The Bridge with Peter Mansbridge - YOUR TURN -- YOUR FAVOURITE TEACHER

Episode Date: May 2, 2024

Lots of replies from you to our question of the week, "Name the one teacher who made a real difference in your life". From across the country, you've told us in passionate and emotional ways about the one teacher who so impacted your life. There have been so many letters we'll have enough for next week's Your Turn as well!  Plus, the Random Ranter on ...you guessed it, teachers!

Hello there, Peter Mansbridge here. You're just moments away from the latest episode of The Bridge. It's Thursday, it's your turn, and it's your favorite teacher. Wow, did you ever respond? Coming right up. And hello there, Peter Mansbridge right here with you on the bridge. When we started in January this Thursday, the idea of throwing out a question and seeing whether or not you'd respond to it and how you'd respond to it, it's been quite something. It's told us a lot, I think, about your feelings towards the country, towards the different regions of the country, to your favorite books,

to any number of different questions we've thrown out there on leadership, etc., etc. And this week, you know, I was thinking about a new question, and my good friend Mark Bulgich has prodded me often. He's, you know, his two daughters are teachers. One of my daughters is a teacher. And he said, you know, let's try to get at the underbelly of what people are saying about teachers. And so we constructed this question.

You know, name one teacher who's had a great influence on your life. We thought it would be interesting to see how people respond to that. I couldn't have predicted it. I don't think Mark could have either, although he's always argued that teachers play a much bigger role in our lives than we tend to think.

I mean, we all know the impact teachers can have. We understand that. But Mark has argued, you know, there's some people who are passionate and emotional about their connection to their school days and to their fellow students and to their teachers. And we've got to get at that in some way. So this is a small way of getting at it, but it's proven to be, well, all the things I mentioned before, it's instructive, it's educational, it's emotional, it's passionate. You'll see all of that in these letters.

And once again, they come from all across the country. There are so many, and everybody said, yeah, yeah, Peter, I know you have rules, but you know, forget the rules. This is going to take more than a couple of sentences. Some people managed to squeeze into a couple of sentences, but most of you went long. And as a result, we got lots and lots of letters. There's no way we'll get through them all this week.

Maybe not even next week. I mean, there's a lot of letters here. The cutoff has happened, by the way. I know some of you are going to get inspired to write new letters. But I'm telling you, we got lots. And we're not going to hear any of them unless I just shut up and start reading. So why don't we do that, Peter? Okay. Once again, these are in no particular order.

They're just sort of, here they are. Mike McDonald in Ottawa. I'm now 60, and to this day I remember my grade 10 geography teacher. Every year, close to November 11th, he would always have a 10 to 15 minute speech to remind us of the importance of Remembrance Day and the sacrifice Canadians made. I never appreciated that speech until later in life and still remember it to this day.

It was very powerful. I doubt the young people today know anything about the importance of past wars. I hope I'm wrong. I think you are wrong, Mike. There's a lot of stuff that happens in schools connected to Remembrance Days these days. More than there was 30 years ago, I'll tell you that. And we're coming up on another big anniversary that so involved Canadians. A little over a month from now, it'll be June 6th,

the anniversary of D-Day, and this is a big year, 80 years. And at Juneau Beach, there will still be a trickle of those fellows who landed on the beach on that day. Bob Davidson in St. Thomas, Ontario. St. Thomas is, you know, it's just south of London, Ontario. Home of, among others, Joe Thornton, great hockey player. Joe's from St. Thomas, so the St. Thomas area. Bob Davidson writes, his name was Bill Price,

and he was my teacher from grades 5 to 8. He was young, 19, when we were in grade 5. Brought a modern, fresh approach to the classroom and made learning a joy. For example, we studied the Beatles' Eleanor Rigby in English class. Many of us in that class are still Facebook friends. With him, 54 years later, such a strong influence,

someone we all respected and produced nothing but great memories. Rena Sharing in Toronto. It was 21, I was 21, after my 1977 grade 13 graduation, when I realized the value of thanking a teacher. I was a lackluster student, a tobical collegiate. I did not excel in the math, sciences, arts, or English. I knew my average needed to be boosted in geography class. Luckily, I was taught by Mr. Vernon Rout, a funny New Zealander with a great accent and a penchant for nonstop puns.

