If we're talking about life before college, Mrs. Van Cura. Fourth grade. She was a petite woman with a tidy cloud of white hair - according to her obituary, she was 58 when she was my teacher, and she taught another 11 years after that.

 

She loved kids, and it showed in everything she did. She didn't put up with nonsense, except when it was time for nonsense (which actually was pretty often). Also, she read a chapter a day to us every day after the post-lunch recess, to let everyone settle down before getting back to work. And she did the voices - when she read Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing every character got a unique voice. Brilliant. 

 

Not US teachers. I don't know about teachers everywhere.

 

My second to last year of college. I transferred to a school where I felt at home, and it was so much fun.

 

Do not tell your English teacher Mrs. Derr what is bothering you, because she will tell her two-faced stuck-up daughter, who will in turn spread it to everyone in school.