Who Was Your Favorite Teacher, And Why?

Credit Michelle Maternowski

It's National Teacher Appreciation Week, which has us thinking about some of the standout educators from our own school days. 

We asked our staff, and some of you, "Who was your favorite teacher, and why?" The answers prompted smiles, good memories and fun remembrances of classrooms past. 

And tell us about your favorite teachers on Facebook, or on Twitter @WUWMradio.

Mrs. Meinhardt, fourth & fifth grade teacher, Robinwood Elementary (Franklin, WI) Michelle Maternowski, Digital services coordinator

"She was my favorite teacher because she would add art projects to everything we did. I still have a couple things at home that I made during those two years - I kept some of them! I remember each week was a different person's 'Me Week,' and you would share things about yourself. She would give you a camera so you could take pictures around the classroom and turn them into a book." 

Mr. Gonciar, pre-calculus, Downers Grover North High School (Downers Grove, IL) Melanie Johnson, Major gifts specialist

James Colwell, English professor, University of St. Thomas (Saint Paul, MN) David Felland, Chief engineer

"He taught all kinds of things - the one thing he didn't know how to do was tie his shoes. He came in with the laces always untied. That's one of the ways I remember him - he had seven doctorates, also. He was in a different world. He was very real. Everything he did, it all resonated in ways that were surprising to me."  

Kathleen Bloom, tenth grade English, Washington High School (Milwaukee, WI) Gina Dragutinovich, Director of corporate sponsorship sales

"She taught me the four Universal Truths: man against nature, man against machine, man against his friend, man against himself. She was just larger than life! She was not cut from the stereotypical teacher cloth, gregarious, fun and lovely."

Mrs. Quillen, sixth grade, Glenallan Elementary School (Wheaton, MD) Mitch Teich, Lake Effect executive producer/co-host

"Mrs. Quillen read to us every Friday afternoon. I still remember about half a dozen books she read to us, and they are sitting on my shelves at home. There was a book that I remember that she read to us, that at times, she started laughing so hard she would have to stop, take off her glasses, and wipe her eyes with her handkerchief. For years, I looked for that book, and I finally found it a couple of years ago: The Teddy Bear Habit." 

Brad Ford, theater professor, University of Wisconsin-Washington County (West Bend, WI) Michelle Nobbe, Traffic specialist

"I had auditioned for a theater production in my first semester and kind of accidentally got a part. I learned a lot about myself. He and I have stayed in contact - he just retired, almost two years ago. He calls me his 'fake daughter!' We'll go out to dinner, and we text each other almost every day."