Most people can name at least one teacher they will never forget. It is rarely the one with the fanciest lesson plans or the strictest rules. It is usually the one who made them feel noticed. Vermont’s John Kerrigan spent decades as a teacher and coach at Harwood Union, and the question of what makes a teacher unforgettable is one that stays close to his work.

The first quality is attention. Students can tell when an adult is really listening. A teacher who remembers a quiet student’s interests, asks about a weekend game or notices a bad day creates a feeling of safety. In that kind of classroom, young people are more willing to ask questions, make mistakes and try again.

The second quality is patience. Learning does not happen on a schedule, and every student arrives with a different background and different strengths. Unforgettable teachers give students time, repeat an explanation in a new way and celebrate progress that others might miss. A small improvement, noticed and praised, can change how a student sees themselves.

The third quality is humor. A shared laugh can break tension before a test, turn a hard day around and make a room feel like a community. Humor does not mean making light of serious things. It means showing students that learning can be enjoyable and that adults are human too.

The fourth quality is honesty. Students respect teachers who explain why something matters, admit when they do not know an answer and hold high expectations with kindness. Honest feedback, delivered with care, tells a young person that they are taken seriously.

Many teachers also lead outside the classroom. Coaching a team, advising a club or chaperoning a trip gives teachers a different way to know their students. A runner who struggles in math may shine on the cross-country course, and seeing that side of a student often changes how a teacher helps them in class.

These ideas appear throughout Just Raise Your Left Hand: “Tell Us A Story”, a collection of true school stories from John’s years at Harwood Union. The book is written for teachers, coaches, parents, former students and anyone who remembers a teacher who made a difference, and it is available as an ebook and a paperback.

If you are a teacher, you do not need to change everything to be memorable. Greet students by name, notice effort, laugh with them and keep your word. These small habits add up over a school year.

If you are a parent or a former student, consider telling a favorite teacher what they meant to you. A short message can arrive years later and still mean a great deal. Many teachers say that kind of note is the best reward the job offers.

Great teachers shape lives in ways they may never see. The more we share those stories, the more we remember why teaching matters.

To learn more about the book and its writer, visit author John Kerrigan.