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Comment by Janet Davidson on May 10, 2012 at 12:51pm

Besides my parents (one of whom was also my Latin teacher), my teachers had the biggest impact on the kind of person I have become. In kindergarten, Mrs. Moomaw cast me as "the little red hen" and taught me I can do it myself. In 3rd grade, Mrs. Hickey taught me the value of second chances when she re-taught me long division. Mrs. Harrison taught me to take pride in my work when she refused to let me slide by with work that was "good enough" but not my best. Mr. Bean showed me how to take good notes, but also the value of active listening. Mrs. Nell taught me to use language precisely, and insisted that the most important element of excellent writing is the clarity and depth of ideas that go into it. And because my two band directors, Mr. Swartzel and Mr. Tirey, let me play drums when no other girl had done that, I learned that a woman could take her place in the world as the equal of any man. I remember important lessons from almost every teacher I ever had, and while it might be a bit late in the day for it, I thank them for their influences on me.

Because I know how much teachers influenced me, I want to thank all those those teachers who teach the child first and the subject matter second. I want, especially, to thank Cheryl Adams, a Princeton High School teacher (suburban Cincinnati, OH) who so vividly and actively loves and encourages her students to become more than they ever thought they could be. Thank you, teachers, for all you give!

Comment by Alan Whisman on May 8, 2012 at 2:53pm

As I was growing up, I had several amazing teachers!  I continue to stay in touch with one teacher in particular that touched my life in so many ways!   Mrs. Pearson has become one of my best friends as we continue to stay in touch!  As my high school speech teacher and speech team coach, she gave me confidence and encouraged me to go beyond where I thought I could go.  Mrs. Pearson spent hours with our speech team!  She got up at 5 AM to take us to speech team events, spending her weekend traveling on a school bus sometimes for hours!  Mrs. Pearson has retired now, but continues to touch the lives of kids.  As I think back, the teachers that pushed me to work harder were the ones I remember the most!

Comment by Lynn Ochs on May 8, 2012 at 12:42am

Over the last seven months, I've had the pleasure and honor of working with educators across the country striving to improve their instruction through the integration of our digital content into their lessons.  While often facing insurmountable challenges in the classroom, they join me for a few hours or a day to eagerly grasp new ideas and methods of instruction, hoping to make an even greater difference in the lives of their students.  Their bravery in the face of adversity and commitment to making a difference in the world is inspiring.  A special shout out to all of you that have shared time with me and accepted the challenge to transform your classrooms into 21st Century learning environments.  You are my heroes!

Comment by Vijaya Ganesh V on May 7, 2012 at 4:30pm

People tend to maintain their supremacy by knowledge they had gained. But teachers are different. They share their knowledge with the torch bearers of the future. They know what is shared is doubled when it comes to knowledge.. They are ladders who help kids reach greater heights. A ladder provides the lift but is left back. Oh yeah...There are always bright kids but remember that even the biggest diamond needs to be cut to become the brightest. Teachers are the sculptors. I had two teachers who had influenced me early in life. My Maths and Chemistry teacher..Here is what they said "Imagine where you want to be and you will be...".  In short "Life does not come with (Robo)help manual but glad we got TEACHERS"... Thanks a lot to all teachers!!!

Comment by Mark Febus on May 7, 2012 at 3:54pm

Sharyl, your comment allowed me to sit back and remember all of the great teachers that have inspired me as well through the years.  What a nice trip down memory lane.  I would not be the person I am today without the knowledge, encouragement, wisdom, laughs, excitement, lessons, strength and so much more that my teachers brought to the classroom.  There is not a year that goes by without one of my family members telling a childhood story of the impact a teacher made in their life.  Here's to all of you educators out there!! Thank you!

Comment by Sharyl Barnes on May 7, 2012 at 3:03pm

A short note of “Thank you” for all of the teachers who on a daily basis, go beyond the call of duty, and not only  teach their lessons for the day, but teach lifelong lessons.   Mrs. Patterson, Thank you for teaching me how to make a gym bag out of a t-shirt, Mr. Zirkle, Thank you for teaching me that it’s not okay to make fun of people, Mr. Moore, Thank you for teaching me that fitness is  important, Mr. Stewart, Thank you for teaching me about the Harlem Renaissance and how to write about it, Ms. Novotoni, Thank you, for   encouraging  reading and personalized learning through the SRA program, and lastly Mr. Jackson, who above all, gave all of the encouragement and positive reinforcement,  that we as students were capable of achieving whatever we set out to do….  So here is a “Thank You” to teachers past and present, which have made and are making,  a positive impact on student’s education and lives.