The joy of teaching: Praise from former students

Remembering Paul Tickerhoof

Biology Teacher Superb

Having spent approximately 40 years in education, I am proud of what teachers have accomplished over the years. Just yesterday, I mentioned one of my high school teachers who was a fabulous biology instructor for me about 60 years ago.

His name was Paul Tickerhoof, and I remember how he taught us to memorize every bone in the body. I saw my grand-niece struggling with that this week, and told her about Mr. Tickerhoof.

He would stand in front of us and point to or grip a part of the body that contained a bone — and we would have to memorize where it was located. Few teachers probably followed that practice, but it certainly worked for those of us who had to memorize the 206 bones in the body.

That was one of many unique presentations of a great teacher, and I am certain that some of my classmates would agree with it.

Why the animus toward education — and teachers?

Why are so many people angry at education in general and teachers in particular?

I read on LinkedIn and other social media about how frustrating teaching is today. That is for many reasons, but it started when the US followed one of the worst curriculum moves ever: No Child Left Behind.

This required teachers to educate students about how to take standardized tests.

Fortunately, since I work with many students across the country, I have seen the creative ways in which teachers are now approaching their jobs: Ignoring standardized tests.

For instance, one of my students has been working to learn the wonderful stories from Greek Mythology. Her teacher gave her long lists of questions to answer from the readings that she went through, and I worked with her to learn about those characters such as Perseus and Orpheus and Zeus.

That is education, and I am proud of that teacher although I have no idea the name of the school that my student attends. I just know that the teacher is expanding the knowledge of a young girl in a freshman honors class.

My note this summer from a student

I have received a number of notes and letters from students who are grateful for what I have done for them over the years. This included some from my high school and college teaching days, but quite a few are ones received from those whom I have tutored over the past five years.

I have engaged in one-on-one tutoring for students at various levels. Some are top level who want to increase their SAT scores so that they can enter elite schools. They want to bring that 1500 score up to 1580 or higher by increasing their reading and writing scores. This requires quite a bit of work from basic vocabulary and grammar/punctuation to more challenging reading analysis.

Quite often, I have been successful. Not always, but often.

The note that I received is from a student whom I worked with in my first year of tutoring. She struggled with English for a variety of reasons, but we went back to basics, and she asked me after finishing the year of tutoring with me during her freshman year of high school.

This made me feel good since she asked me where I hoped that she would be after she graduated from high school. I was thrilled that she was granted entrance to a prestigious university, which she desired.

Here is the note with some privacy deletions,

I don’t know if you remember me, Mr. Conrad, but this is [name omitted]. I just graduated from high school and finally got to open the letter you wrote for me after my freshman year, 2022.

I want to thank you for helping me in my freshman year English. With your help, I was able to be more confident in my writing skills and well-prepared for AP English.

I am going to [a prestigious university] for college, and I would not have been confident enough with college English without your help way back with the basic English prep classes. Therefore, I am very grateful.

I may not have been your student for very long, but I am incredibly honored to have been taught by you. Wishing you and your family happiness and good health in the years ahead.

Once again, thank you for your encouragement and teaching.

Letter from a student of mine from 2022

I am attaching some notes from students on my new website, though the initial ones are from parents:

https://www.hughbradyconradjr.com

Why the anger against teachers who are just like Paul Tickerhoof?

Many biology teachers today are probably in a class with Paul Tickerhoof — as well as in other disciplines. However, teachers are being driven from the profession for so many reasons.

Which leads me to these questions:

• Why is the president of the U.S. attempting to destroy some of the greatest educational institutions in the country like Harvard, Penn, and others, both public and private?

• Why did the president attempt to eliminate the Department of Education?

• And why, interestingly, has the president refused to release his transcripts of his college education?

• Why has one party continually tried to limit the amount of student aid that young people can receive from the government?

• Why have the party of 31 percent college graduates gravitated toward one political party in order to express their animus?

And most important:

What can be done to change this narrative?

Why the uneducated?

The situation is so bad that one of the political parties is called “the uneducated” which is a derision since only about 31 percent of that organization have college degrees.

• Is this envy from people who simply did not have a chance?

• Or is it simply a realization that some people were lazy in school and did not apply themselves, blaming teachers for their failures?

• Or because they did not have the money to attend college?

• Or were discouraged from attending college because they were women?

In reality, many students attended trade schools, and that is a great move for them since they will not graduate with as much debt and will be able to enjoy their work.

Teachers will survive -- but many have left

Today, many high school graduates enter the military not because they love their country but because they want the educational benefits that are derived from serving for four years. That does not mean that they do not love their country, just that education costs are what drove them to this decision.

So, much of this has been created by higher education itself. For a variety of reasons, I graduated from college not owing a penny in student loans — and my parents paid for very little of that education.

Those days are gone, but teachers still plow on despite these challenges. They may be discouraged and despondent, but the Paul Tickerhoofs of the world will remain in the classroom.

Thanks to all of those in education. Pat yourselves on your back — and give tribute to those who led you on this path.