Teachers with a Super Power

Who was your most influential teacher? Why?

I have two that changed everything for me. Mrs. Bailey, sixth grade and Mr. Harcha, 7,8,and 9.

Mrs Bailey was the first person in my life up to that pointt who saw me as smart. Every year from kindergarten on, they wanted to hold me back. I was a day dreamer. I didn’t memorize anything if I didn’t see a point. I was dyslexic and had the girl version of ADD. All not diagnosed until I was in my 30’s, so I came off as dumb. Mrs. Bailey let me design all of her bulletin boards. She gave me kid friendly classic literature which I devoured. She was loved and adored by everyone and won teacher of the year my year, but I knew she loved ME. My grades shot up. I learned how to memorize and take tests. I even got an award in math. Mrs. Bailey worked a miracle on me, and I will never forget her.

Mr. Harcha saw me as a serious artist. He understood my need to spend extra time on projects, or approach them differently. He gave me opportunities I didn’t even know existed. I painted my first mural in the school halls. It was the biggest and the only single artist designed and executed. He got one of my paintings into a nationwide traveling art show. He taught me all the technical drawing I needed to learn and know in collage. I credit him for my college grades in art because he was so good, I was reviewing more then learning. Without his influence, I would not have known how important art was.

Both these teachers showed me sides of myself I didn’t know. After Mrs. Bailey, my grades were great.. I got A’s. No one expected me to get into the collage I got into. I was the first in my family to even go. My experience with Mr. Harcha gave me the courage to switch my major to art, as impractical as it seemed back then. Art was me.

I credit both these teachers with giving me the idea to follow my inner guidence. I didn’t know much about that when I was young, but every time I did things my way, I knew it was right. They both encouraged me to trust my instinct, to love what I loved. They showed me that I could succeed and that one thing changed everything.