I happened upon a teacher review website today and noticed a few that I remember - some fondly, others not so. For example, Mr. Brooks, who is (in)famous. I was never much into Chemistry and transferred pretty quickly from his AP class to crazy but well-intentioned Mr. Brown’s.
Mrs. Prendergast and Mr. Lafferty
Then I came across Mrs. Prendergast and Mr. Lafferty. Mrs. P was a solid Geometry teacher and I learned a lot from her. I have a lot of respect for Mr. Lafferty even though I never had a class with him. I remember when he managed the voting for Prom King senior year and told all the losers they had come in a close second. Hilarious.
Mrs. Diano and Dr. Pavel
Much to my dismay though I discovered the profiles for Mrs. Diano, who insisted I be expelled junior year for exercising my First Amendment rights, and Dr. Pavel, who only suspended me for three days for the same “offense”. Oh and he forbid me from writing for the Centralizer anymore, too.
That’s public education, I guess.
I’m still trying to understand the logic in punishing a budding writer and politician for exercising his free speech rights by banning him from writing for the school newspaper! But that’s public education, I guess.
Mr. Diano: A Great Teacher
Mr. Diano was, of course, an entirely different story. When I think of great teaching his grizzly white-bearded face pops up. Mr. D brought respect, high expectations and passion to the teaching of math. That is rare. And he had a sense of humor. One day we rigged his books and an eraser with fishing wire so we could move them when he wasn’t looking. It freaked him out at first but when he got the joke he just laughed and moved on. A lesser teacher would have given us detention, or worse.
What about you?
Who were your favorite - and least favorite - teachers and staff members at CHS?
