Teachers Who Inspire Us

Teachers are the unsung heroes in the lives of young people.  Everyone I know has a story to tell about a favorite teacher or a teacher who (though we may not have realized it at the time) taught us a profound lesson that has stayed with us through the years.

Teachers are also notoriously overworked, underappreciated, and have to deal with things that would send me running for the door in two heartbeats. (Seriously, you’re amazing.)

I’m not alone in my awe of the tireless work you do every day to make a difference in kids’ lives.  Dozens of participating Great Scavenger Hunt Contest authors have shared stories about their favorite teachers (and teachable moments) from childhood and beyond.  I’m delighted to share them with you here in Spread Some Cheer.  Cheers to you, teachers!

Where to begin? I was blessed with so many wonderful teachers over the years that I find it hard to narrow it down even a little. I’ve always been a business girl at heart, so some of my fondest memories are of time spent in class and in DECA with business teachers Mr. Rosenberg and Mr. Tignanelli.

In fact, one of my personal mottos came from another business teacher, an entrepreneurship professor I had in grad school. The motto? “Do good to do well.” It shaped who I am as a person and has been the heart and soul of my approach to being an author. He taught us that making a difference in the world through whatever career we chose was the way to find true success.

Here’s to all the teachers out there who gracefully guide their students to their own version of success!

~ Kay Cassidy (www.kaycassidy.com – a.k.a. the site you’re already on)

I dedicated my first book to my first grade teacher, Mrs. Guest. She let me write and illustrate my own books which she then cranked out on an ancient purple ink mimeograph machine. She had me sign them and gave copies to everyone in the class. I still have one of them. What an inspiration!

~ Julia DeVillers (www.girlwise.com)

I was never a good student. There were things going on in my home that made it hard to pay attention to schoolwork. But in seventh grade, when things reached an astounding low, I had a teacher who gave us a creative writing course—not that she called it that, she simply gave us writing assignments. It gave me a first chance to put my thoughts and feelings on paper. Plus I got B’s!

It didn’t take long for my mother to get wind of what I was writing and forbid me to do any more of it. I’d had F’s before, she told me, I could live with a few more. Nothing could have made me more determined. I became a secret writer, a rebellious writer, a revolutionary, living behind a placid expression. I still use writing to think through problems, grow past my shortcomings, and visualize the best possible outcomes for the people I love.

~ Audrey Couloumbis (www.AudreyCouloumbis.com)

My first grade teacher was the first one who said right out loud that I could be writer. Her name was Mrs. Beall, and I’m so grateful to her. Even today, all these years later, whenever I feel stuck or frustrated in my writing, I can think about Mrs. Beall, and it helps me get unstuck.

~ Kathi Appelt (www.kathiappelt.com)

I had no idea I was good at English until I hit eighth grade and my teacher, Mr. Voutsis started giving me full marks for my creative writing. He also introduced me to A Wrinkle in Time and basically made English the most fun ever.

~ Amanda Ashby (www.amandaashby.com)

My second grade teacher called my mother and told her I showed unusual talent in story writing, which came as a wonderful surprise to us all. I didn’t even understand why the teacher would think to mention this, for to me, story writing wasn’t something you could qualify as “good” or “bad.” It was like recess, which was simply fun! I would go on to struggle with math and rote memory subjects through my college years, but thanks to my second grade teacher, I held in my heart the belief that the silly little stories I continued to write on the side might actually be good!

~ Tina Ferraro (www.tinaferraro.com)

When I was in the ninth grade, my English teacher had the class read A TALE OF TWO CITIES aloud in turn over the course of the semester. I must admit not being especially enthusiastic about it at the time, and I remember that the first and last lines were the only ones worth reading. But something about Dickens sunk into my bones, and I drew on the story for inspiration in writing ETERNAL. My hope is that the references to classics in ETERNAL, TANTALIZE, and BLESSED (forthcoming) will send young readers back to their literary roots.

~ Cynthia Leitich Smith (www.cynthialeitichsmith.com)

Oh, wow. Where to begin? I’ve been so lucky to have such wonderful teachers. The ones that stand out are the ones who pushed me, inspired me, and loved me. I can’t name just one or two, so I hope it’s okay to name the schools. Carl Sandberg Elem, Powell Middle School, and Araphahoe High School in Littleton, CO, and Colorado State University in Ft. Collins. The teacher who made the biggest difference in my life is Lynn Gray, who has touched the hearts of kindergarteners and first graders for many years. She’s my mom.

