Mr. Bussen: My interest in teaching English first took seed in Father Brown’s class in high school. That guy was fun and engaging, and his passion for literature and any creative expression was infectious. Also, one time he got mad at a kid for showing up late, so he chewed and swallowed the kid’s tardy slip. I’ve tried to recreate it, but have never been able to complete the act. But some day…
Dr. Arnold: My most memorable course from school was a topics course in my doctoral program that studied a seminal mathematics article published in 1954. My fellow graduate students and I were responsible for constructing the lectures on sections of this paper. The professor who ran the course did not teach, but instead grilled us with questions after our lecture. I recall spending many evenings translating the paper from French to English and then parsing the mathematics until I had a solid understanding of the subject. Once we were familiar with the topic, we had to prepare a 90-minute lecture to teach our fellow grad students. This course was amongst the most challenging and rewarding teaching experiences of my life.
Mr. Schweain: I was inspired by Mrs. Stickler. Despite her name, she was the kindest educator I ever met. With that being said, she never let us mistake kindness for weakness.
Mr. Redman: My high school chemistry teacher, Mr. Davenport, really knew his stuff and inspired us to do our best. He was like a father to us.
Dr. Griesbauer: My favorite teacher was Dr. West in college. He was always pushing students to the next level. When I was a junior and senior, a group of classmates and I would walk across campus with him to his next class as we did not want his class to end. He would answer any and all of our questions and was also the teacher who was most honest to me. He pointed out that as a college sophomore: “The grammar and syntax are very poor for college level work.”
Mr. Zaegel: My senior year “Global Issues” teacher would get in my face and tell me some hard truths I needed to hear. The message was I needed to take my studies outside of class more seriously and be more purpose-driven during class. Of course I resented him at that time, but during my college years, I realized that his message was very formative for me, especially long term. He was the primary influencer that led me to become a teacher. Now, I am ever-aware of how my thoughts, words, and actions play a role in the development of the young men I teach.
Mrs. MacDonald: Dr. Alden Smith, Associate Dean of the Honors College, University Scholars Program, and Professor of Classical Studies at Baylor University. He used humor to teach Latin; every day, my sides ached from laughing. He also took time to get to know each student on a personal level and allowed students to help him research or illustrate his books. He came to my wedding, and I still talk to him each year. He changed my life!
Fr. Laurence: Mr. Carl Pfeiffer at SLUH strode up and down the aisles in Greek class slapping his sash on our desk to keep us awake. It made Greek exciting. A lively teacher interested in students is unforgettable.
Mrs. Hostnik: Dr. Biggs without a doubt – she taught my first Latin class in 5th grade and I ended up having her on and off through AP Latin. She was one of the smartest, most interesting people I’ve known. She somehow inspired me to love Aeneas, laugh at Catullus, and eventually study Latin in college. She and her husband later moved to NYC, and some of us who were on the east coast for college ended up visiting her a few times. She introduced us to off-Broadway plays and some great museums. Her son emailed me a few years ago to give me her funeral arrangements, which was so sad but also amazing that I was on her contact list. I constantly see Dr. Biggs’ combination of brilliance and genuine care in so many of the Priory teachers!
Abbot Gregory: My most memorable teacher was Brian Barry. He taught me Physics my junior year, and every day came into the classroom excited about what he was going to show us. He was a consummate intellectual. Outside of class we discussed documentaries. He was the perfect teacher for a nerd like me! When I joined the monastery and started to teach, we would discuss the emerging world of Macintosh and this thing called “the Internet.” I treasured Sunday afternoon tea with Brian and his wife, discussing the latest book she had read.
Mr. Ward: One of the most influential teachers I had was my science teacher in 2nd grade, Mr. Core. The way that he would turn his teaching material into a story, with such vivid detail, really engaged my mind and I learned that science was cool and something that I wanted to pursue.
Mr. Kates: Mr. David Kispert, my 8th grade Social Studies teacher, led one of the most organized classrooms I’ve seen. Every student had a different role each week. His classroom gave me confidence when I needed it (of course, it didn’t hurt that I was frequently paired with the most beautiful girl in 8th grade). He demanded excellence and taught me to work harder, which served me well in high school and beyond. As a senior, he was my college counselor and encouraged me to pick a small liberal arts school that fit me best. Sadly, he died of brain cancer my freshman year in college. Rest in peace, Mr. Kispert.