Who Were Your Most Inspiring Teachers?

This article is sponsored by Participant Media (CBS)

With back to school time here and my twins starting Kindergarten, it has been a time of excitement, but also a time to sit and reflect on the inspiring teachers who have touched my life. If you are lucky, you have had one or two amazing teachers who you connected with and who just went above and beyond for their students. I was blessed to have had a great experience all through my years in public schools. I loved going to school each day and that was in large part due to the teachers that I had. 


The teacher who made the biggest impact on my life was Mr. W, my high school American History Teacher. He had such a love of the subject he taught and a passion for history. We did not learn American history through books, but rather through diving in and reenacting important events, taking part in trials and living it. All of this would make Mr. W a great teacher in anyone's book, but what made him so special to me was that he really saw the potential in me. I was a fairly quiet student in a class with far more outgoing, confident kids. But he gave me certain responsibilities that allowed me to grow and see myself as a leader. 

Mr. W inspired me so much that I decided to become a teacher myself. I taught for eight years before having my children and I hope that I had a fraction of the impact on my students' lives that Mr. W had on mine. Times have certainly changed since I was in high school and it makes me wonder what does it take to be a great teacher today?

I am excited to be helping CBS spread the word about “TEACH” a documentary presented by Participant Media, which will air on CBS on September 6th at 8:00 pm and on Pivot on September 14th at 8:00 pm.

TEACH is Academy Award-winning director Davis Guggenheim’s third documentary film about education in America. This film sparks a discussion at the right time because over the next ten years 65% of America’s teachers will retire. How can we recruit the very best to the teaching profession and what will it take for them to succeed? The TEACH documentary follows four teachers from different schools around the country over the course of a year to learn about the unique challenges and rewards of teaching. For truly great teachers, teaching is not simply a job, but a mission. 

My twins just started Kindergarten this week and I am so excited for them have a great year with their teachers. Here they are on the first day.

I would love for you to watch the trailer for “TEACH” and then think about a teacher who had a positive impact on you or on your child. You can also find out how you can help keep public education strong and innovative. After you have watched the video please leave a comment below sharing about inspiring teachers that had an impact on your life or in your community.

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