~ Wendy Toliver (www.wendytoliver.com)

I was gifted with a few truly great teachers along the way, but two childhood teachers stand out in my mind. First my fifth grade teacher, Mrs. Tether, took the time to read aloud to us. I was an avid reader by then but there’s nothing like putting your head down on the desk after an exhilarating recess and listening to a novel in the quiet classroom. It was magical! She also once told my mother “Janet is a square peg in a round hole. I think she’ll do something different with her life” She didn’t know I’d become a writer, but saw “something unusual” about me. Another teacher visited our school yearly to take us outdoors. Mrs. Terwilliger was a naturalist and knew her stuff. She opened our eyes to the world around us, gave me a sense of the interconnectedness of all things and lit my love of nature. I owe much to these two women who taught me indoors and out. And just for fun, I named one of the mountain ranges in STEALING DEATH, after Mrs. Terwilliger though I changed the name a little to the Twilgar Mountains.

P.S. Mrs. Terwilliger touched many lives. Just google her name and see what I mean.

~ Janet Lee Carey (www.janetleecarey.com)

The day my high school AP English teacher read one of my short stories to the class, he had no idea he was making a difference. My teen years were tough—I was lost, directionless, straying far from the path—but that one simple act made me feel like there just might be a place for me in the world after all. When my debut novel, FAKING 19, was published, I made sure to thank him in the acknowledgments. But the best part was heading back to school so I could hand deliver a copy and thank him in person. Fares Sawaya is a true teacher in every sense of the word, and he definitely inspired me to follow my dreams!

~ Alyson Noël (www.alysonnoel.com)

There were at least four teachers in my high school who nurtured, encouraged, mentored and challenged me — who taught me discipline, self-confidence, and how to dream. They never let me get away with sloppy work, or slacking off because I didn’t feel like it. They taught me to ask “why,” which is the second most important question a writer knows, and they also taught me to ask, “what if,” which is the first most important question. They gave me focus, purpose, and a dream.

And then they turned around and did it to every other student they could touch, year after year.

Thank you Ms. Richards, Mr. Shelton, Ms. East, and Ms. Carson.

~ Rachel Caine (www.rachelcaine.com)

A rhyme for teachers

The teachers who taught me
Deserve chocolate and toffee

Moylan, Boudreaux and Snow
Are responsible for much that I know

As a teen, I didn’t show gratitude
But offered instead a fair bit of attitude

Now, of course, I see the impact they made
My brain, my books and my self did they aid

And so today, of them in lieu
I give gracious thanks, instead to you.

~ Sarah MacLean (www.macleanspace.com)

I remember one very special teacher, who taught me English and also wrote poetry. I’ll never forget how exciting she made the lessons and she stimulated a love of poetry in me which I still have to this day.

~ Sara Hantz (www.sarahantz.com)

One of the best moments of the road to publication has been sending a copy of my book out to three teachers who played such a huge part in my success. I haven’t talked to any of them in ages – probably not since school – and yet I couldn’t wait to thank them with a copy of my book, a physical manifestation of their belief in me. Mrs. Carter, in whose high school English class I wrote my first short story and Profs Shepard and Cleghorn in whose classes in college I found my voice. I know I’m just one of so many students to them, but they are everything to me!

~ Carrie Ryan (www.carrieryan.com)

A year or so ago, I taught a screenwriting class at a public high school for the arts, and that single year in the classroom made me appreciate even more what teachers do, every day, every week, every year. Each day in front of a classroom full of kids is a command performance, and the best teachers are like those plate spinners from the old variety shows, keeping their audience riveted while also keeping those plates balanced and whirling. And never dropping a single one.

~ Sally Nemeth (www.sallynemeth.com)

I couldn’t begin to count the number of times a teacher has brought a special child to one of my books: the boy who struggled with reading but learned because he was fascinated by Runt . . . and went on to become the class expert on wolves, the girl whose grandmother had recently died who wept when her teacher read On My Honor and said, “Oh, now I understand,” the teenager whose life was literally saved by the teacher who handed him Am I Blue? The books are there waiting, but it is often a teacher who builds the bridge on which reader and book meet.