I went on to earn a geography degree at university. Years later, I was out celebrating a friend's birthday. I noticed an elderly Mr. Rout sitting with another group. My husband encouraged me to go over and say hello and tell him how much his teaching had influenced my path. I demurred, saying he won't remember me. Nonetheless, I went over to his table, emphasizing how his classes led me to a geography degree and then a job in using my geography skills. Later that evening, I spotted him gingerly making his way out of the room. It was at that moment his wife, or was it his daughter,

came to my table and told me that the thank you and acknowledgement that I had given him was the best thing that anyone could have done. I've never forgotten that lesson. It's never too late to thank someone. It will mean more than you can imagine. Alex Cianfloni in Ottawa. Dr. John Eric Rowley from Jean Vanier Catholic Secondary School in Welland, Ontario, from 2015, grade 11, to 2016, grade 12.

The gentleman has a passion for learning, and it surely influenced my academic decisions. I would not be where I am today, soon to be completing my graduate degree, if it was not for his influence. Dr. Rowley completed his PhD while continuing to teach us high school students full-time. He emphasized the importance of concision, clear communication, and critical thinking skills. I learned everything I needed to know from him and he made sure to let me know that I am gifted in my own right. Some teachers aren't in it for the 8-4 routine, and he's one of them. Hands down.

Paul Johnston in Roberts Creek, B.C. That's on the southern Sunshine Coast. I attended classes in London, Ontario in the 1960s. My grade 6 and 7 teacher was Paul Park. He was interesting, inventive and interesting. I guess he was really interesting. I guess we mentioned that twice. I definitely learned basics, but also I was made curious

about Vikings in Canada and about North America pre-contact. Paul was an amateur archaeologist and shared his experiences. I went on to a life in labor law. Now retired, I spend much of my time reading about our past. I credit Paul. Dean Mercer in Vancouver. I had many really fantastic teachers, and even though it has been so many years, I still think fondly about many of them. Without a doubt, at the very top would be Mr. Doug Knight

at Karen Public School in Toronto. It's now called Rennie Gordon, who I had for both grades five and six. Many of us came to school early and left late, so we could all talk to Doug as he asked me to address him once I was an adult. He ran after-school programs for the athletic types, not me. In the fifth grade, he started giving me his copies of The Economist, an atomic scientist, when he was done.

But beyond what he did around the school was what he did for me and my younger brother, six years my junior. Our dad had died, and even though I was in junior high by then, he would take either me or both of us to football games at Wilfrid Laurier and family dinners at his parents' home in Waterloo. Truly a very generous spirit who really believed that 10-year-olds had real minds that could be engaged seriously, and he liked to laugh and find humor in things as well.

Joshua Winters in Surrey, B.C. I know I was supposed to pick only one teacher, but I have to tell you about the teacher and vice-principal who saved my life. My parents were devout Christians. I was a young man struggling to reconcile my sexuality and faith while also experiencing mental health issues and bullying at school. Needless to say, I had no support at home. My grade 10 English teacher, Mrs. Fung, taught me critical thinking and began to open my eyes to a world

beyond my religious. My school's vice principal, Mrs. Goldhawk, taught me to be strong and independent, instilling in me that I was more resilient than I thought I was. When my first and only relationship with a girl fell apart, I felt I could never live up to God's expectations and that there was no future for me. I left Mrs. Fung what was essentially a suicide note. Shortly after, they sprung into action, contacting my parents and stopping me before any permanent damage was done. In the months and even years that followed, they took time out of their days to see me, speak to me, answer my messages and calls, whether it was on their lunch breaks, between meetings, after school, and often to the detriment of their workloads.

