InClass

This year, staff from the Arizona K12 Center share memories and give shout outs to teachers who have impacted them over the years.

Happy Teacher Appreciation Week to all of Arizona's outstanding educators. The Arizona K12 Center staff shares their most memorable moments and favorite teachers.

Michelle Pyde Praises Dr. Hill

Dr. Frances Hill teaches the leadership course at Northern Arizona University’s College of Hotel and Restaurant Management. She is the most reassuring and thoughtful professor I have had to date. She always scheduled time outside of class for one-on-one time with any student interested in a little extra support, whether it be personal or professional. She has instilled in me a passion for hospitality and a kindness in everyday life. She is a lifelong encourager even after college. I am blessed to have had such a compassionate educator to keep me on the right track.

Angelia Ebner Boasts About the Best Teachers in the World

I’ve heard this proclamation countless time: “Mom, my teacher is the best teacher in the whole world!” I have heard my daughter shout every year for the past nine years. Now that she’s 12 years old and in the seventh grade, she has been blessed by teachers who helped her build strong reading skills, develop an inventive writing style, struggle and succeed in math, and overcome her fear of failing in science. She has connected with teachers over Harry Potter stories, inside jokes, and mutual respect. My daughter is a strong young lady. If you have the opportunity to meet and learn from someday in the future, it will be in large part, because of her incredible teachers.

During Teacher Appreciation Week, I encourage my daughter to share with her teachers—say more than “thank you,” but tell them why they are the best teacher in the world. I hope they realize the ways in which they are molding her into a well-rounded human and how they have been instrumental in pushing her to be her best, while helping her to balance her need for perfection. Thank you for sitting with her while she anguished over a test question, for bandaging her knee when she fell down on the playground, and for reassuring me, through your actions and words, that she has the best teachers in the world.

Dr. Kathy Wiebke Pays Tribute to Teachers, Mack and Timbrooks

I cannot remember a time I did not want to be a teacher. I had plenty of memorable teachers. Each one taught me something different about life. They taught me to wonder, create, and be inquisitive. Even when I had a teacher with whom I didn’t necessarily see eye to eye, I took something away from that experience. Through them, I learned tolerance, fairness, and patience. I think what drew me to this amazing profession was the plain and simple fact that I loved learning.

My love affair with teachers and teaching began as a second grader in Mrs. Mack’s class. I think it had been building up over time, but by the time I arrived in her classroom I was smitten. I actually don’t remember much about what I learned that year, but I do remember how kind she was. She smile radiated across the room, and she had a piano. Every day, we would sing. To this day, when I hear the song “Silver Bells,” I think of her.

Fourth grade was a year of wonder and discovery. It was an extraordinary year. I remember our classroom was a converted staff lounge. It was filled with books and all sorts of things that just made being in her room fascinating. Mrs. Timbrooks made learning an adventure. I remember once we went on a field trip to the Phoenix Zoo. Someone in our class asked about the pyramid on the mountain, and just like that she had the bus driver turn around so we could go see what that pyramid was all about. She could have easily answered the question but instead, we went on an investigation to discover the answer for ourselves.

Once, I remember telling Mrs. Timbrooks that I thought she was wrong. She said, “Let’s look it up in the encyclopedias and find out.” You had to think in her classroom and be able to support your thoughts. At the same time, she challenged us to dream. Learning was an adventure in her class. It was a quest in discovery. I have to think the collective commitments of these teachers and others helped shape me into the professional I am today.

This is what teachers do on a daily basis. They create caring and innovative classrooms where children can see all the possibilities of tomorrow. Today I salute teachers throughout Arizona who create learning places of wonder and possibilities.