We asked Retro Report’s teacher advisors to share their thoughts about teachers who influenced them. Here’s what they had to say:
Kevin Jackson Is Grateful for Mr. Ellison and Mr. Stedman.
“I have the unique privilege of teaching at the school I attended. My current classroom was previously used by our 30-plus year AP U.S. History teacher and football coach, Mr. Ellison. We’ve since named our football field after him. Additionally, my wife and I were married by Mr. Stedman, our former History and Sociology teacher. These men have shaped who I am as a husband, father, teacher, and community member and I’m incredibly thankful to carry on their legacies at Petaluma High School.”
About Kevin Jackson (above, left): A Retro Report Civics Fellow and AP Government and Government teacher who is in his 18th year teaching at Petaluma High School in California, Jackson followed in Mr. Ellison’s footsteps by serving as Activities Director and Athletic Director. On the right is a photo of his wedding ceremony with Mr. Stedman officiating.
Kathleen Wilson Is Grateful for Mrs. O’Rouke.
“Mrs. O’Rourke, my sixth grade Social Studies teacher, was a major influence in my life. When we studied ancient world civilizations, her personal travel experiences truly brought that topic to life. In class, she told incredible stories of her many trips to Egypt, as she projected photos from a slide carousel onto the screen at the front of our homeroom. I was fascinated with the ancient Egyptian world, and had seen images in books and magazines of the pyramids of Giza. Seeing my favorite teacher, photographed while riding on a camel in front of the Great Sphinx, was amazing to a 12-year-old who had never traveled farther than a few subway stops to Boston. Mrs. O’Rourke always encouraged my interest in studying archeology, but six years later while filling out college applications, I changed my mind and decided to major in education. Instead of being an archeologist, I would be the next Mrs. O’Rourke, sharing my adventures and love of ancient history with my own middle school students.”
About Kathleen Wilson: Wilson is a member of the Retro Report Council of Educators, a Science teacher at Gates Middle School in Scituate, Mass., and a former museum educator at Boston’s Museum of Science. She began her career as a social studies teacher in Boston, just like Mrs. O’Rourke, but decided to switch to teaching Science after earning her Master’s degree in Education in Critical and Creative Thinking. Wilson is seen here visiting the Terracotta Warriors in Xi’an, China (left) and the Borobudur Temple in Java, Indonesia.
Jennifer Pontius-Vandenberg Is Grateful for Mrs. Walthall.
“By the time I entered Shirley Walthall’s first-grade classroom, I already knew I was going to be a teacher. I’d figured that out long ago, back in preschool. Shirley Walthall showed me how to do it, though. Nearly all my formative school memories are from her class. She celebrated every accomplishment, no matter how small. I can still hear her words of praise as I struggled to sound out words. She pulled kids together as recess buddies, ensuring that nobody was left out.
We reconnected once when I was in college. We spoke of things I remembered: her kindness, the BusyBee stuffed animal, the class field trip to her house. We also spoke of things I hadn’t known: how she was the first Black teacher to be hired in the district and how racism in the area left her unable to buy a house near the school.
Shirley Walthall is gone now, but her legacy is all over the city in the thousands of kids she taught and teachers she mentored. I have a picture of her in my own classroom today, a reminder to treat every student with patience and kindness. Happy Teacher’s Appreciation Day, Mrs. Walthall.”
About Jennifer Pontius-Vandergerg (above, right): Pontius-Vandergerg is a Retro Report Ambassador and teaches World History and Government at Mariner High School in Everett, Wash. She has been a teacher for over 15 years and is part of the school district’s curriculum committee, which reviews, purchases and designs Social Studies curricula. She was 6 when she posed for the photo above with Mrs. Walthall in front of Silver Firs Elementary School in Everett.
Ron Nash Is Grateful for Karl J. Weintraub.
“Karl Joachim Weintraub (below) at the University of Chicago was the teacher who had the greatest influence on my approach to the classroom. Karl was a “hidden child” from 1940-1945, concealed by Quakers in the Netherlands to escape the Nazis. Most importantly, he was an inspiring mentor to generations of students. He blended energy and lucidity with verve and discernment and he fostered lively, no-nonsense engagement on the part of his students. Original historical documents were at the heart of his teaching. Karl’s courses were so popular that students would sleep out on the university’s Main Quadrangle the night before registration to secure a place. His carefully framed questions and demanding expectations taught me to read critically and pursue complex issues. You could not hide as he walked around the room and peppered the class with questions. You also could not say “I don’t know.” Karl would say something like “Of course you do,” and carefully guide you to a reasonable response. He knew and had thought about everything: politics, literature, religion and just about everything else.”
About Ron Nash: Nash is a Retro Report Ambassador, Senior Education Fellow (emeritus) at the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History and retired teacher who taught high school History and Special Education in New Jersey for 35 years. Nash was a member of a cohort at Rutgers University that incorporated the history of the Holocaust into the broader framework of the history of genocide. He lives in South Orange, N.J.
Lauren Goepfert Is Grateful for Mrs. Blaurock.
“Mrs. Blaurock, my high school computer graphics teacher, was truly special. In the early 1990s, computers were relatively new. At the time, I was inexperienced with computers and knew nothing about design or Photoshop programs, which made me hesitant about class. Mrs. Blaurock’s classroom was a welcoming and inspiring environment. She was always there to give you a positive word and instill confidence, which I desperately needed in her class. She was also there to listen to you and support you, and did it always with a smile. I aspire to be the kind of teacher for my students that she was for me. Despite student experience or prior knowledge the classroom is a place where you can grow into your abilities with the right support.”
About Lauren Goepfert: Goepfert is a Retro Report Council of Educators member teaching AP U.S. History, US History, Government, Economics and Criminal Justice at Longwood High School in Middle Island, N.Y. Goepfert is an award-winning teacher who goes on archaeological digs, carries a pocket Constitution everywhere, loves to share history with her students and gets especially excited when teaching about the suffrage movement and the 19th Amendment.
Is there a standout teacher who inspired and shaped you? We want to join you in honoring your mentors this week. Tag us @RetroReport on social media and use the hashtag #TeacherAppreciationWeek for a chance to be featured on our social media accounts.
