Comments on: Favorite Teachers

By: Carolyn

Carolyn — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 21:19:28 +0000

I remember how kind Mrs. Haavik was– if any of the first graders seemed upset about anything she would take us onto her lap and turn and face the corner in her desk chair and ask us what was wrong.
In High School I loved Mr Caldwell, even though he taught economics! Not my favorite subject, but he made it interesting.

By: Eileen Rawlyk

Eileen Rawlyk — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 05:44:02 +0000

One of my most favorite teachers was Mr. Salladay. He was a Biology Teacher at Grand Rapids High School during the 1980’s and 1990’s. To his students, Mr. Salladay was better known as “Sal”. He was a wonderful teacher who took the time to listen and care for his students. Once each quarter, Sal offered a special question and answer session. Students were encouraged to write down any question and Sal would answer the question to the best of his knowledge. The questions ranged from “sex” to “Why is the sky blue?”. Somehow Sal made biology interesting – even cells and DNA. It seems ironic, now almost 25 years later, that something I enjoyed learning about (cells) has become one of the greatest challenges in my life. Sal once said something to me about there always being “a way out” of every situation. I considered what Sal said many times when faced with difficult situations with my peers. Sal was an excellent teacher who taught much about biology but even more about life.

By: Leslie Chernila

Leslie Chernila — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 12:32:23 +0000

I’m not surprised by this but it is beautiful. His daughter Mary is my best friend in the DC area. She’s been my rock for 4+ years and we cherish the ‘family’ we’ve created with her, Clayton and Kathryn. I always think about lessons she’s learned through her parents, and try to use the same methods with my son and husband.

You are lucky you had such a wonderful teacher. Kudos Mr. Contreras!