~ Marion Dane Bauer (www.mariondanebauer.com)

As a past teacher, I know the encouragement that teachers give to their students can inspire them to go into a particular profession. Mrs. Drinkwater, my fifth grade teacher, did that for me. I entered a poetry contest at her suggestion and won first place. She saw something in my writing then, and gave me the confidence to send in my little poem. Every time I come across the old certificate now, I remember her kind words,, “Just give it a try, you never know what can happen!”

~ Kathryn Fitzmaurice (www.kathrynfitzmaurice.com)

If you ask me teachers are the real A-list celebrities in our world. I only wish they got paid as such! You shape the world and I’m humbled by your love, patience, passion and dedication.

~ Terri Clark (www.terriclarkbooks.com)

There are three teachers that made a difference in my writing life. All three were from Central Kitsap Junior High School. The first was my 7th grade science teacher, Mr. Kimmel, who read a poem that I wrote and encouraged me to show it to the creative writing teacher. Mr. Norseth was the creative writing teacher who taught me to pay attention to a moment. The third was Ms. Pratt, my 8th grade English teacher who taught me to put my heart on the page by asking us to journal at the start of every class. I just wish I could tell how much they meant to me.

~ Kimberly Willis Holt (www.kimberlywillisholt.com)

I was a horrible athlete in school. Sports, although I loved them, were not my gift. I ran track in seventh grade and I finished last in every race. Every single race. About 2/3 through the season we were at an away meet at a nearby town and I was sick of the last place finishes, I told my coach I wasn’t going to run. “Why? Are you hurt?” “No,” I said and shrugged. He nodded and was silent for a few seconds and said, “Okay. Well, start walking home.” I didn’t understand him at first. And I asked him “What? Walk home?”

“Yes. You might run and you might finish last. I don’t care, really, where you finish. But quitters don’t get to ride on my bus.” So I ran the race and I finished last. But I learned an important lesson. Most of success in life is just not giving up. When I got to high school, my track coach became my favorite teacher. He never gave me a break. He always made me work hard. I had to fight him tooth and nail for every grade. I can’t thank him enough.

~ Michael Spradlin (www.michaelspradlin.com)

My husband, Jack Hobbs, English teacher at San Marcos High School is my first editor for all my books. He’s terrific!

~ Valerie Hobbs (www.valeriehobbs.com)

My favorite books are those I read in school – The Awakening, The Bell Jar, Ethan Frome. Thanks for opening up a whole new world to me that I undoubtedly wouldn’t have found on my own.

~ Jenny O’Connell (www.jennyoconnell.com)

My 11th grade English teacher, Miss Schermitzler, once scrawled on the back of my short story “You should write children’s books.” I saved that story along with her sweet note. And when I finally began to write with an eye toward being published, reading that note gave me a huge rush of confidence. So thank you, Miss Schermitzler!

~ Tish Cohen (www.tishcohen.com)

My 4th grade teacher, Miss LeClair, from St. Cecilia’s in Ames, Iowa, told me I was a good writer. I wish I could thank her but I have no idea how to find her. She was young and beautiful, and she told me I was a good writer. Nobody had ever told me such a thing. They said, “Aren’t you a nice tall girl.” And “Don’t you listen well at church!” Miss LeClair gave me a gift that mattered and I have never forgotten her. I went home that day and wrote my first story.

~ Kerry Madden (www.kerrymadden.com)

When my book I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone came out, I did an event at the Wisconsin Humanities Festival because my book was set there. I was invited to speak at an alternative high school program called Work and Learn and that is where I met Erik Shager, one of the Work and Learn teachers. I have great admiration for all teachers, but Erik has a special place in my heart because he works with kids who weren’t able to get the attention they needed in the regular public school system. These kids dropped out or were kicked out of their regular schools, but Erik works hard to make sure they get a second chance and are able to learn in a way that suits them. What a committed teacher! Big kudos to the teachers like Erik who go the extra mile for their students!

~ Stephanie Kuehnert (www.stephaniekuehnert.com)

Mr. M. was my all-time favorite teacher. At the beginning of the year, he took away our grammar books and handed out paperback copies of The Chocolate War (and later, many other YA books). I learned about the power of books and words that year. It changed me forever.