They created a safe space and connected me with mental health resources at a time when few of either existed. I remain friends with them both to this day and will always be grateful for their unconditional support throughout my most difficult years. I can safely say I'm alive today because of the dedication and even love of these two extraordinary educators. Anne-Marie Klein in Toronto. Monsieur Lagredi was our beloved music teacher at Etienne Brulé, which she believes is also Chantal's alma mater though I think she missed him by a year or two.

Anyway, Monsieur Le Grédy taught me to play the clarinet from grades 8 to 13. He was larger than life, an accomplished composer who had been the musical director at Radio Budapest before the Hungarian Revolution made him flee to Canada. He named his band Les Voyageurs and chose traveling band as our theme song. True to his adventurous spirit and belief that music was meant to be played live, we performed in the Kiwanis Music Festival every year, sometimes using a song he had composed.

He also arranged exchanges with francophone schools in Quebec and Ontario. We stayed with local families and then reciprocated by hosting the same band's students, developing lifelong skills from those field trips along with a love of travel. I still have and treasure the vinyl LP of Benny Goodman that he signed and gave me as a graduation gift, as well as my clarinet. Terry Hinch of Woodstock, Ontario. Ulysses Crazy Legs Curtis was a rare one-of-a-kind teacher

at the North York School Board, also teaching physical education and a football coach. He was the first black player for the Toronto Argonauts, a record-breaking running back. He was also one of the first black teachers for the school board. This man asked me to try out for the football team as a defensive tackle. I'd never played any sports before, but I thought I would give it a try. With his encouragement, I became a better player and scholar.

After playing in college, I received an offer to try out for the Argos, but prior commitments prevented me going. I will never forget that beautiful person who changed my life and made me a better person. Ben Kozlak in Newcastle, Ontario, just east of Oshawa. When you asked about a teacher who made differences in my life, I immediately thought of Mr. Richardson from my high school days in Oshawa. He taught me grade 12 physics and consequently how to approach math and science in a truly practical way.

I was always strong in these subjects, but occasionally struggled with testing, and in hindsight I realized he must have known this. Perhaps enough to fudge a grade or two to help me get into a good university. But he gave me confidence and must have seen something in me to know that I would figure it out. Always stuck with me. Now I'm a professionally licensed senior structural engineer. Nancy Abba in Toronto. In grade 9, Sister St. Charles Maureen was both my homeroom and math teacher. Having been more than challenged with arithmetic in public school, I was pretty nervous about high school math.

Sister made it very clear early on that A, girls can do math, and B, math is fun. She changed my life. She empowered me. She made me believe anything was possible if you put in the work. I tried to pass those lessons on to my two daughters, and I believe succeeded. And even today, those lessons resonate with me. A good teacher is worth their weight in gold. Yvonne Clifford in Cambridge, Ontario. I'm a nerd. When people look at my athletic children, they often ask what sports I played in high school. My answer, I ran to math club.

My favorite teacher without a doubt was Mr. Greenhorn, the math wizard who taught me three different high school math courses. In a rough and tough country school, In a rough and tough country school, Mr. Greenhorn made math more engaging and easy to understand. Mr. Greenhorn was a blend of corny humor, think dad jokes, nerdy charm, and remarkable intelligence. Mr. Greenhorn hasn't just shaped my passion for math, he's also left an indelible mark on how I approach teaching and my own chemistry classes. Whether it's the quick return of graded assignments or my repertoire of wonderfully terrible jokes, he instilled the art of great teaching. Thank you, Mr. Greenhorn, for embracing that awkward, nerdy high school girl

and equipping her not just with mathematical fundamentals, but also with the confidence to embrace her inner nerdiness. Michelle Aldridge in Calgary. It's with gratitude and a pinch of delight that I write to share that Mr. Bill Irwin was my favorite teacher. Many people helped me as a child, but Mr. Irwin was a special teacher when I attended Alberni District High School in the mid-80s. I'm the third daughter of a single-parent home, and I had many roles to play. I worked in a curling club in the cafe, was an honor roll student,

and swam competitively. I worked hard to help pay for my clothes, books, toiletries, and activities. My job often had me up later than I wished, and swimming often had me at the pool between 5.30 and 5.45 a.m. I walked to the pool in the dark, then after practice would go home, shower, have a bowl of cereal, and then hurry down the road to make it to classes on time. Mr. Irwin taught me biology and was my homeroom teacher. He would sometimes bring fun things into the classroom, such as his son's tarantula. I felt seen and appreciated. The school's expectation of arriving on time was real, and if you were late, you had to go outside and pick up litter. Mr. Irwin was not only an exceptional teacher, he was also an incredible human. When I was late to school, Mr. Irwin would ask me,

