Daily writing prompt

Who was your most influential teacher? Why?

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Mr. McGregor, my high school Spanish teacher was, in a lot of ways, my most influential teacher. I’ve written about him in a couple of these prompts, so this time around I’ll give a nod to Dr. Thulin, a Homiletics professor at Gettysburg Seminary who would go on to be President of the institution for a bit.

In an introductory class on preaching, he used an example of the power of words, that spoken words can be like arrows shot from a bow– once they are released, there is no getting them back. They’ll land where they may, and in turn inspire, convict, wound, or miss their mark entirely.

The imagery and poignancy will stay with me for as long as I live.

Daily writing prompt

Who was your most influential teacher? Why?

View all responses

My high school Spanish teacher, Mr. McGregor. He was funny, intense (he was also the football coach), he took his job seriously yet also had a sense of humor. He made it very clear that he cared about the subject matter, and us. He spent a year in Guadalajara, Mexico, immersed in the culture and language. He wanted us to learn and would walk out of the room to cool down when it seemed clear we hadn’t done our homework.

He drove an MG Midget. I never had another teacher who came close to his passion for his work.

Looking back, it was an interesting dynamic: he was demanding, but no one seemed to mind. I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that he burned out and left the profession prematurely.