~ Jo Knowles (www.joknowles.com)

Because of teachers I am a better citizen, a better parent, a better friend, a better writer, a better reader, and a better student of life. I come from a family of teachers. If it weren’t for teachers, I probably wouldn’t even be.

The noble thing about teaching is that a teacher’s success depends on the success of those he or she influences. We should all try to live like that, I think. Everything we do should nurture or inspire others.

~ Jennifer Ziegler (www.jenniferziegler.net)

My seventh and ninth grade English teacher singlehandedly made me look forward to going to school. On the wall of his classroom he kept photos of all his favorite writers and they quickly became mine. I’m not quite sure to this day how he did it—perhaps simply by showing me that reading was a way to see the world, to escape the ordinary, and to identify my own feelings in the stories of others’. He gave me not just an education—but a lifeline.

~ Katherine Marsh (www.katherinemarsh.com)

I always said that I would dedicate my first novel to my fifth grade teacher, Mr. Hart, and I did. Mr. Hart was passionate about writing. He divided the entire class into writing groups and gave us free-writing assignments every day, sometimes with a topic or an opening sentence to spark our imaginations, sometimes not. Never were we allowed to raise our pens from the page. If we couldn’t think of anything to say, we wrote “nothing at all, nothing at all” until he called time. Then we read our work aloud, critiqued and revised. Those lessons were the most inspiring and precious I ever learned. Mr. Hart was the first to encourage me. I’d always loved reading. He inspired and nurtured my love of writing as well. I’m not sure I’d be where I am today without him.

~ Lucienne Diver (www.luciennediver.com)

I had several teachers who inspired me to be myself, which is what made me a writer. The earliest one I can think of was Ellen Gallagher – my 5th grade science teacher – who picked a story of mine about ghosts to be published in our local paper for Halloween. High school blessed me with a few brilliant teachers as well. An English teacher, Rosemary Hausman, a History teacher, Bob Fleck and two other influential English teachers – Charles Jones, who first brought consumerism, a pet subject, to my attention with his media class and Vicki Steinberg who pushed our 10th grade poetry class into writing in journals – a habit I still treasure.

~ A.S. King (www.thedustof100dogs.com)

It’s my absolute conviction that the second hardest job in the world is that of being a teacher (number one, as far as I’m concerned, is being a parent).

I have so much respect and admiration for teachers. It’s a profession that requires self-discipline, a love of learning, the ability to cope with students, faculty, administration, and snow days.

I never could handle it. Except maybe for the snow days!

~ Susan Beth Pfeffer (www.susanbethpfeffer.blogspot.com)

My second grade teacher, Miss Kennedy, inspired me to become a writer. She had us read lots of great books, especially poetry. When one of my poems, Moonbeam, won a poetry contest, she pinned it up on the board. Without her, I might not be a writer today. And after years of writing long books, I’m now writing a poetry book! I think Miss Kennedy would be proud.

~ Dia Calhoun (www.diacalhoun.com)

My high school English teacher, Mrs. Redman, is the one who made it possible for me to become the writer I am now. She got me. She just got me in a way none of the other teachers did, and she let me learn instead of making me conform. She was the first teacher who actively encouraged me to do more than read the text and spit out the approved answers. More than once, she said she was a great lover of words, and in her classes, I learned to be a great lover of words, too.

~ Saundra Mitchell (www.saundramitchell.com)

Teachers have a special place in my heart because both my parents were teachers–they both taught high school and if there’s one thing I learned about teachers it’s this: they work incredibly hard. A teacher does more than teach classes. There’s class prep, grading, serving on committees, and working with student groups. Add to that the constant budget struggles and forever evolving curriculum, and–well, a teacher’s work is never done! I want to thank my parents and every single teacher out there who cares. Please know that you are appreciated and that you do make a difference.

~ Elizabeth Scott (www.elizabethwrites.com)

I had awesome teachers over the years. Their attention and praise helped me to see myself as a writer.