What did you learn today in the science part of Good Morning America? If I could tell him some tidbit of knowledge, then he would not mark me late and smile as I took my seat. It's through the excellent instruction from my teachers that I was able to go to university and create a better life for myself. I wish I wasn't a rule follower. I could name them all. We love rules here. Judy Hill. Judy doesn't mention where she's writing from, but I think it's somewhere near Shakespeare, Ontario, which is just east of

Stratford. Judy writes, I started my education in a two-room school in Shakespeare, Ontario. The teacher who taught the grade four, five, and six classes was Grace Wacom, and I was lucky to have had her for those three years. Why was she so special? Because she was strict, but fair. She didn't put up with any nonsense and you knew she meant business so therefore you learned discipline and respect. She taught us to do our best and take pride in our

schoolwork and she made learning fun with spelling bees, geography matches and story time each day at one o'clock. Each winter she would let us build an ice rink beside the school, and we would manually have a bucket of water to toss on the shoveled-out section to make the ice. If we didn't create trouble in her room, then we were allowed to go skating. I came away learning that if a job is worth doing, then give it the best you can. That's a phrase my dad used to use, too. If a job's worth doing, it's worth doing well. Frank Sollinger, Gray County, Ontario. That's on Lake Huron, west of Barrie.

The teacher that inspired me the most was my track and field cross-country running coach, Brad Morley, who was an English teacher at Owen Sound Collegiate and Vocational Institute, a school that has since been closed down. Brad coached me from grades 9 to 13 and basically ran a year-round program. He would train with us religiously, even through the summers and holidays. These training sessions would entail anything from intense speed and hill workouts to relatively leisurely runs of 12 to 15 miles to get our mileage in.

Watching, learning from Brad not only how to compete, train, and dedicate oneself to a sport, but more importantly, he demonstrated day in and day out how to respect others and inspire the people around him to live their lives to the fullest. The generous amount of time that Brad gave through my high school years led me to becoming a teacher. Now a retired teacher myself after 30 years of teaching and coaching numerous sports in Nova Scotia, British Columbia, and Ontario. I have Brad to thank for allowing me to pass the torch on to many others throughout my own teaching career. I think it's time for a break.

You know what I told you at the beginning? These are great. They create these great word pictures of individuals as kids who are so guided by their teachers for various different things about life. And the dedication of those teachers to go beyond the normal to help kids. It's great. I love these letters. Anyway, it's time for a quick break. We've got lots more. As I'm telling you, we've got lots more.

But let's take a quick break. Let's take a quick break. We'll be back right after this. Welcome back. You're listening to The Bridge, the Thursday episode. It's your turn and your letters about the teacher that had the greatest impression on you, the greatest impact on you when you were at school and it became a lifelong relationship in the sense that some of those guiding principles that that teacher taught you are still a part of your life today.

You're listening to The Bridge on Sirius XM, Channel 167, Canada Talks, or on your favorite podcast platform. Lots more letters, plus the random ranter, who is actually on topic this week. Turns out he's got something to say about teachers as well. And I think you'll find that interesting. It's as a result of something that just happened in the last week.

So we'll get to that with the ranter. But more letters first. Jim Clemmer is in Kitchener, Ontario. By the way, there have been a lot of letters from Ontario, but they're from right across the country, and you'll see that not only this week, but next week as well, because we've at least got two weeks of letters here. Anyway, Jim's letter from Kitchener. I was doing well in grades one to three, especially in reading. Then I hit a terrible teacher in grade four.

