Reply #108: Agree!

[tango-tee]

I went to school in Germany, graduating in 1970. Several of my classmates and I are still in touch with our favorite teacher who retired many years ago. I've often wondered what his secret to teaching was; there was no commotion in his classroom, we actually enjoyed his classes and learned something (BTW, among other subjects he taught English, and I've loved this language since "day one").

His secret seems to have been that he took us seriously. There was no talking down to us as silly, hormone-driven teenagers, he asked for opinions and loved to point out to us where we were right or wrong in our thinking. Frequently, we would veer from the subject at hand, would discuss politics - at that time, the Vietnam war - but we had to do it in English, which made us study our verbs and tenses that much more thoroughly.

From reading your posts, I am convinced you are one of these wonderful, gifted teachers! Your students will have fond memories of you in the years to come.