gum and refer to them as Mr, Mrs, Miss or Ms. when talking to them one on one. And yes on occasion I wear a ball cap in a school and feel guilty for that too. Some things for me never change.

Teachers don’t have it easy, on top of being educators; they’re social workers and referees. Teachers also have the parents all over their every move with this idea that we’re the boss because we’re paying them. The state isn’t much better at having teachers backs. Teaching isn’t easy, but I bet is very rewarding when that light bulb goes on inside a child’s head.

Who do you remember as your favorite teacher? Who stands out to you for the better?

More From 92 Moose