She made school so unhappy and unappealing, she almost caused me to drop out. Of course, I would have waited another few years to make it official. However, in grades five and six, I came under the nurturing of Mrs. June Westman. I vividly remember her saying after I'd read a composition of the class, someday I won't be surprised to see your name on a book. Her encouraging words simmered in my subconscious for years and helped me to see new possibilities for myself.

Twenty years later, my first book was published. It was a real pleasure to present her with one of the very first copies, inscribed with a warm thank you message. Her family and the local paper ensured that she got the recognition she so richly deserved. Ed Ponikvar in Burlington, Ontario. My favorite teacher was Skip Dueling, who taught me religion from 1978 to 1983. He was a former radio disc jockey

who brought his larger-than-life personality to the classroom. He brought religion to life by using stories from the Toronto Sun and current events to make theology come to life. However, the most important thing he did for me was share both stories about his life, which he incorporated into his curriculum, his humor, and even the odd audio cassette from the previous night's Larry King show.

When I began my teaching career, I was privileged to join Skip as a faculty member at my first teaching job, and during my career I paid my favorite teacher the ultimate compliment of emulating his openness. Very short letter from Greg Telfer from Oakville, Ontario the teacher who made an impact on my life Dan Kalanskew Pleasant View Middle School, North York, Ontario

taught me to be exceptional and not to settle made the arts and sports cool. I guess he also told you how to write real short. Tim Herron in the Toronto area, at least his phone number would suggest that. Ian McMillan is the teacher who

had a major effect on my life. I recently found out that he will be inducted into the Aurelia Sports Hall of Fame for his contribution to so many whose lives he touched. Ian taught me grade 10 and 11 math. He was also my track and field coach, but he gave me life lessons that I still share with my children and friends. Mac, or Coach Mac, was so generous to his students, his athletes, and to those he came in contact with. His stories at a recent luncheon were just as funny 50 years later. We learned from his academic classroom. We also learned from his classroom of life when he went to track meets and basketball tournaments. I'm so fortunate that I will be able to share his induction this Saturday night in Aurelia in person.

Colleen Curran Fotopoulos, Severn Bridge, Ontario. That's in the Muskokas, I think, north of Toronto, about halfway between Aurelia and Gravenhurst. Colleen writes, I was a child from a family that moved a lot. I went to eight schools in the 10 years of grade school. I was at Moortown Public School down in southwestern Ontario near Sarnia for grades 6 and 8, and one of the most influential teachers I had was from there. Neil Maltin was everything I liked in a teacher.

I read a lot and decided to write a Christmas play and then put that play on. I just told my class one day at a lunch that I wrote a play and was going to be running auditions for anyone who wanted to be in it. I had no idea what I was doing. So at the library one lunchtime, there was a lineup of students going down the hall from the library coming to audition. Mr. Moulton saw the kids and asked me what I was doing. He asked to see my play, and then once he read it, he told me he would like to help. We rehearsed during class, and our

grade six class put it on for the school at the Christmas assembly. The best part was that he wrote a song to go with it, a whole song for me and my play that the class sang, and I still remember it to this day, 45 years later. I always wanted to find him and thank him for his kindness and support. That sense of respect he gave me at age 11 for my creativity has stayed with me my whole life.

Marilyn Wallace in Fanny Bay, British Columbia. I grew up on a farm in rural Alberta where the music of choice was traditional country or old-time dance tunes. But by some miracle, in the closest town of only a thousand people, Ms. Penny Wig chose to offer classical piano music lessons. I've always wondered how a person of her advanced training and talent ended up in our small town. The first time I saw a grand piano was in her living room, where it was the single piece of furniture.

My father was not impressed as he played in a local dance band and had a bit of disdain for the classics. Luckily, Ms. Wigg's determination won him over. Her passionate teaching over several years introduced me to a joy in playing classical music that has continued for countless, literally countless hours over the last 50 years. I wish I could tell her as much in person. Liska Sorge in Diamond Valley, Alberta That's south of Calgary

I was lucky to have many really good teachers but my high school art and world religions teacher Mr. Wayne Alsop took a sincere and kind interest in his students. He inspired us to have an emotional connection to art and also a respect for different philosophies that we hadn't been aware of before. And I'll always, always remember him fondly. Dean Powell in Toronto.

