The teacher that influenced me the most was my high school math teacher, Mr. Dean. It was through his classes that I realized how much I loved the subject and that I had enough talent to make it my career. He also was a role model for my Christian life, but my full knowledge of that part of him only came some years after I graduated (1961). 
 He was a crusty Mennonite, and while he could be witty, little class time was spent on anything other than math. He would sometimes mutter to himself, and I finally realized that he was saying mild German expletives, probably of the casting pearls variety, often after an incorrect student response. His class demanded attention, because he concentrated on understanding and not on rote learning or mechanics. He earned his teaching certificate as an undergraduate, but had a Master’s degree in pure mathematics from the University of Michigan; as a consequence I gained mathematical insights from him that I carried with me throughout my mathematical life. He had absolute intellectual integrity and very high standards. I had many very good math teachers after Mr. Dean; a number were almost as good at presenting material, but without a doubt he was the hardest. I didn’t have calculus in high school, so that I was scared to death when I went into the calculus classroom my first day of college. I needn’t have worried; it was easy compared with Mr. Dean’s classes. The world changes, and by the time my second sister had him, parents had started to complain about his teaching. They acknowledged his knowledge and his presentation ability, but they felt his expectations were too high and his grading was too severe.

 I learned about the nature of his faith after I graduated. This was mostly from conversations (most at high school reunions) with other students, other teachers, a couple with him, and one with his wife. As I mentioned earlier, he was a Mennonite, and in case you don’t know, they are a part of the Anabaptist movement with beliefs similar to the Amish. They differ from the Amish in that they don’t eschew modern life, but they do live a relatively simple life. They wear modest conventional clothing, although some women do wear little bonnets. Like the Amish, Mennonites do not take part in war, and one thing I learned was that Mr. Dean had spent WWII working in an Army hospital. I also learned that a year after I graduated he had resigned his position and taught math at a Mennonite school in Nigeria for two years. He had not been granted a leave, but fortunately (both for him and the school) there was an opening when he returned. He also lived his faith in smaller ways. My mother died in 1978 and my father in 1981; I don’t know if he had ever met them, but each time he came to the visitation and offered me support and comfort even though he hadn’t seen me since my graduation.

 Mr. Dean equipped me both for my career and my Christian walk. To learn how God gives people to equip us for works of service, read Ephesians 4:11-13, and remember: God loves YOU unconditionally.

Jim

Today’s Reading: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians+4:11-13