My Favorite Teacher

My favorite teacher is someone that I am a still close friend with today. He had a large impact in my life during school and continued to do so after he left the school and after I graduated. His name is Michael Carmichael and he was the drama teacher at Graham high School.

It’s interesting that we became such close friends considering that our first meeting wasn’t exactly a friendly exchange. I enrolled in one of his technical theatre classes as a freshman in high school, a class that he didn’t want freshman in for one reason or another. Needless to say, when he found out that I was a freshman and that I was in his class he almost sent me to the office to change my schedule. However, he never actually did, and eventually throughout the class I showed him that I was not only capable of being in his class, but also could do well in it. Anyway, throughout the course of that year we became pretty good friends and I reenrolled in that class for the next year.

Over the next year he would assign me to new projects and often even give me the responsibility to take the lead as he grew to trust my judgment and abilities. I was in charge of one of the main fund-raisers for the drama department, and was also the head technician for the One-Act Play competition that UIL Texas holds every year. We almost made it to state that year, not nearly because of anything I did, but it was a great experience that brought not only all the students together, but also Mr. Carmichael and the other teachers involved. Sadly, at the end of year he announced that he was retiring from teaching school and that he and his wife had bought a local photography studio.

During the time that he was teaching high school I worked part-time for him along with some other students on his bird-farm. (This is another subject altogether, so just take it for what it is) So when he announced his retirement I would still work for him on the farm during the summer or when I wasn’t in school. He also asked me to help him out with some of the technological needs in the photography business, which I gladly agreed to do.

Throughout this whole experience we grew very close and his family was like a second family to me. I would have dinner with them, help coach his kids in their little league sports and work on special projects with him on the farm and in the studio. Since my parents are divorced and my father lives in Dallas, Mr. Carmichael became something of a father figure to me. I still stay in regular contact with him and try and visit him every time I go back home. If the weather is nice we try to go play golf or do something to catch up on what’s happening in our lives. The truth is Michael Carmichael started off as a favorite teacher, but ended up being much more, a mentor, a father figure, and a friend.