Growing up, we encounter a lot of adults. The people that inspire us are never forgotten. In the family and out of the family, they hold an incredibly important place in our hearts. Teachers are often on that list.

On Spotted In Rochester, I posted this...

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Over 500 comments later, I'm ready to share the first list of Rochester, Minnesota's Favorite Teachers. In so many on the full post (scroll down to see it), you'll find stories of lives saved, eyes opened, and callings found.

Sometimes, it isn't even that dramatic. In one case, a wonderful educator finds out her students are still spotting Monarch butterflies. I did my best to include responses from teachers. That's pretty heartwarming, too.

LOOK: 10 of Rochester, Minnesota's Favorite Teachers!

A quick post on Spotted in Rochester and 500+ comments and counting, we have the first list of favorite teachers in Rochester, Minnesota!

Rochester Minnesota's Favorite Teachers

It's too extensive a list to put in one story, so I will be sharing more as time goes on. This story will certainly bring out more names, stories, and thank yous.

Rochester Off Campus Has a Special Place In My Heart

Rochester Alternative Learning Center, ALC, Mayo Clinic
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Rochester Off Campus (R.O.C.) is now called Rochester Alternative Learning Center. I started the gallery above with two students giving a shout-out to Jay Martini, the administrator that created R.O.C. (Martini retired in 2017).

"The space he created was called Rochester Off-Campus School or ROC, and it opened its doors in the fall of 1994. It was the first charter school in Rochester. Its mission was, “To serve the area's most vulnerable and at-risk youth, students who invariably see ROC as the school of last resort”. (Source)

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I was working nights on 106.9 KROC and was invited by a teacher to do a creative writing seminar. At the time the students were doing an Adirondack chair fundraiser, so we wrote commercials for their fundraiser. I can't remember the names of the students, teachers, or even where the school was, but I will ALWAYS remember the wildly creative ideas coming out of that workshop, and the greatest tag line ever for a fundraising message:

"The best nation is DOUGH-nation!"

The excitement a teacher can ignite in a student (sometimes quiet, sometimes super loud) touched me that day, and so many times since. Thank you to the teachers in the gallery above, to the ones I didn't have room for in this story, and to all the teachers in SE Minnesota.

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Speaking of schools...you will need these in Minnesota. Big Time.

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As always, if you have a comment, complaint, or concern about something I wrote here, please let me know: james.rabe@townsquaremedia.com

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