There is one professor who I'll always love and remember fondly. She had the greatest influence on me when I became a teacher. She was a crazy hippie who was loud, loved pot, history, mathematics, controversy, protesting injustices, and changed my life.

The First Time I Met Her I Thought She Was Nuts

While working on my Masters degree in Sociology I was assigned to work as an assistant for a professor whose real name I won't share but will call Dr. Hippie for storytelling sake. Dr. Hippie had bad hips and needed a cane to walk. I would help her carry her things to and from her her office on the second floor down the stairs to the first floor where she taught. Since she was teaching a large auditorium I was asked to help grade exams, make copies, and a few other odds and ends.

I had know Dr. Hippie when I was an undergraduate. I had a class with her and I'll come out and say it...I thought she was nuts. Every single class was like a therapy session for her and she would always get off topic talking about her teen daughter who was staying out late, doing drugs, and more. At this time I was naive and young and had never met someone who did drugs, had been involved in protests, and other "controversial" behaviors. I don't remember learning much except she was the strangest teacher I'd ever had. She was loud, expressive, wasn't afraid to cuss, and talk about controversial topics.

She was a hippie in every sense of the word.

She was a huge hippie in the 60s, smoked pot, and protested for things like equality for women and minorities. Even as an older woman she still loved fighting for equal rights. Head to toe, she dressed in clothing I associated with hippies. She never wore business attire like most professors. I can name at least 10 class sessions where she dedicated an hour to the history of marijuana. She only ate organic food and supported environmental rights groups. Dr. Hippie was always arguing for a better world in some form or fashion.

If I've ever met a person who I would label a genius, it was her.

Working for her was never boring. She was brilliant and the smartest person I've ever met. I'd walk in her office and even though I only had to work an hour I'd be there 3 or more just listening to her talk. It's hard to put into words how much knowledge this woman had about everything. One day she talked for 3 hours about Russian history. Her husband was a mathematician so sometimes she would talk about mathematical theories. Art, history, criminal law, agriculture, politics....she could talk about any subject in depth. I was always amazed at the topics she could discuss with people. I became less naive about the world and learned so much more about the world. I began to support different causes and understand how the world wasn't all unicorns and sunshine. I learned about fights and battles going on in a global perspective.

She Became My Role Model As A Teacher

Students loved her. She always had kids staying after class or coming by her office to talk about topics they found interesting. Because she was wild and crazy she connected with young people and got their attention.

When I started teaching I wanted to be like her....okay not the crazy, pot smoking, cussing, hippie part. What I wanted to be like was having the ability to connect with my students so they felt comfortable talking to me. I wanted to pick subjects important to my students. I wanted to make a difference because I could easily see Dr. Hippie opened a lot of students eyes and made them care about the world around them.

My first year of teaching I used materials Dr. Hippie used in her classes.

That's the way to start teaching is by using what is familiar to you and then over time finding your own style. By using her advice and topics I knew how to discuss material with my students. Then once I got comfortable lecturing I branched off and eventually replaced those topics with ones I found interesting and an expert on teaching about. Though I don't partake in the activity I still have a DVD on the history of marijuana to play students in her honor when I discuss chapters on crime.

Today I'm still friends with Dr. Hippie

She came to my wedding and we keep in touch on social media. She no longer teaches but she's still fighting the good fight. She's always got a petition or rally going on to fight for a better world. Even in retirement she's still feisty and as colorful as ever.

Who is one of your role models in life?