Note: This is a follow-up diary to my currently-Rec Listed diary about Matt Damon's smackdown of anti-teacher talking points.
I just added an addendum that I decided need its own diary.
The ongoing discussion in the Matt Damon Teacher Defense diary about the veracity of the actual higher math problems depicted in Good Will Hunting inspired me to add my own Favorite Teacher story:
Back in 1988, I was a senior in high school, and studying calculus for my A.P. Calc test. This just happened to be the same time that the movie Stand and Deliver, about the real-world math teacher Jaime Escalante, came out.
My calculus teacher, Mr. Koehler, was incredibly excited about doing something almost unheard of for a math teacher: He arranged for a field trip to the local theater to watch the movie, to help inspire us for the AP test.
You can't imagine how geeked he was; I mean, how often are movies made about math teachers? How often does a high school math teacher get to take the class on a field trip?
Anyway, not only did he take us to see the film, but he even offered extra credit for the first student who shouted out the correct answer to any calculus problem depicted in the movie. Fortunately, it was a Wednesday matinee during school hours, so our class was pretty much the only people in the theater.
It was a great film, and Mr. Koehler was a fantastic teacher.
Tragically, Mr. Koehler was paralyzed in a skiing accident in 1997, and died a few years later. His life and legacy was enshrined in the U.S. Congressional Record (PDF) shortly after his accident by (then Republican Senator) Spence Abraham:
Mr. ABRAHAM: Mr. President, I rise today to extend my best wishes for a full and rapid recovery by Mr. Terry Koehler, a teacher at Lahser High School in Bloomfield Hills, MI. Involved in a very serious skiing accident in mid-February, Mr. Koehler is currently convalescing in Reno, NV.
In the meanwhile, the entire Bloomfield Hills community eagerly looks forward to Mr. Koehler’s return. A quick glance at his extensive involvement throughout the school district and it is readily apparent why, at present, he is so sorely missed. In addition to his duties teaching math, Mr. Koehler is a coach with Lahser’s championship winning boy’s and girl’s swim teams. He serves in the multiple roles of commissioner, coach, and player in the school’s intramural basketball program. He runs the school chess club. And, as a major in the U.S. Army Reserves, Mr. Koehler’s civic commitments are hardly limited to just Lahser High School.
Exceptional teachers are assets to any community, as are dedicated public servants. When someone exemplifies the finest qualities of both, their presence is all the more valued. Indeed, Terry Koehler is such an individual. I join his countless friends, colleagues, and students in wishing Terry, his wife Diane and the rest of his family strength and courage during this difficult time; and I look forward to the news of his return to good health, to the profession he so honorably serves and to the students whose lives he touches every day.
Thank you, Mr. Koehler, for being a great teacher.
Oh, and I got a 4 (out of 5) on the AP Calculus test, which I think gained me like 10 undergrad credit hours (at around $45/credit back then).
Feel free to post your own My Favorite Teacher® stories below.