Favorite Teachers

Thu, 04/24/2008 - 10:05am — Ted Erikson

Who is alive that remembers?: 

Let's see, Coulson (Chemistry), Mackay (English) and Kooistra (Math. geometry), Mongerson (Physics)

Comments

Sat, 05/03/2008 - 6:50pm — lindabeck

No one could forget Miss

No one could forget Miss Annan.

Sun, 06/01/2008 - 10:39pm — Lynne Bartenstein

I remember Mr. Mongerson and

I remember Mr. Mongerson and Miss Annan, but also Mr. Yasnoff (math). Mrs. Coleman inspired me to pursue a career in science. And there was always my red-headed home room teacher Betty Lee Feldman!

Thu, 06/19/2008 - 11:19pm — Velda

I attended South Shore High

I attended South Shore High from '69-'73. One of my favorite teachers at South Shore was Mr. Inouye (Algebra). He had a great teaching technic, especially for a person like me who was mathematically challenged. He would vigorously write formulas on the black board and make mistakes. Of course, we students would relish in pointing out that our teacher made a mistake. Little did we realize that the "errors" were intentional. He made sure we paid attention and learned at a fast pace while having fun at the same time. It was the first and last time I got an "A" in a math subject! Kudos and thanks to Mr. Inouye!!!

I also ran into Mrs. Cornish (history teacher who was also married to NFL player Frank Cornish) last month.  We were having manis/pedis that day.  She retired from teaching in '05, looks GREAT, and is truly enjoying herself traveling and connecting with family.

I periodically run into Ms. Johnson (gym, home room teacher) while shopping in the neighborhood.  She is still very active and keeps in touch with other teachers and students. I still remember how strict she was...we laughed about how she would threaten to send us to Montefiore (the bad kids school) if we did'nt behave in class. 

I frequently see Mrs. Cobb (gym teacher) at church.  She is doing well.

Velda Bowman Sellers

Sun, 01/11/2009 - 9:01pm — Charles_Good

I remember "mumbles

I remember "mumbles Mongerson" as my Physics teacher. He retired in the middle of 1963/64 and was succeeded by Dr.(Mrs) Yasnoff, not the same as but possibly married to Mr. Yasnoff the math teacher. Mongerson was a good teacher! I still find his physics useful in every day life.

Mrs. Coleman was my Biology teacher for the two 1962/63 semesters. She inspired me to go on in Biology and eventually earn a PhD in botany and paleobotany. I remember her talking about DNA. But, she DID NOT say that James Watson, who won the Nobel Prize in 1962 for discovering the structure of DNA (published in April 1953) was a student at South Shore. I guess nobody at the school realized this at the time. I was astonished, many years later, to find out that James Watson is a South Shore alumnus.

Mon, 01/12/2009 - 4:10pm — editor

Great story Mumbles huh? I

Great story
Mumbles huh?
I do remember Ms Coleman and I loved Chem so I loved all the science classes
I became a medical researcher for quite a while. Not to your level, but I did help discover a cure for the offspring of
Diabetic mothers. The kids were huge and we didn't feed them for 24 hours in the old days, so they died because of a factor in the Wharton's Jelly.
It was cool research.

Caryn A.

Sat, 02/07/2009 - 7:42am — Les Kramer

I remember Mrs. Coleman

I remember Mrs. Coleman talking about the DNA as well as Crick and Watson, but she never mentioned that Watson went to SSHS. Even though my career is in materials science research, I still remember her description of the Amoeba and the properties of the cell wall as a barrier and porous membrane (in 1958). Years later (2002) when I was working on single wall carbon nanotubes, I visited Dr. Richard Smalley of Rice University. Dr. Smalley shared in the 1996 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the discovery of "Buckyballs. That day, he discussed the potential of nanotubes crossing the cell wall barrier (i.e., a vaild environmental health concern today), and I immediately recognized where I was first introduced to that concept - Mrs Coleman's class!!

Today with the merger of nanotech and biotech, future engineers could do with a good dose of what Mrs. Coleman taught her students.   

Sat, 02/07/2009 - 8:10am — Les Kramer

Dr. Annan was one of my

Dr. Annan was one of my favorite teachers but also one of the hardest. I remember sweating through the Illiad, Beowulf, Chaucer, and Thornton Wilder's "The Bridge at San Luis Rey". Even in those days, I was a techno geek, and I have continued to work professionally in technology to this day. I would question her from time to time as to why I had to learn these classics of literature since my career is obviously going to be in science. Most of these times, she would suggest to me "Kramer - don't be a mere technologist!".

Well, after a few years of a professional career in technology as well as during grad school, I began to understand the value of classical literature and art. Today, I try to support the local arts to the best of my capabilities as well as to read literature. I hope that I have avoided being "a MERE technologist" in my life.

Sat, 03/20/2010 - 6:42pm — renonta

Mr Jaeger was my favorite

Mr Jaeger was my favorite teacher.  He was the speach and drama teacher and also taught english. At the time he was teaching, he was going to school to become a lawyer and about 6 yeare ago I saw him downtown and he is now a lawyer.  Class of 79