M: The best teacher I’ve ever had was Mr.
Lambert, my high school French teacher. He
was short, with dark hair, a thick beard, and a
big smile. His legs were short, too, so his arms
always looked too long. He was a very good
teacher because he always brought so much
energy to the classroom. His classes were never
boring because he was always active, trying to
find new methods to communicate ideas.
Because he taught French, English wasn’t
allowed in class, so he often had to demonstrate
the meaning of new words through gestures and
acting.
Once, he had to communicate the word
“above” without saying it in English. First, he
pulled a desk near the blackboard, and then
put a wastebasket between the desk and the
blackboard. Next, he put his feet on the edge of
the blackboard and his hands on the desk so
that he was above the wastebasket. I’ve never
forgotten that demonstration. It was difficult
not to enjoy the subject when he was so excited
about teaching it.
The most important reason that Mr.
Lambert is the best teacher I’ve ever had is that
he loved all his students, even when we made
him angry by speaking English in class.
Whenever that happened, the students always
felt guilty because they had so much respect for
him. Now that I’m a teacher, I try my best to be
like Mr. Lambert. He is my role model.