| I have a few favorite teachers that immediately | | | | good book. At least a year after leaving school, I |
| come to my mind when I think about honoring a | | | | finally picked up a book (it was either the Bronze |
| teacher for retirement. In every case, as I think | | | | Bow or The Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe) and I |
| about these people who've impacted me so | | | | read it cover to cover without stopping. |
| deeply, regular teacher retirement gifts don't cut | | | | The next day, I read another. Then another. |
| it. They don't say what I long to say to great | | | | After a week of this, I paused and asked myself, |
| teachers in my life. | | | | "What's going on here? I thought I hated school." I |
| One obvious example was Professor Cowan, who | | | | loved it. I couldn't get enough of it. It was at that |
| is blind, and who taught me at BYU. I think I | | | | time that I first attended Mr. Fluckiger's history |
| learned far more from the being or presence of | | | | class and witnessed the annals of history come to |
| this man than from his lectures. He had a | | | | life. More importantly, he set an example of a |
| countenance of compassion and love. His manner | | | | life-long love for learning that I'll never forget. |
| of speaking was as though he'd seen many trials | | | | Right at the time when I realized that I innately |
| in his life, but humbly come out on top. During his | | | | loved to learn and that coercion had forced it out |
| classes, I regularly found myself furiously taking | | | | of me, he gave me hope that there was a better |
| notes about things other than his topic because | | | | way. 10 years after I left the school, several |
| his teaching style fostered inspiration. He impacted | | | | students each wrote thoughts about Mr. Fluckiger |
| me so deeply that I didn't wait to give him a | | | | and his classes. We gave them to him at |
| teacher retirement gift. I wrote him a letter. Of | | | | graduation. |
| course, as I mentioned, he's blind. Fortunately, the | | | | Do we see a theme? Great teachers impact us |
| university had a machine that would translate my | | | | at special times. Writing is perhaps the best way |
| Word file to Braille. My experience writing that | | | | to say thank you and waiting for a teacher |
| letter leads me to believe writing thoughts down | | | | retirement gift isn't always necessary. However, |
| is both good for me and serves as a wonderful | | | | even if your teacher's retirement has come and |
| thank you to a special teacher. | | | | gone, it's never too late to say thank you. Please |
| Another example came earlier in my life, Mr. | | | | pull out a piece of paper or jump on your |
| Fluckiger, my favorite history teacher. A little | | | | computer and start writing your thoughts to your |
| background will help readers understand how he | | | | favorite teachers. Recently, it saddened me to |
| impacted me. I had a terrible experience in the | | | | hear the story of an elementary school teacher |
| 7th grade and I left the public school (my Mom | | | | who received a thank you note from a student |
| had experimented with home school and let me | | | | when she was in her Eighties and nearing her |
| stay home). Due to some family struggles and | | | | death bed. |
| my Mom's negative experience trying to structure | | | | She wrote the grateful student and thanked him |
| my older brother's education, I had a lot of | | | | for giving her "the only thank you note I ever |
| freedom, which I took advantage of. I spent my | | | | received. I always wondered whether my life had |
| days building tree-houses and rafts and floating on | | | | an impact on others." There are other favorite |
| canals in Idaho. The state probably would have | | | | teachers who come to my mind, but I don't think |
| forced me back into public school had they known | | | | it's necessary to share more of my |
| what I was doing. But my Mom (my wisest | | | | experiences...it's time to write your own. Your |
| teacher) knew I needed some space and gently | | | | written thank you may be the greatest reward |
| suggested every once in a while that I read a | | | | your favorite teacher ever receives. |