I'm not quite dead yet...
I'm just in grad school.
Friday five courtesy of Adam:
Going through some old papers my parents brought from their house last week, I found several notes to my parents from teachers I'd had growing up. I got to thinking about the legions of teachers I had for the first 21 years of my life, and wondered:
Who were the 5 that had the greatest impact on me as a person, for good or ill?
1. Pat Miller - The strictest, meanest (by reputation), most interesting English teacher I ever had. I haven't spoken to her in years because I still haven't done anything good enough to report. Last Christmas, though, I did leave a note and photo on her door, realizing that I may live the rest of my life without doing anything worthy of note. In some ways, it's my goal, actually. Ah well. When her husband had a heart attack, I went up to the hospital with my friend Lori to check on how she was coping. We asked if there was anything we could do to help her, and she positively retorted, "not unless you plant Christmas trees." So I planted Christmas trees. She assigned chapters of literary criticism by D.H. Lawrence that were hysterical, but NO ONE laughed in Mrs. Miller's class. After fifteen minutes of silence, she became impatient and said, "Don't any of you people have a sense of humor?" I snickered after that, but still only in my mind.
2. Bob Wall - I don't know what it is about Vernon that causes me to think of people by their first and last name run together. Maybe I still do it, but don't pay attention any more. Anyhow, Bob Wall was my 9th and 10th grade Biology teacher. He had a very dry sense of humor and a twinkle in his eye. As an old man, he was obligated to hang out at the Dairy Queen and drink coffee in the afternoon, where I would occasionally turn up to torment him with my companvy. When friend of mine asked about how we got formic acid from ants, he quipped, "We press them." Ha! His wife Vivian was an intersting person in her own right and was my 8th grade science teacher.
3. Prof. Nancy Roser - my current Children's Lit Professor. The woman is amazing. Apart from juggling almost a dozen projects and collaborations, we turn up in class and do exactly what she wants us to - without her seeming to have told us. I feel like I am experiencing magical teaching. I don't know what the impact on my life might be, but if even a little bit rubs off, I will have gained greatly.
4. Prof. Mia Carter - My senior year in college, she off-handedly remarked, "I'll be glad to write you a rec when you apply to grad school." Just like that. No queries, no advice. We never discussed it again, but it made an impression on me. I ran into her a few weeks ago, and she said to come by her office sometime, and I expect I will.
5. My logic professor at MSU. I cannot remember the man's name, but I have never had so much fun. We spent the entire semester arguing to a standstill in front of an audience.
