Remembering My Favorites on National Teachers Day

Today we honor and celebrate some of the hardest working, often under appreciated people around - teachers.  May 9 is National Teachers Day or National Teacher Appreciation Day, depending on which news article you are reading.  Either way, it got me thinking about my teachers.  Looking way back, the first teacher I really remember is Mrs. Cooksey.  I was terrified of her.  Not because she was mean.  She was actually very nice.  But the poor woman suffered from the worst case of asthma I have ever seen. Being in second grade, I had no clue was an inhaler was; each time she pulled it out of her smock pocket to take a puff, I just knew she was going to pass out right there in front of the blackboard.  Fourth grade brought one of my favorite teachers, Susan Nutt.  Yes, I was taught by Miss Nutt.  She bought us dictionaries and each week we all had to pick a favorite word to discuss with the class.  I credit her with starting my love of words. Moving on to high school and Patrick O'Keefe.  He was undoubtedly my favorite teacher.  He made essay writing and reading fun.  My love of books and reading is because of Mr. O'Keefe - thank you!  We all have that one teacher that we did not like.  Mine was my algebra teacher.  I hated algebra.  In fact it is the only class I ever failed; I had to repeat it in summer school.  I still do not like numbers.
To all my former teachers and all the teachers molding and educating our students today, thank you!  What memories do you have of your favorite teachers?