Challenge: email a former teacher or professor (who you liked!) and tell them exactly why you still remember them.
I emailed Dr. Gaffin and Dr. Purinton from OU. That's Dr. Gaffin below, courtesy of www.ou.edu !!
Dr. Gaffin is an AMAZING teacher. Go to OU just to take intro-level science courses from him. Seriously. I was in a class that had about 1000 students in it--two sections of about 500--and by the end of the semester, he knew me by name--and not because I was obnoxious (I don't think :). He was dynamic, energetic, and worked harder to make sure the class was learning than 90% of the students. I am the worst at sciences. Hard, soft, whatever, it's not my thing. Ask my former teachers. It was really hard for me. But because of the way Dr. Gaffin formatted his lectures, assignments, and tests, I was able to take baby steps (hugely important in teaching/learning!), I was rewarded for taking those baby steps, and I was able to LEARN, and truly understand, the basics in Intro to Zoology. Amazing. (Shoutouts to my HISD science teachers as well! Never had a bad one. They worked hard to mold my brain, and I greatly appreciate all of them!)
I also wrote to Dr. Purinton, my Intro to Ethics prof from OU. That was a HARD class. I remember the final--it had a multiple choice section and three essays. One of the essays was entitled, "My Ethical Theory." Talk about a butt-kicker. Here's what I wrote to Dr. P:
Dr. P.--
As a former student, I just wanted to drop you a quick note.
I took your Intro to Ethics class in the fall of 2005 as a brand-new freshman. I still have my binder full of notes, quizes, and tests from your class, and have been looking through it for the past few minutes. On a side note, I think I hit the climax of my intelligence in your class. :) Your class was one of the hardest I took in college, and I'm completely positive I never worked harder for another class. You were very challenging, but I loved your style, and I appreciated your desire for me to truly learn to think more logically and with better reason.
I'm a high school English/Language Arts teacher now, and I wanted to let you know that I am starting to learn to appreciate the really great teachers I've had in my life. I'm learning that the ones who view teaching as a lifestyle, and are willing to give up their own personal time--ie, reading practice exam essays in the dark of night and sending back helpful commentary via email--are the ones I have appreciated the most, yet the ones I am like the least. I think of you, along with a few others--Dr. Gaffin, for instance--when I give myself a peptalk to increase my level of commitment to my students.
Thank you for challenging me to learn as a 18 year old, and challenging me to be a better teacher as a 25 year old. I hope life is treating you well.
Warm regards,
Rebecca (Lowder) Egger
So, do it! It took me more time to write this blog post than to pick which of my amazing teachers/professors I wanted to write to today, track down the email addresses for each of those guys, and write to both of them. No excuses. Go go go now.
xoxo Bec
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