Throughout the years, I have had a few teachers that I particularly liked and admired because of their singular qualities and/or standout teaching style, which made the learning process an enjoyable and a stimulating experience. This realization only crystallized when I actually graduated from college because by then I was old enough to acknowledge and distinguish how this or that particular teacher had shaped (consciously or unconsciously) the way I think and look at things.
For some reason, the mentor that I remember most was my high school English teacher.
There was nothing physically remarkable or intimidating about Ms. Talon. She barely topped 5 feet and had a retiring nature that belied her quick intellect. She dressed neatly and rarely drew attention when she walked down the halls. Yet, when she spoke to us in her soft, cultured voice, the whole class strained forward to listen. She was well-read, knew her subject inside and out, and she spoke without a trace of accent. Above all, she never made us feel insecure or embarrassed as we grappled to learn the basics in English — thereby earning our undying loyalty and affection. She would correct us gently, flashing her encouraging smile even as we mangled our similes and metaphors. She never raised her voice in disgust. Not that she had to. A mild reproof from her hurt worse than a public tongue-lashing.
Ms. T, who was in her middle 20s when we first knew her, had a gift for storytelling. With few, well-chosen words, she would reduce thick, intimidating classics (Tess of the D'Urbervilles, Wuthering Heights, Vanity Fair) into something that we could actually understand or identify with. In fact, she was the main reason why most of us turned to reading and literature as a way to improve ourselves and to discover the hidden delights of being able to read, write, and speak English well.
Unfortunately, we didn't have her for long. A year later, her family relocated to a distant town. For a few days we wandered around in shock, loudly exclaiming against the injustice of it all. I remember clearly the day she left, because it was the only time I saw several people, including a couple of school troublemakers, actually blubber while some of us pretended we had the 'sniffles'.
We never I saw her again after that, although occasionally snippets of how she was doing in her new school would filter down to us. We used to pretend she was just away on a long vacation, and that one day she would appear in front of the class and tell us to "open your books and go to page 112, and discuss how..."
That makes three of us. Most remembered teachers ko din mga English teachers ko nung HS
this is basically a ‘thank you’ note to her. i’m not even sure if she’s aware how much she has influenced us. i wish all of our teachers were like her — we’d have turned out better i think
Posted by onyxx at May 26, 2007, 10:36 pmShe sounds great! My own English teacher in Woodrose, a woman named Ms. Yabyabin, had a commanding voice. She was even shorter than your Ms. Talon. Despite her advancing age and single status, she was a hopeless romantic. It was a tragic loss for the school when she finally succumbed to breast cancer. -_-
In any event, isn’t it great we’ve had such good teachers as them to remember?
Haha, sorry I haven’t left a comment for so long!
Posted by Celle at May 27, 2007, 12:45 ammiss elsa flores, my 1st year english teacher, had been a big influence. i had this big crush on her that’s why i learned english to impress her. thank you miss flores. if not for you, i wouldn’t have a job. hahaha. and then miss gicole, my 4th year physics teacher, inspired me to appreciate math and science. ow ow! i was able to come across miss flores at atc last last year. she was with her husband and daughter.
tsk tsk. i would have married her right there and then.
(Tess of the D’Urbervilles, Wuthering Heights, Vanity Fair) are my favorites…
You’re such a good guy for posting about your hs teacher. I’m sure she’s very proud of what you have achieved in your life. First of all, you write very well and I’m sure you speak even better. ![]()
Do I get a bottle of wine or a Kamikaze shot??? hehehe
I remember my high school teacher very well coz’ I had an affair with her. Wait, that’s from a movie…
Have a nice day!
thanks guys
. i guess it’s no surprise why we all seem to remember our english teachers — they did point us in the right direction after all.
celle, welcome back. i hope everything’s a-ok with you.
venk_man, di ko alam crush mo pala english teacher mo. i expect she was quite young kaya mo napansin.
naughty alvin, you sure live up to your namesake (alvin the chimpmunk)
. you must live a very interesting life
Yeah, loved ‘em English teachers of mine too! Big crush on my 2nd year HS English teach too (like ven!). Man, was she hot, or maybe it was just the 14-year-old hormones in me?! hehe…
Posted by t2rad at June 4, 2007, 1:17 pmet tu, t2rad? tsk tsk, there must be something about english teachers…
Posted by onyxx at June 5, 2007, 12:47 am
Nung high school ako, yung mga English and English Lit teachers faves ko. I remember Ms Espejo, Mrs Sandil (whom we affectionately called Grendel, after the contravida in Beowulf), Ms Pascual, and Mrs Pascual. Nasan na kaya sila? I don’t think I have ever thanked them. Sa college naman, si Prof Annette Ward…English Lit din ang tinuro nya sa class namin. I think I enjoyed their classes well because they were able to make the subject come alive.
Posted by ThePseudoshrink at May 26, 2007, 2:29 pm