JCC Celebrating Memorable Educators.

For teacher(s) you feel made a difference in your life by their example and encouragement.

In high school, I had one that was very helpful and easy to confide in. She was just about 10 or so years older than I was so I didn't feel there was a generation gap In college, I had an instructor who helped smooth out academic hurdles and also made learning math-type stuff easier, which let me tell you is quite saying something, since I am mathematically challenged.

 

Mrs. Fitzgerald

 

Mr. Ray Westberg
English and Social Studies teacher, Junior High and High School

he was a combat veteran, earned a purple heart, who could and would remove his glass eye. he would play Zappa, Captain Beefheart, Beatles, and Hendrix routinely during class. he would sit on a chair on your desk, look down at you, smack your head with a ruler and basically terrify you into learning. he was short and stalky. he was also the wrestling coach. he would stand at the head of the class and eat lettuce heads with salt - and we, the clueless students, would just watch... and wait... and wonder... what the hell is going ON HERE?!!!

but... all that aside - he had SUCH a passion for English, and taught it so enthusiastically that, despite the fear he instilled in impressionable young people, he also made you want to learn, and in some ways crave his peculiarity.

think: Robin Williams as John Keating in Dead Poets Society but built like Williams in Popeye, now add a lot of cocaine use (apparently).

that's my english teacher. that's Mr. Westberg. he died of a heart attack in front of a class of high school students in 1997....

he was ****ing brilliant.

 

Darth Punk's mum taught me everything I know.