Writing this half for myself, half for you all. Mr. Turner was my Trigonometry and AP Stats teacher and the greatest teacher I have ever had. Through his actions, he taught me a host of lessons that are important for every man to learn at some point in his life.
Consistency is the baseline
As students, we always got the same energy from Mr. Turner. Each day when we walked in it was the same routine: shake hands, deep breath, quote of the day, and into class. That simple ritual made every one of us students more locked in for his class than any other. Throughout the class, Mr. Turner kept his high-energy teaching style because he knew it was how to bring the people around him to our fullest potential. We knew we could always count on Mr. Turner to be who we knew him to be, and that established the first level of trust. His consistency inspired consistency in the men around him, every single day.
Strive for excellence
I would often walk out of class and say, "Wow that was a great lesson, he taught that concept well." If you've ever had a teacher like that, you know what I'm talking about, and if you haven't, I probably sound insane right now. Mr. Turner was always able to think outside the box, and taught concepts in ways that stuck. I almost wondered to myself what he was training for, to be working this hard on his teaching skills, but then I realized: that's just his character. In whatever Mr. Turner did, he would do it to the best of his ability, and that level of dedication was truly admirable.
But Mr. Turner did not only push himself to excellence, he also demanded excellence out of us. In an AP Stats curriculum in which many classes across the country don't go through all the topics, he made sure we knew every single thing they could possibly throw at us on the exam. In my Honors Trig class, where many of us were there just for a requirement, he pushed us to know the advanced concepts and thinking skills that most math teachers skipped. Why? He knew every student in the classroom, whether the student believed it or not, was capable of excellence. He led us to our full potential. Holding yourself to a high standard, and those around you to a high standard, is necessary for everyone's success.
Connect with those around you
Every day after class, Mr. Turner was always available to chat, whether that was to review a concept we might not have fully understood, or whether it was advice on how to pick our courses for the following year, or even just personal conversations. Mr. Turner understood the necessity of connecting with those around you, because that enables a new level of trust that enables everyone to perform. Connection and trust are crucial in any group who wants to be successful.
Know your place
Mr. Turner is a strict teacher, but I call him a "good type of strict." I used to think people were insane for describing their teachers in that way, but then I met Mr. Turner. He did not have tolerance for cussing in the hallway (and certainly not in his classroom), or people being on their phones when they were not supposed to, or disrespect of any kind. He knew that school was a place of learning, not a place of tomfoolery, and expected us to treat it with the same reverence he did. He described how he would cuss and goof around with his friends in his free time, but once he got to school, it was time to lock in on teaching, and flipping that switch is what made him so great at his job. He respected his position enough to leave the BS at the door, and no matter what position someone has in life, that's a valuable lesson: do the best you can at your job, and leave everything else to its own time.
As a college football player, I hear my coaches preaching many of these same messages: consistency, dedication, striving for excellence, trust, and respect for your place. I can't help but think back to Mr. Turner when I hear these messages, and the lessons I learned that he didn't even tell us, but performed and demonstrated for us every single day. If someone ever tells you to take a teacher's class, even if you aren't all that interested in the subject, do it: sometimes the instructor is more important than the curriculum.