My accounting and business teacher in grades 10 to 12 at Georgetown District High School, Phil Peden, was probably the first teacher in my life to make me feel seen and that I was a good student. His belief in me gave me the confidence to aim for higher goals and made me believe I could achieve them. He was a reference for my first job in high school, and unknown to me at the time,

had nominated me for a scholarship which I ultimately won. Sixteen plus years later, and I'm still grateful I was his student. And wherever he is, I hope he's enjoying an amazing retirement. Ken Peleschok in Newstead, Ontario. I've had some good teachers over the years, and I wasn't a great student in the traditional sense. But if I had to choose one, I'd choose Mr. Morton. I went to a small school, and for whatever reason,

we'd have a combination of part-time teachers. So Mr. Morton would show up on certain mornings, on certain days of the week. He was also a specialist of some sort, and diagnosed me with what was called at the time a learning disability. He was the first teacher who explained to me, and I'm paraphrasing here, you're not dumb,

you just think different. Brian Hoyle in Bedford, Nova Scotia. In the early 1970s, when in high school, I had to choose an optional course. My choices were automobile mechanics and something called microbiology. Having no interest in cars, I chose microbiology. My microbiology teacher that year and the ensuing three years was Patricia Beecham. Ms. Beecham showed me the thrill of science and gave me and the other students the freedom to perform experiments, some of which involved expensive equipment and open flames. Her teaching skill, warm personality, empathy, concern, and respect for us fueled my interest in microbiology, which led to undergraduate and graduate university degrees and a

20-plus year stint as a science and medical writer and editor. My life would have been entirely different had I taken the turn to the auto shop instead of her microbiology classroom. Len Bergmane, Hudson, Quebec, just west of Montreal, beautiful little town. Mr. Henry was my grade 10 physics teacher in 1974. There was another physics teacher doing the same course material, that term, Mr. Henry, a Jamaican immigrant who was very serious and strict. Closing in on the end of the term, most of us were failing his tests and assignments, but since the final exam was worth 50% of the total grade, we still had a shot at passing. His tough teaching style resulted in most of us passing with higher marks than the other physics class.

He forced us to apply ourselves and work harder. A true life lesson. Lindsay Sellers in Nanaimo, British Columbia. My fourth grade teacher was Mr. Moltoff. We had his name on our spelling test every week until we remembered how to spell it, and then got an extra point all year when we continued. He commanded respect. He was a strong personality, very bravado, with a voice that carried throughout the school.

He held his head high, shoulders down, chest out, and ready for that grand inhale. And away he went. He just so happened to be the choir teacher as well. He taught us to breathe and use our diaphragm, to stand tall and project. He taught the recorder and ukulele while he sang along with his accordion, always ready and waiting, tucked away in the corner of the classroom. He showed us forgiveness and follow-through, kindness and caring, boundaries and sternness.

He took time after school to talk to parents, to cultivate relationships and connections, or stand at the bus lane and say goodbye to the students. Thank you, Mr. Molotov, for being a shining star in my life. Brian Miller in Montreal. My grade 10 history teacher was Roman Jaromowicz. Firstly, as public high school students, we were spoiled with a professor who had a Ph.D. in the subject and the passion to match.

His creativity and work ethic in bringing big historical moments to life were legendary. There are too many examples to share here, but let me leave you with one. Imagine learning about the French Revolution by reenacting the Estates General that preceded it. share here, but let me leave you with one. Imagine learning about the French Revolution by reenacting the Estates General that preceded it. Each student received a for-their-eyes-only manila envelope with the role they would specifically play, their station, their public

position, as well as their more selfish leanings. After research, costume making, posturing, and bartering, we actually performed the great summit that led to a different outcome every year. 28 years later, I still remember playing Napoleon and convincing my peers to skip the whole Jacobin reign of terror and move straight into a benevolent but centralized rule under me. He was a one-of-a-kind. Suzanne Scheer, an Aurelia. The most influential teacher I had was my grade nine history teacher, Mr. Mankowski.

