Tell me about a teacher you still remember.

Why this question works

This question works because it asks for a person, not a list. People remember people. Your grandparent may not recall much about third grade arithmetic, but they can tell you exactly how a certain teacher stood at the blackboard, what she wore and the one sentence she said that stayed with them for good.

It also reveals what your grandparent values. The teacher someone chooses to describe is usually the one who gave them something: confidence, a love of books, a firm push at the right moment. Listening to why that teacher mattered tells you what mattered to the child. And it is a lovely thing to say out loud. Many people have never told anyone how much one teacher meant to them, and they enjoy finally giving credit where it is due.

How to ask it

Phrase it as an invitation, the way the question is written: tell me about a teacher you still remember. An open invitation feels less like a quiz than "who was your favorite teacher," and it leaves room for the strict one or the odd one as well as the kind one.

A good moment is when a grandchild mentions their own teacher, or when a school photo comes out. Listen for the name and repeat it back; using the name makes the person real in the conversation. Then ask for a scene, one particular day in that classroom. A single afternoon described in detail is worth more than a general summary.

Other ways to word it

• Who was the teacher who made the biggest difference to you?
• Was there a teacher everyone was a little afraid of?
• Which teacher would you thank if you could?
• Who taught you to read, and what do you remember about it?

Follow-up ideas

• What did that teacher look like and sound like?
• What subject or grade did they teach?
• What is one thing they said that you never forgot?
• Did they ever single you out, for praise or for trouble?
• How were they different from the other teachers?
• Did you ever see them again after you left school?
• Is there something you do today because of that teacher?

An example answer

This is an invented example, written to show the kind of detail to listen for. Your grandma’s answer will be her own.

"My sixth grade teacher. She was tall and wore her glasses on a chain, and she read to us for the last twenty minutes of every day. If we had been good she read an extra chapter. You have never seen thirty children behave so well."

"I was shy and I never raised my hand. One day she kept me after class, and I thought I was in trouble. She handed me a library book and said, 'I think you are the only one in this room who will appreciate this.' I read it in two days. After that I would have done anything for her. I became a reader because one woman decided I was one, and I have had a book on my nightstand every night since."

What to write down

Get the teacher's name and how it was spelled, the grade or subject, and the school. Write down what the teacher looked and sounded like, and the one sentence your grandparent has never forgotten, word for word. Add what changed because of that teacher, even if it is a small habit. If your grandparent would like to, help them write a short note of thanks to keep with the answer.

A question like this one sits in the school days chapter of the Tell Me Your Story journals for grandparents, on a page of its own. A handwritten answer is a small thank-you note to a teacher, kept where the grandchildren can read it.

See the Tell Me Your Story, Grandpa journal or the Tell Me Your Story, Grandma journal. For more ideas, read questions to ask your grandparents or browse school days questions.