My Favorite Teacher!

Anyone out there have a favorite teacher? Of course, I think we all do. When I was in sixth grade, my family moved to a farm just outside of the town in which we lived. I could no longer go to the city schools. I had to go to...Boston Junior High, DAH, DAH, DAH! Well, I thought it would be that bad. Actually, it turned out to be an incredible experience.

That same year, 1976, for those of you keeping score at home, a new teacher entered the hallowed halls of BJHS; Mr. Joe Hellrung. Mr. Hellrung wasn't like the other teachers I had experienced up to this point. He was cool. In the summers, he taught tennis, and was from Collinsville, Illinois, which of course was a much cooler place than Richmond, Indiana! He was good looking and even though he was the new guy, all of the other teachers seemed to want to be a a part of the phenomenon.

 Mr. Hellrung was more than that to me though. I am not sure I even remember what he taught. For some reason English and History come to mind. What I do know is that he taught me to LOVE history, and through that connection, how to love literature. The way he talked about our world made it seem like we had a chance in life. During these times we didn't get much hope from what was going on all around us. When I was in Mr. Hellrung's class I felt safe, and that someone had my back. I have a feeling every kid felt that same way.

 Mr. Hellrung was funny too, but in a very subtle way. He wasn't trying to make you laugh, he just did. We always compared him to Mr. Kotter of Welcome Back Kotter, but he wasn't really like him at all. One time we were discussing Thomas Jefferson and he had said that he was also an inventor. I asked him if our last elected President, Richard Nixon, had invented anything. He immediately responded, “I don't know...maybe the 'Secretary Stretch'." (For those of you not of this era, look this one up, or ask me. It is much more clever than you realize!)

 I'm pretty sure Mr. Hellrung is still out there, probably having the same impact on kids that he did back then. I know I never got a chance to say thank you to him. I also assume he doesn't realize what an impact he had on my life, or on the lives of countless others. He probably would be embarrassed to even read this about himself, because he was truly, all about the kids. Thanks Mr. Hellrung!