We asked TED-Ed staff: Who were the teachers that shaped you?

TED-Ed has the privilege of working with dedicated educators across all our initiatives. From those who contribute their knowledge and creativity to TED-Ed Animations, to TED-Ed Innovative Educators who work to improve and innovate education systems, TED-Ed Student Talks Leaders who help students find their voice and share their ideas with the world, and the educators who use our Lesson Creator as a classroom learning tool— we are eternally grateful to be surrounded by such a passionate and vibrant community of educators.

In addition to the incredible educators we work with, we also wanted to take a moment to reflect on the teachers who shaped us personally.

To celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week, members of TED-Ed shared who the educators were that had a lasting impact on our lives:

My high school English teacher, Ms. Karen Jennings, set me up to celebrate my genius, and to shamelessly allow my life experiences to reflect on my interpretation of literature. I vividly recount analyzing Elizabeth Bishop’s “One Art” as an exploration of forgetfulness resulting from unrequited love. Ms. Jennings was so impressed, she admitted I’ve influenced her teaching of the poem. Ms. Jennings created a classroom environment that dared students to grow in a stress-free environment, and to prioritize our mental health. Her approach to teaching was especially life-changing to me, and my fellow POC classmates. I’m so lucky to have been her student.

— Abdallah Ewis

There are two teachers who had a particularly strong influence on my life: Mrs. Grupe and Mrs. Varnes. They taught a block linked Honors English and AP World History course. I loved it because the novels we read connected to the history and part of the world we were learning about. It instilled my love for historical and realistic fiction and was a deciding factor in how I chose to pursue English Literature as my college major. But it wasn’t only the format of the course, but it was the passion these teachers had when teaching the subjects. When Mrs. Grupe taught, Mrs Varnes paid attention and seemed to learn right along with us. When Mrs. Varnes taught, Mrs. Grupe was in the back of the classroom whispering the historical connections to the literature. Their chemistry and excitement for the subjects showed how important it is to learn about liberal arts subjects, how they connect to the practical.

— Caroline Cristal

There are two I have to shoutout! Mrs. Ramras was patient and kind to me in third grade when a lot was going on at home and it was hard for me to sit still and pay attention in class. She spent time with me after school to help and really get to know me and I remember those after school times to this day. Mr. Baker introduced me to politics and watching the news, how to fact-check and critically think and debate, and to be an engaged citizen in AP Gov, and I went on to major in Political Science. It was my favorite class.

— Marisa Aubin

Two of my high school history teachers had strong influences on how I looked at learning and how to think critically about history and culture: Mr. White and Mr. Bernstein. Mr. White created simulated programs for different time periods that put us, the students, in the roles of people living in those times— we had to make decisions as medieval serfs, vassals, landowners (one of us even got to be the Pope!). It was one of the most unique learning experiences I’ve ever had and made the entire class excited and eager to get to Mr. White’s every day. Mr. Bernstein always put emphasis on how history isn’t actually history— we are making choices every day that are impacted by the past and will affect how we live in the future. As a high schooler, this was a new way of looking at how we learn history, our connection to each other and the responsibilities we have to future communities. I will always be grateful to these two for shifting my perspectives and making learning so engaging!

— Lauren McAlpine

My fifth grade teacher, Mrs. Chapman, had a huge influence on my life. She worked extremely hard to make sure that every student in her class knew it was okay (and in fact good) to be passionate about and interested in lots and lots of things. My particular passions at the time were hobbits, marbles and ancient Egypt. We weren’t exactly covering those topics in class, so she easily could have told me to “stay on task,” but instead she carved out time in our next visit to the school library to help me find a book that related to each topic. It’s impossible to describe exactly what I learned in her class, but whatever it is, I’m certain that I use it every single day.

— Logan Smalley

One teacher who strongly influenced my life was John Leistler, because of his genuine, infectious enthusiasm for art history, not to mention teaching, learning and exploring. I’ll never forget his Snake Goddess impression — an ululation and gestural evocation of this statue.

— Alex Rosenthal

One teacher who had a strong influence on my life was my second grade teacher, Mrs. Schrittwieser. She was incredibly kind to me on my first day at a new elementary school and took the time to make sure I felt comfortable in the school. The moment that stands out for me is when she asked another student (who ended up being one of my first friends at that school) to take me around and give me a tour.

— Stephanie Lo

My high school science teacher, Mr. Roberts, had a big impact on my life when he stood up for rational thought. By teaching evolution without wasting classroom time on Biblical creationism and intelligent design, he showed me that good science education is worth fighting for — and that it is possible to keep church and state separate in U.S. public schools. By offering extra credit to any students who turned in research papers on creationism and intelligent design in the context of the world’s many other religious beliefs, he encouraged all of us to stay curious and keep learning.

— Laura McClure

My high school English teacher, Veronica Stephenson, had a big impact on my life. While she was undoubtedly an excellent English teacher, she sculpted me most through her unyielding support of my intense (and somewhat abnormal for my zip code) love of theater and the performing arts. As my school’s drama club advisor, she gave me countless remarkable opportunities not only to perform, but to really explore season curation, scenic design and more. Had she not identified and nurtured this passion in me, I don’t know if I would have had the confidence to pursue it. Those teachers who really take the time to get to know their students and help them grow are rare, but she was one of them. Thanks, Veronica!

— Emilie Soffe

One educator who had a big influence on my life was my 12th grade English teacher, because she inspired me to always strive for more, but to have a critical eye for the world around me. The moment that stands out for me is when she had us participate in Socratic discussions about Kate Chopin’s Awakening.

— Tristine Baccam

My sixth grade teacher, Ms. Jean DeSimone, had a powerful impact on my life. When I wrote out my sentences for our weekly vocabulary words, I made every single sentence about monkeys. Rather than tell me to do it over and take it seriously, she encouraged me to be creative in my weird way and keep relating every single vocabulary word to monkeys.

— Noah Tavlin

Ready to reflect on the teachers who’ve impacted your life? Take a 5-minute break and try this TED-Ed writing prompt:

One teacher who had a particularly strong influence on my life was _________, because ______. The moment that stands out for me is when ____________.

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