It's Happening: Those Special Teachers
By Julie Perine on April 06, 2025 from It’s Happening
I recently asked my 5-year-old granddaughter if she was going to be a teacher like her mommy when she grew up. She replied, “Yes. And a firefighter and a builder.” I asked her how she was going to be all three and she simply said, “I’ll just change my clothes.” That was the cutest thing to say and in the mind of a preschooler, kind of logical. To play the part, you wear the outfit. But we all know that to become a good teacher, one must not only complete the educational requirements but also develop a good rapport with students and be driven by passion. Both of my daughters are educators, and I’ve heard them talk about that “lightbulb moment” – the moment when they get through to the student, when the material clicks, when they get it.
Having gone to school – from second grade through high school senior – in Bridgeport, I am among thousands who were blessed to have some very good teachers. A few stand out. I can still remember what they looked like, how they carried themselves, how I felt to be with them and the respect I had for the knowledge they held.
My third-grade teacher at Simpson Elementary, Mrs. Dolores Powell, was one of my favorites. She had dark hair and a little draw to her voice. Back then, all the teachers wore dresses and skirts. Her skirts were midi-length, A-line, and to my recollection she often wore a cardigan. She was serious about teaching, yet it seemed she was always smiling, pleasant and approachable. Even at eight years old, I could tell she cared about her students. She wanted us to gain knowledge in her class and leave with a renewed thirst to learn more. I think third grade is an impressionable, possibly pivotal year. Now that I think about it, some of my children also have fond memories of their third-grade teachers.
High school teachers that stand out in my memory are the duo of Mrs. Carolyn Burnett and Mrs. Kris Stanton. They taught business classes; for me, typing and shorthand, respectively. They were cool and seemed relatively young - even to a 16-year-old girl. This was back in the mid- to late-1970s, way before computers were utilized in the educational and business worlds. I learned to type on an electric typewriter and the only way to make corrections was to erase or use liquid paper also known as “White Out.” Although many these days don’t even know what shorthand is, it was quite a popular method back then. We learned a series of pen strokes, which when put together, formed words and phrases. I excelled in these classes, and I think Mrs. Burnett and Mrs. Stanton had a lot to do with that. They also had a lot to do with the fact that I decided to pursue the business route in college and further my clerical skills, which I utilized for years while serving as a legal secretary at Steptoe & Johnson.
I could elaborate on some other teachers and in the future, I just might. I ran into these educators in later years and felt the same way in their presence as I had when I was a kid. Mrs. Powell and Mrs. Burnett have passed on. I hope they knew what an impact they had on my life. I 
recently saw Mrs. Stanton at the BHS Alumni & Friends Foundation Hall of Fame Banquet. I was thrilled to give her a hug and thank her.
recently saw Mrs. Stanton at the BHS Alumni & Friends Foundation Hall of Fame Banquet. I was thrilled to give her a hug and thank her.
Have teachers played an important role in your life or in the lives of your kids? Leading up to National Teacher Week, May 5-9, it would be cool to find a way to let them know.
