Teacher Tip #171

Teacherscribe’s Teaching Tip #171

Be that “other” teacher.

Recently I had a former student come back wanting to speak to my classes.  He is going to be a teacher, and he was talking about some of the teachers here who impacted him.

“I recall Amit Patel saying how he had a question at 11:30 at night, so he called his English teacher . . . And the teacher actually answered the phone,” he said.  And then he added the kicker, “Now what other teacher would do that?”

“I once had to miss Chemistry, and I talked to H,” the student continued.  “And H came in - despite missing vital time with his family to make sure I understood the lesson and made up the work I missed.”  And then he added the kicker, “Now what other teacher would do that?”

Finally, he talked about a time he got busted using a website to ace his Pre-Calc homework . . . until Mr. Froiland snuck up behind him in the media center.

“Duly noted,” was all Mr. Froiland said.

The student said that he spent all day dreading going to Pre-Calc.  He just knew he was going to get a tongue lashing . . . if not publicly shamed.

“But Mr. Froiland never called me out.  He said simply that it had come to his attention some of us were using a website that gave us all the answers for the homework.  So we were going to start over.”  And then he added the kicker, “Now what other teacher would do that?”

Then it hit me: be the ‘other’ teacher.