There are so many heroes in the world today. Heroes that come across as ordinary, everyday people. And many of those heroes carry the humble title of ‘teacher’. Nearly seven years ago, I was taught math by one of these heroes. His name was Mr. Bryan Crowther.
Since as far back as I can remember I’ve held a great dislike for math. I knew I was bad at it and I knew that would never change. The word “math” was literally and figuratively a four-letter word in my mind. However, Mr. Crowther had a phrase (really more of a motto) that he engrained into the mind of every student that stepped foot in his classroom: MATH IS: the Most Awesome Thing Here In School. And while I don’t know if I’ll ever necessarily agree whole-heartedly with that, I agree that what I learned in his classroom was the “Most Awesome Thing” I learned in Middle School. He taught me that math can actually be fun. Let me say that again – math can actually be fun. I am certainly not a great mathematician now, but the lessons I learned in his classroom have stuck with me. The lessons he taught me are what helped me get through the most difficult math classes in high school. How? Because I knew that I COULD do it. I knew that it was possible for me to do math. And that made a significant difference.
There was something more that Mr. Crowther taught in his classroom though. He taught me through his example what it was like to exercise patience, empathy, and hope. I can honestly say I don’t remember him ever losing his patience – even when it could have been justified. I remember Mr. Crowther as one of my happiest teachers. It was obvious to me that he loved life and loved teaching. He also listened – really listened – to each of his students. And not only that, he also made sure we knew that he had faith in us. He never doubted that his students would be successful – or if he did, he certainly never showed it – and that is huge. Young students need to know that their futures are full of hope. I needed to know that my future held something brighter, something worth working towards.
Yes, Mr. Crowther is one of my heroes. He played a part in making my life better, and for that I will always be grateful. My hope is that his students will continue to see and be grateful for the efforts he puts forth selflessly on their behalves each day. People with hearts as great as his are becoming less common in the world today.
I believe Bryan Crowther is 100% deserving of the KSL Teacher Feature award.
–Alisa M.J. Rosner