While history class bored me to tears, Mr. Mankowski brought a personal touch to the class. He did a slideshow of his travels around the world and talked about traveling around Europe and India and Japan and their different cultures, religions, languages. That class really inspired me and for the following five years until we graduated from high school, my best friend and I started planning our travels. We would talk and dream about Parisian cafes, tulip gardens in Holland, beaches in Baklava in Greece, pizza and gelato in Italy, and all the

different currencies and languages we would encounter when we got there. We cut clippings out of the Toronto Star on how to travel cheaply, brought a let's go Europe, and saved every penny we could. Finally, the day came in the spring of 1979 when we bought our plane tickets, our Eurorail pass, backpacks, and really comfortable hiking boots. We were both 19. We flew out of Pearson International to Heathrow and spent the next 12 months having the time of our lives,

visiting 14 countries in total, traveling as far north as Narvik, Norway, and as far south as Luxor, Egypt. And all of that grew out of one history class. Teachers can be inspiring in so many ways. Don Dufour in Ottawa. My grade 10 math teacher, Mr. Jeffrey Schifrin, made a real difference in my life. Although I've always had an aptitude for math, he reminded me on tests and exams that I used the lumberjack method to solve my equations, and he always

tried to show me quicker, niftier methods. I usually got the correct answers, but always took the long road to get there. While helping my children years ago with their math, I told them about my early school days and me being a math lumberjack, and it gave them a good laugh. In 2017, at the 50th anniversary celebration of my high school in Toronto, Westview Centennial, I was thrilled to see Mr. Schifrin again and loved seeing the wonderful twinkle in his eyes as we chatted about my very rewarding career as a pension consultant, largely math-based.

Brady Stevenson in Halifax. Here's what Brady writes. In Iroquois, Ontario, that's in eastern Ontario, Mrs. Janine Wagemans was my grade 10 and grade 13 English teacher back in the late 1990s, early 2000s. Mrs. Wagemans was always there to offer a life lesson so badly needed at that young age, often told in wonderful prose, or to suggest a particular book that she somehow magically knew

contained a lesson I needed to learn. For me, it was reading A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mystery, a truly eye-opening experience into a world I knew nothing about. Calling my hometown of South Mountain, Ontario, small is generous, which sparked a lifelong yearning to understand different cultures and people. What's unique about my story is how ununique it is. I can tell you from interactions I see on social media or discussions with friends that she has had the same positive force on many students' lives. A nudge here, a compassionate word there, a well-deserved rebuke when needed. What a wonderful contribution to the world she

has managed. Adele Chimbindi in Ottawa. The teacher who comes to mind is Mrs. Mupeso. As a young child in an American international school abroad, I was told to sit outside during English class because my English was not up to par. The teacher who was supposed to help me never did. So I would sit outside while others learned. Mrs. Mupeso found me sitting outside one day and concerned. She met with my parents. She wanted to help me. For a couple of weeks after school, she taught me English.

I am forever grateful to her for her kindness and wish I could find her to say thank you. Not a great one. We can only hope that some of the teachers being mentioned in these special Your Turns are listeners to the bridge as well. And so they're getting their thank yous. If they're not getting them directly, maybe somebody will hear about it, tell them. But I love these letters, and I said we have lots more.

So next week, we'll keep this going. I've got at least enough for another show. So I'm not calling for new letters, at least not yet. We got lots of them came in in time for this program today. And, you know, if I'm stumbling around, it's because I'm being moved by these letters. You know, some of them are, you know, emotional a little bit. But they remind us of the role teachers play. And, you know, teachers take a lot of crap.

They do. You know it, I know it. Sometimes it's worth remembering through your words the impact teachers have. Not every teacher, but certainly some. And that's great. So listen, thank you for these letters. And as I said, we have lots more.

