Who was *your* Mr. Holland?

Who was *your* Mr. Holland?

What teacher made a difference in your life like Mr. Holland? Was it a music teacher? Was it a different teacher? Who, in your schooling, touched you and gave you the confidence to do what you do today?

For me, it was my first grade classroom teacher, Mrs. Ferguson. She taught me to be gentle and kind, and to stand up for what I believe. Most of all, she recognized and encouraged my potential instead of trying to rein me in and make me conform to the other students. She also kept up with me through future grades and "hired" me to grade her class workbooks. As "payment" she took me and the other four workbook graders out to what was, for me, my first formal dinner, therefore introducing me to a new facet of life in a supportive, nonjudgmental setting with no family or social pressure. I have visited her several times, and she has called me to "check up on her students." I am not the only one; during one visit, there were visitors from three "generations" there, and I marveled that Mrs. Ferguson truly made each and every class, each and every student, unforgettable.

There are other teachers who made differences in other ways: Mrs. Papaleo, who made learning how to play the flute fun and allowed me to challenge her idea of the possibilities for advancement; Mr. Rubeo, my social studies teacher who literally gave me a safe space in middle school; Mrs. Ravis, who helped me give voice to adolescent pain; Mr. Gancsos, my high school band director, who gave me freedom to lead; and Mrs. Black, my high school choir director, who helped me give voice to *my* voice.

Here's to all of the teachers who made a difference.