~ Jenny Moss (www.jenny-moss.com)

My fifth grade teacher, Mr. Kuykendall, made a huge difference in my life. First, he taught me to love books by reading out of good ones every day in our class. He also encouraged me to write. He gave me a blank book and told me to write him a story. He said he just knew I was going to be an author some day, and he wanted to be able to tell people he had my first book. (And he does, although I’m sure it wasn’t any good.) He meant so much to me that I still keep in contact with him.

~ Janette Rallison (www.JanetteRallison.com)

There are so many teachers who have inspired me…Mrs. Baron, in high school, for encouraging my writing, Mrs. DeBaerstrand, in fourth grade, who made my love of reading a top priority, and college English teachers who encouraged my love for children’s lit and pushed me to write better. I firmly believe that the simple words of a teacher can have a profound effect on a student.

~ Erin Dionne (www.erindionne.com)

So many teachers inspired me. Mr. Umanetz, high school physics, talked about alternate energy sources to power our cars. I didn’t believe him. He was a little ahead of his time.

Mr. Smedly—calculus. Calculus left me cold, but this teacher—this man—he loved calculus, and I couldn’t help seeing the “elegance” of it. (Mr. Smed’s words—“elegant solution”)

Sister Josephine, grade 13 Bio. (This was in Canada, where grade 13 still existed at the time—kind of a college prep year.) Sister Josephine didn’t win awards for most popular teacher. She was tough, hardly ever smiled, expected excellence, and checked homework! She was however, a master of her subject matter. We actually gave her a standing ovation in class once, when she ran through the entire Kreb’s cycle without drawing a breath. She blushed. And smiled. It made me realize that behind the nun’s outfit there was a person. A very kind person, in fact, who noticed when I was going through some tough times in high school and offered her help.

~ Deborah Lynn Jacobs (www.deborahlynnjacobs.com)

Sometimes a fledgling writer just needs one person to believe—Mrs. Muth at Reno High School did that for me. And I’m sure that so many of you do that for your students. Know that they will be eternally grateful.

~ Sydney Salter (www.sydneysalter.com)

To the teachers who try to inspire, excite or at least keep the interest of a classroom of students thinking only about texting, playing video games or whatever is waiting for them outside of school – you are our heroes. With the siren call of so many high-tech gadgets demanding your students’ attention, your job is harder than that of your predecessors, while being more important than ever. The expanding offering of technology may threaten, but can never replace the world of books, and it is through you that the next generation will learn to value the ability to hold a book in one’s hand.

~ E.D. Baker (www.talesofedbaker.com)

For me, this has to be Mrs. Byrne, my 12th grade AP English teacher. Not only did she introduce me to great literature, she taught me how to think about great literature. She expected greatness from her students, and wouldn’t accept any less. She encouraged journaling and creative writing, and was an ever-present influence on us. So much so, that when several of my classmates—whom I hadn’t heard from in over 20 years—found out that I was an author, they mentioned Mrs. Byrne and asked if she knew about my book yet. I can’t wait to send her a copy.

~ Kristin Walker (www.kristin-walker.com)

One teacher I’ll never forget is Mr. Thompson. In seventh grade, I was rather invisible. Not popular, not unpopular, just lost in the shuffle. One day, Mr. Thompson pulled me out of class. While following him, I was convinced I must have done something horrible, even though I was somewhat a goody-goody. But, Mr. Thompson only wanted to give me a book about Hollywood stunt horses that he thought I’d like. Me? Invisible Laura? And how did he know I loved horses?

At the time, I was too shocked to fully express my gratitude or to tell him how much it meant to be singled out like that. Instead, I think I blushed and mumbled my thanks. So, I’m thrilled to be given this opportunity to say Mr. Thompson? Thank you. Your kind gesture and the gift of literature will never be forgotten!

Oh, and one more thing. You rock.

~ Laura Bowers (www.laurabowers.net)

I owe an eternal debt to Mrs. Powell, my fourth grade teacher, who allowed me to stay in the classroom at recess to read every day. I’ll never be sure if she knew the dangers that lurked outside—in the form of George Bauman, who liked to throw rocks, and Jennifer Jones, who teased me mercilessly—but in any case, I will never be able to repay her. I only thought I was saving my skin, but really, I was becoming a writer.

