Home > The Official Blog For SP Woodring > From the Mind of SP Woodring

The Day I Met a Group of Teachers and Remembered the One Who Changed My Life

I met a group of middle school teachers recently who were in Indianapolis for a conference. And, as I often do whenever I meet teachers, I told them about my favorite teacher of all time. They surprised me.

Updated November 8, 2025 1:59 AM

Mrs. Feuyer was my ESL (English as a Second Language) teacher from Pomona Junior High School in Pomona, New York. And yes, she really was my favorite teacher of all time.

I have a few other faforites but Mrs. Feuyer was special.

Mrs. Feuyer did two things that shaped who I became.
First, she gave me self-confidence at a time when I didn't even know what that meant. I was still learning English back then, struggling through words, and my classmates would sometimes laugh at my pronunciation. Mrs. Feuyer looked me straight in the eye and said, "Aim high." Those two words stuck with me.

The second thing was small but powerful -- those little smiley-face stickers she placed on my tests whenever I answered the extra-credit question correctly. Seeing that 105 out of 100 at the top of the page made me want to go the extra mile every single time.

To this day, I tell this story whenever I meet teachers. It's my way of saying thank you -- not just to Mrs. Feuyer, but to every teacher who pours heart and patience into shaping the next generation.

When I shared this story with a group of teachers at that Indianapolis conference, they said, "You should speak at our next conference."

That moment reminded me that stories like these matter -- because behind every confident student or inspired adult, there's often a teacher who believed first.

My Genesis People - A Book by SP Woodring My Genesis People - A Book by SP Woodring

I call people like Mrs. Feuyer "My Genesis People."
They are the ones who start something new in us -- a spark, a belief, a fresh beginning.

You'll meet more of them in my book My Genesis People
. Maybe, as you read, you'll recognize your own -- those unexpected people who quietly started a new chapter in your life, a personal Genesis that changed your direction forever.

ERR Code: IRB1 (admin notified)

Write a comment

Return from The Teacher Who Changed My Life to From The Mind

Leave a Reply

Name (required)

E-mail (required, will not be published)

Subject: The Day I Met a Group of Teachers and Remembered the One Who Changed My Life edit

» »