In response to the Daily Post’s Writing Prompt https://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/teachers-pet/

Tell us about a teacher who had a real impact on your life, either for the better or the worse. How is your life different today because of him or her?

You DO know it’s Sunday morning, right?  Really?  Making us think on a Sunday morning??  I haven’t even had my requisite 2 cups of coffee before starting to work on the Daily Post, AND I have to get moving soon to get ready for the day as I am off to the symphony with mom and dad this afternoon.

So, a quick run-down.

I went to pre-school before Kindergarten, but I don’t remember much, except my dad coming to class one day and playing the bassoon for all of us (he played bassoon in the symphony at the time.)  Teachers?  Eh…

Grade school was near our house, so what I remember is walking in the winter cold, the library (where I spent as much time as I could), and getting the Bay City Rollers album when I was in grade 6.  Teachers, well there was Mrs. Dunlop, and Mrs. Something or other, and a Mr. Something too (he called one of my classmates “yah but”, because, well, he said “yah but” a lot).  I remember we had a huge playground and had to play baseball occasionally with no instruction.

Ok, high school.  Sorry, hated high school.  I remember hard English teachers, geeky but fun Science teachers, having to take Home Economics, as girls weren’t allowed to take Shop at the time, and being forced into idiotically short shorts for gym class which mercifully I only had to take in grades 9 and 10.  Teachers?  Well, sorry teachers.  I don’t really remember any of what I would call inspiration there.  My mom probably remembers my teachers better than I do, and I’m sure they were inspirational in their own way, and probably very inspirational to many other students…did I mention I hated high school?  BTW, high school (and grade school) teachers work very hard – I couldn’t do it, so that in itself is inspirational to me today, looking back.

Since the question implied (to me, anyway) grade school and high school teachers, I am going to choose to not discuss my university experiences, or my music teacher experiences, of which there have been many.  But I will state that it was both through music and at university I discovered inspirational teaching.  I won’t name any one person here – they were all (and continue to be) inspirational in their own ways.

If I were, however, to pick ONE teacher in my life I would class as “inspirational”, it would be Gladys Angley, my piano teacher.  Why?  I don’t know.  I just know she was one tough cookie who, in spite of crippling arthritis, taught piano until the day she died.  It was what she loved and lived for.  That’s pretty inspirational.  I even visited her grave site when we were in Regina last summer (now, to be honest we were already there as Kevin wanted to visit his mom and dad’s grave sites, but Miss Angley is right nearby, so I decided to pay a quick visit).

Ok, that was WAY too serious a post for a Sunday morning after only one cup of coffee.  Let’s get that second cup now…

Whew – MUCH better!!