Now, Thursdays isn't just your turn, it's also the random ranter's turn. And unbeknownst to me, the ranter had decided already he wanted to say something about teachers as a result of something that's just happened in the last few days. So without further ado, as they like to say, let's bring in our friend, the Random Renter. Bravo to Ontario Premier Doug Ford this week for not only banning cell phones in the classroom, but also blocking social media sites on school Wi-Fis. It's the right thing to do on so many levels, but I really feel for the teachers on the front lines who are going to have to enforce it. It's going to be opening up a hornet's nest. But that's kind of the way it is

for teachers, right? They're thrown into chaos and expected to be part cop, part social worker, and part therapist. And oh yeah, don't forget to teach. Even with summers off, it doesn't seem like an easy job. Because it's not just the kids. It's the parents. You know, the ones that take no responsibility and expect the teachers to do their jobs for them. Or the ones who think their kids can do no wrong. Or the ones that think their kid is the only kid in the classroom. That's where the real problems are going to arise with this cell phone ban.

The parents. Because the government has described the plan as a joint venture between home and school. All I can say to that is, yikes. That might work in Doug Ford's world, but from what I've seen, it's going to leave some teachers in a bind. Because there will be parents who provide no support to the teachers, and there will be parents who are going to be irate about the new rules. Why? Well, that's the way it is today. There are always going to be people losing it over any kind of restriction on doing whatever they want to do, never mind a restriction on their, do no wrong, little angels. So while I support the new rules, and I think that every province should consider something similar, I'm hoping that there's going to be a lot of support for the teachers who will

be tasked with enforcing them. I mean, let's face it, phones, social media, they're addictive. Teachers are going to be dealing with a classroom of kids going through withdrawals, or perhaps even going through withdrawals themselves. It's going to be rough. And while involving the parents and keeping them informed seems pretty reasonable, every time a teacher reaches out to a parent on a disciplinary issue, there is a risk. I know in my own experience as a difficult student, the teachers would only ever contact my mom, never my dad, because there was a real fear as to what he would do to me. And while that fear was reasonable, it's nothing compared to the peril some kids face at home. I think it's lost on a lot of people, but for many kids, school is the

safest place in their lives. It's a source of meals, a source of clothing, and a source of affection. That's why I'm hoping for some subtlety to the application of all this. There, a source of clothing, and a source of affection. That's why I'm hoping for some subtlety to the application of all this. There are a lot of vulnerable students who keep going through the trusting relationships with their teachers, and while taking away their access to social media at school is the right thing to do in terms of their education, it's going to put a strain on that trust for those most at risk. Schools are complicated places and teaching is definitely underappreciated. So to that end, I just want to apologize to all my former teachers for definitely making their jobs harder. And I want to give a quick shout out to my favorite

teacher of all time, Mr. Cornelius Lynch. He did more than teach me history. He gave me a lifelong passion for it. So thank you, Mr. Lynch. You inspired me to learn and I can never thank you enough for that. Oh, the old random rant are getting all soft and mushy. Good for him. Good for him. Once again, thank you for all your cards and letters this week. And as I said, we've got enough to go on to next week as well, and we will. All right, a reminder about tomorrow, Friday, of course. Good talk. You can hear good talk on SiriusXM or on your podcast Or you can download it from thenationalnewswatch.com

Which will have the YouTube edition With Chantel, Bruce and I And lots to talk about this week, as always What else can I remind you of before we sneak away? If you don't already subscribe to The Buzz, that's my weekend newsletter. It comes out at 7 a.m. Saturday mornings, and it's an easy read.

It's basically some of the stories behind the stories that have impressed me during the week. And I'll hand out a collection of a half dozen or so of those stories on the newsletter, plus a few thoughts of my own on various subjects. So if you're interested in that, please subscribe. You can subscribe at nationalnewswatch.com slash newsletter. Subscription is easy.

It costs nothing. You just give your email. That's it. And then you'll get the newsletter starting at 7 a.m. this Saturday. So if you want to subscribe, you should do so now. All right. Thank you so much for listening. This will be another fun day on your turn.

We'll be back tomorrow in 24 hours.