Unexpected emotions from a senior yearbook

I totally agree; a great instructor can be and often proves to be a life-changer. The number of really terrific instructors I had in high school I can count on one hand...college even less. But those that were, still come to mind more than 50 years later.

For me it was my high school music teacher. He was hard on us, but because of that we were the #1 marching band in Chicago. I'm not in any of the year books because I cut class instead of going to get my picture taken.

Thanks for sharing this.

Wow This brought back a flood of memories about teachers. Funny story: When in 8th grade they took you to the high school guidance counselor to pick your courses to guide through the path of high school to your dream vocation. Move ahead to my Junior year. My Modern Algebra teacher Mrs. Layton. She was staying after school 3 days a week trying to help me so I could pass. Finally about three quarters of the way through the year she sat down with me and told me the bad news. Curtis, you aren't getting math. It just isn't you. Nothing to be ashamed of. What do you want to be after you graduate? Well in my frustration I yelled out I couldn't see where I needed any of the courses I had been struggling with (c- and d's of f's, other than her. She refused to give me an f so created a d- for me). Heck, where is the train going to go? It is on steel rails. Her mouth dropped open and she said "What did you say? What do you want to be?" My reply, A train Engineer! She started crying and told me to come with her. We went to the guidance office and she got my guidance counselor. "Do you know what this young man wants to be when he leaves high school?" Well, the counselor looked in my file and replied Engineer!" Her reply back was "Curtis please tell her what type of engineer you want to be." Again I replied "Train Engineer". Well need less to say I graduated and my senior year was the only Year I graduated with all A's or B's. It was like a vacation. I knew everything since I was just taking general courses of math and all the other subjects. As for Mrs. Layton, I went to visit her when I was in my low 50's. She had been newly married and pregnant with their first child in my Junior year. She was a knock out even being pregnant and still was in her golden years. I started to tell her my story when asked who I was and the biggest smile came across her face. She rose from the chair came over and gave me a hug. After asking what became of me and was I an engineer, I replied no but I was a mechanic and farming, had done retail management at the local Western Auto, Worked for Yamaha, John Deere, and an Electrical motor repair shop, Done HVAC and drove tractor trailer. Doing several at one time. (My accountant hated me. I would show up with 3 to 5 W4's every tax time. I don't ever remember having just one job at a time.)

So YES I do remember some of my teachers, but Mrs. Layton will always be tops for trying to help a stupid old farm kid who loved trains. She was the top of teaching because she really cared!

As Paul Harvey used to say; and now the rest of the story.

My mother was my homeroom teacher for all 4 years of High School. It get's worse. We were seated alphabetically. My desk was in the front row directly in front of my mother's desk. It was one of the more painful aspects of my high school experience other than gym class.

I.....MUST.....RESIST