[susan53]

Who was your best ever teacher, and why? Mesmark's post What would you be doing? started me thinking about mine.

When I started secondary school I had a succession of really bad maths teachers. I was lost by the end of the first year and none of the ones who came afterwards did anything to resolve the situation. Four years into school I was consistently bottom of the class with "O" levels looming the following year. At the time, maths "O" level was esential to get into university and for any really decent job.

For the last year we were streamed. Needless to say, I was in the bottom stream, which was taught by our Headmistress - a five foot nothing battleship with steel grey hair and who always, absolutely always wore grey suits. On the first morning she said that it was obvious we had problems with maths or we wouldn't be there, that she was prepared to explain everything a hundred times if necessary, but that the only thing she wouldn't tolerate was anyone not trying to understand and not giving 100% to the course. And she was as good as her word. She was slow and patient, but had enormously high standards. She was also realistic. She took us through the exam syllabus, and showed us what we had time to do and would be concentrating on, and what we'd never get through in the time, given that we were starting from way behind where we should be. She said that if we really understood 66% of the syllabus, and concentrated all the time on those questions in the exam, we'd pass. If we tried to do everything, we'd just be confused about everything.

I don't think I've ever worked so hard for a teacher in my life as I did that year - which given that it was a subject where I had previously been considered a failure, and which I felt totally demotivated about, was no mean feat of motivation on her part. And it worked. I got my "O" level.

I've never forgotten her, and I think she'll always be my ideal teacher. Who was yours?