Perhaps the characters that have had the most unexpected influence throughout my story. While one might assume that during this 20something Tale I would only have my current professors in this category, my life has never followed that type of logic. Believe it or not, even this far into the book series there are stories and changes that involve an English teacher from my glory days: high school. In fact, the "extreme teachers" I find easiest to describe are from very different stages of my life, all managing to tug at my intelligence in a different way than other characters have.
I recently read a book called "Extreme Learning" and constantly found myself thinking of 3 major characters: the one that inspired me to hang on to my innocence while pushing me to succeed, the one that set a bar for me that was higher than I would have ever attempted to reach and gave me the opportunity to clear it without question, and the most recent one that became a mentor through his ability to showcase what it means to be brilliantly professional while being true to his easygoing and entertaining self. From ages 16-24 I have learned a new appreciation for this kind of teacher and mentor.
These characters understand the power and importance of creativity as a catalyst for success. Each of them encourages students to run wild with ideas that may seem foolish to those with strengths in other areas. They encourage addictions to literature that stimulates my sense of humor as well as my intellect. They encourage me to be the optimist idealist that I am and to not concern myself with conforming to what others may view as "more practical". They remind me that what I find to be important in my life is also important to others and I should constantly find fuel for my fire. These characters show me what success looks like but don't expect my success to mirror theirs. They understand that while I strive for similar achievements, titles, careers, etc.. I am me. I am my own character and will be written into my own story (and the stories of others) in a unique way. The extreme teachers encourage individuality and brilliance that will inspire change in others, not allowing what was today to be exactly what is tomorrow.
There is something special about having this kind of relationship with characters that are not your parents, siblings, peers, or best friends. To connect with teachers, those that we often hold in high regard and respect, creates a different kind of spark. Throughout my stories I have known that these characters don't need to be involved....but want to be. They are choosing to invest in me, to encourage me, to be a player in this wild game with rules that make little to no sense. One of them saw a girl at 16 years old with her world wrapped around her finger and told her that she could have even more than what she could see. Another allowed me to walk in her shadow, to worship her every move and pushed me into the sunlight when I didn't think I had the ability to take my own journey. She saw a terrified 20something and in a couple of hours (not to mention a couple of beers) managed to make me feel as though I had my world wrapped around my finger yet again. The newest character in this category may still be trying to figure me out but is choosing to open my eyes to a brand new world of incredibly terrifying opportunities that I want to seize with every ounce of creative intelligence that I have.
They are choosing to invest in me, to be a part of my wild story. These characters are unique and hard to come across, yet I have managed to snag 3. That in itself baffles me beyond belief on a daily basis. As I look ahead at my own journey, wanting to be that kind of teacher, I often wonder if any of my students will look back and see me as this kind of character. The kind of character that doesn't merely show up because they have to. The kind of character that sees them as more than a test score or number on an attendance sheet. The kind of character that chooses to believe in them. The kind of character that wants to see others succeed beyond their wildest dreams and write chapters of their own books that were once unimagined.
The kind of character that sees no limits when it comes to life.
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