~ Laurel Snyder (www.laurelsnyder.com)

Back in the day, I always thought my teachers were being unnecessarily, mercilessly tough on me—not because they needed to be, but because they were determined to make my life miserable. I can’t even count the number of times I dismissed a “B” as them comparing me to my older brother, expecting me to be as perfect as le boy genius. Well, guess what? I now know that’s exactly what they were doing—not in a malevolent way, but in a benevolent way. I now know they saw something in me that I didn’t even see in myself. In fact, I now realize that they were pushing me to reach my true potential—and it worked! By the time I got to college, I was quite the overachiever—thanks in no small part to those brutally honest, harsher-than-harsh teachers from the K-12 years. So here’s to the tough-as-nails teachers out there. I owe them a ton.

~ Alexa Young (www.alexayoung.com)

English teachers “saved” me when I was a teen. Three, in particular, showed me an inner beauty I had that I had never before seen or bothered to look for. They valued my writing, believed in me, put my poems up on the wall, encouraged me to think of myself as a valuable contributor to the world. I will never forget them. They were like little beacons of light in the darker days of adolescence.

~ Neesha Meminger (www.NeeshaMeminger.com)

I had the privilege of taking English classes from Mr. Wayne Brix for three years in junior high and high school in Litchfield, Minnesota. Mr. Brix was a lot like Robin Williams’s character Mr. Keating in Dead Poets Society—passionate about his subject matter and willing to do anything to reach his students. His assignments were unforgettable. I directed my classmates in a modern-day version of Romeo and Juliet that we wrote ourselves, and I had to create my own interpretation of hell based on Dante’s Inferno (unsurprisingly, my hell existed within the halls of my high school).

Mr. Brix gets a huge amount of credit for my vocabulary, grammar skills, and writing ability. I honestly don’t know if I would have pursued my career as an English teacher and attempted to write a novel if it hadn’t been for him. There was no one else like him. Sadly, he died in 1996, and I miss him terribly. I dedicated my first novel, TMI, to his memory.

~ Sarah Quigley (www.sarahquigley.com)

My grade eleven English teacher was kind enough to give me 100% on a short story I wrote. It really was the first time I thought I might be able to be a professional writer. And I’m so pleased it wasn’t 99%. I might have given up then. : )

~ Arthur Slade (www.arthurslade.com)

When I was in the third grade, Ms. Ward, a wonderful pianist, told me to “sometimes B sharp, never B flat, and always B natural.” Those who read music will know what she meant. Many other teachers inspired me, from Miss Greenberg to Mr. Fernie, Mr. Basaraba, Mr. Tresize, and special thanks to the second grade teacher who told me to keep writing stories, and I would “always find an audience.”

~ Anjali Banerjee (www.anjalibanerjee.com)

When I was in eighth grade my English teacher gave us an assignment. We had to take three random things – a priest, a nun, and a camel – and turn it into a story. He wound up liking my Thornbirds-esque story so much, he had me read it through to the class three days running. By the time those three days were over, some of the other kids no doubt resented me but by then the thought had sunk in that I had stories to tell that others just might want to hear. So thank you, Mr. S – without you I may never have become a writer!

~ Lauren Baratz-Logsted (www.laurenbaratzlogsted.com)

It’s nearly impossible to narrow down the list of teachers who have impacted my life. Many of my English teachers I thanked in the acknowledgements for One Wish, but there is one teacher who I especially need to thank, because when I was in high school I gave this guy so much grief (not that I was a problem student, it’s just that at the time I placed absolutely no value in anything he said).

Mr. Timothy Snow: if you ever read this, I want you to know that you were the best history teacher ever. You were knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the subject, and worked so hard to give the rest of us that same passion. I wish I would’ve paid more attention to you, because I’ve learned that I *really* like history—I love it, even. Your classes were some of the most challenging I’ve ever taken, your tests were killer, but I rolled my eyes and complained and ignored you way too much, and I totally regret it now.

Teachers of History: You Rock!!

Mr. Snow: You Rule Them All!!

~ Leigh Brescia (www.leighbrescia.com)

I had a wonderful headmaster when I was ten, who had got hold of an old-fashioned printing press. No computers – or even photocopiers – in those days, remember! We created our own school magazine, setting the type, making lino-cuts for the pictures, and writing and editing everything ourselves. That year, we won the nationwide school magazine competition, and we were on the radio and in the newspapers. One paper chose to print a poem of mine as an example of the work inside the magazine – and that was the first thing I ever had published!

