Catching up with former teachers

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 12/04/2021 (1783 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The other night, as my sister and I talked on the phone, we found ourselves discussing our Grade 6 teacher, Mr. Bergmuller.

He was one of those larger-than-life teachers who left a profound impression on us. When I really think about it, I don’t even know why. I mean this sincerely, because I can’t pinpoint why we liked him so much or why he stands out in our lives. Perhaps it’s just because he was kind and he seemed to really care about us.

Our conversation manoeuvred around nostalgia and reflection, as though we were looking at vivid memory patches attached to a faded tapestry. In succession my sisters and I moved through Carpathia School and his classroom two years apart, experiencing some of the things that he’d become known for, such as reading the Chronicles of Narnia out loud to the class, and taking notice if you were having an off day.

I once went to school late, with bleary eyes, and he pulled me aside to ask if anything was wrong. His concern was sincere, though I don’t think he expected me to burst into tears when I told him that I was upset because I didn’t like my outfit.

I can only imagine the things that people tell their teachers…

We both wondered about whatever happened to Mr. Bergmuller. Surely that old classroom has been occupied by a number of teachers since then, coming and going and making their own impressions on their students. But where did he go?

My sister googled him and found his name and a phone number. She dialed the number and when the person on the other end picked up she introduced herself, explaining who she was and about the man she was looking for.

“Cookie?” he said. “I remember you.”

They spoke for about 15 to 20 minutes, catching up, exchanging email addresses, and promising to keep in touch. Even though she made the phone call, she told me afterward that she wasn’t expecting to have that conversation, nor did she anticipate that stroll down memory lane.

It’s interesting to think about teachers from the lens at when you knew them. You spend an entire school year with them, learning and growing and changing and then you move on, and they sort of fade away into oblivion.

I can think of a number of teachers, aside from Mr. Bergmuller, who shuffled through my life working so hard at helping me learn and keeping me engaged at school. Many of them refused to give up on me, even after I had given up on myself. I didn’t show it then, but I hope they know the mark they’ve left. A funny thing about life is that people can and will wander back into it when you least expect it. I had my own brush from school days past not too long ago. After I wrote my very first column last August I received an email from my Grade 9 teacher, Mr. Rempel. He reached out to let me know he’d read my column, and to wish me well. He recently sent me a followup email, just to say that he enjoyed my writing. It was lovely.

shelley.cook@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @ShelleyACook