The new clothes are worn in, the pencils are duller, binders are starting to fill with notes, and assignments are jotted down in agendas; that’s right, school is now in full force. Students are now adjusting back into the school routine and getting to know their teachers; whether good or bad, school is now in session.
Throughout my studies (and I am still in school), the best teachers I have ever had were in high school. It is in high school where I met teachers completely devoted and passionate about their career. Although not every teacher I had fit this description, the majority of them did. I had a drama teacher that fought tooth-and-nail for a better classroom to perform, a writer’s craft teacher who quoted lines from his favourite short stories, and a math teacher who explained numbers so that even the most mathematically challenged students-myself included-could understand the equations. I have been so fortunate throughout high school to have teachers that not only love the subject they teach, but care about their students’ success.
The most amazing teacher I ever had throughout high school was my history teacher. Mr. R, who also taught the anthropology, sociology and psychology class, not only got the students interested about the subjects he taught, but got them excited about learning. Mr. R’s forte was history. He is the only person I’ve ever met who eats, sleeps and breathes it. In grade 11, students built giant wooden shields inspired by the Romans, grouped together, and then the grade 12’s tried to attack us. When I entered Mr. R’s grade 12 history class, besides getting my turn to attack the grade 11’s, I got to dress up in uniform and fight in a war reenactment. Strange, I know, but every single grade 12 in Mr. R’s history class had the most amazing time. Mr. R and his wife, along with some history students, meticulously sewed the costumes for every single student. He worked tirelessly. To him, teaching was more than just a paycheque, it was his passion.
Now that I’m in university, I look back on high school and miss my favourite teachers. I’ve had a few good teachers in university, but none like those high school teachers that sewed costumes all weekend, performed silly imitations of the elderly, congratulated us on our accomplishments, and giggled when we performed drama skits. I miss the teachers that came to work with a bright smile on their face because they loved greeting tired, angst-ridden teenagers in the morning; I miss the teachers that got excited over new assignments, and wrote long comments about each students’ work because they wanted them to learn.
My teachers in university just aren’t the same. They don’t care the way high school teachers do, and I miss that. Assignments must be completed by deadline, regardless of whether you have the tools necessary to complete them. I came to university to learn, and in many classes I have learned a lot. But in some classes, I’ve just felt frustrated and overwhelmed. But that’s university for ya, and that’s what high school teachers always warned us about. I guess I thought I could avoid the frustration, the stress, and the burden, because I have thus far. But, in my third year of university, it has finally hit me. I guess I can’t avoid the unavoidable.
The good thing to come out of my frustration? A spot in my heart for the amazing teachers-and fantastic guidance counsellor-I had in high school. I miss them, especially on those bad days when nothing is going right with school assignments.
So, in an ode to amazing teachers everywhere; whether it be elementary, middle, high school or even post secondary educators, I’ve listed three heart-warming movies featuring fantastic people enlightening the minds of our future. The quality is poor because the movies are dated, but all three are worth a trip to Blockbuster.