~ Elizabeth Kay (www.elizabethkay.co.uk)

Mr. James Hathaway was my fifth grade teacher. He was tall, with a big voice. He liked to read aloud. He would pound on the desk with his fist as he read “The Telltale Heart.” He wrote on the board “It was a dark and stormy night,” and told everyone in the class to write a story with that line as the beginning. He had us do book reports, essays, and stories.
At the end of the year he sought me out. “I hear you’re moving away, Vicky.”
“Yes. My Dad got transferred.”
“I just have one thing to say to you. Never let anything keep you from writing.”
I never told him what it meant to me to hear him say that, but I held his words close to my heart. By the time I got published, he had passed away. I will never forget him.

~ Victoria Hanley (www.victoriahanley.com)

Mr. Hershey, my eighth grade English teacher, encouraged us to do a lot of creative writing. I began to feel like a true writer in his class because he took me and my writing seriously.

~ Mary Amato (www.maryamato.com)

No doubt the teacher I’ll never forget is Mr. Ridgley from a little school called Morgan Hill High. A touch of irreverence, a huge dollop of compassion for juniors who knew little, but thought they knew a lot, a major sense of humor that made the forty-minutes in English zip past, and a high standard for any work he required—all of this is why Mr. Ridgley is the teacher who made a difference in my life.

~ C. Lee McKenzie (www.cleemckenziebooks.com)

In middle school I had a creative writing teacher who just let us go. She didn’t have us worry about structure or outlines or writing a particular type of story; she just had us run with whatever idea was motivating us. I had so much fun creating stories in that class and I think it’s where my love of writing was born. Later I learned about structure and story arc and the things you need to make a story work, but I am so thankful my first experiences were so fun and uninhibited!

~ Daphne Grab (www.daphnegrab.com)

My eighth grade English teacher was named Mrs. Stiff. She taught diagramming sentences like it was the Nazi school for grammar. I came in every morning and every day to diagram sentence after sentence after sentence. I never got it perfect, but I learned about the subtle nuance of grammar. I’m grateful to Mrs. Stiff, but I’d never want to go through that again!

~ Helen Hemphill (www.helenhemphill.com)

Sometimes I get letters from teachers who are worried about a student of theirs (usually one who reminds them of a character in one of my books.) And they write to me looking for help because they actually care about these kids. I think that’s astounding and wonderful. I’m no help, of course, but still… Just having a teacher care that much has got to help!

~ Amy Goldman Koss (www.AmyGoldmanKoss.net)

It’s hard to pick one teacher—I feel as though I’d be slighting all the others! But…one special woman among the many inspiring teachers I’ve encountered is Sister Jane Morrissey, SSJ, who was a Professor of English at Elms College, where I got my BA. In addition to being an inspiring and gracious teacher, she’s a tireless campaigner for social justice, working with poor and underserved populations in the US and Latin America. Every now and then I’ll see her name in a news article about her latest project or protest, and I always say “Way to go, Sister Jane!!” Then I feel guilty that I’m not doing nearly enough to save the world…

~ M.P. Barker (www.mpbarker.net)

There are two teachers I’d like to say a big “thank you!” to. The first is Linda McGill, my freshman English teacher, who taught an efficient and organized way to research using numbered notecards that I still use to this day. The second is “Coach” Carl Williams, my junior history teacher, who taught me that history is a long, exciting series of “what ifs?”. Between these two, historical fiction became my passion.

~ Kristin O’Donnell Tubb (www.kristintubb.com)

I went to Catholic School when Catholic Schools still had nuns teaching. We had all kinds, of course, but my favorite was my 4th grade teacher, Sister Angela. She was a no-nonsense nun. She ran a tight ship, expected high things from each of us, even threw erasers when kids didn’t listen. But she also cared for us, if we were difficult, unruly, shy, or just plain ornery. She taught me a few important lessons along the way as well. Sister Angela taught me how to be a strong woman. She taught me how to be proud of what I can do. She taught me it wasn’t just okay to be who I am, I should do it with gusto. There are no words of thanks adequate enough for those lessons. They have helped make me who I am today, and I love her for it.

~ Stacy A. Nyikos (www.stacyanyikos.com)