Mrs Kono, my 5th grade English teacher saved me after I was demoted from gifted English to her class because of too many absences for strep throat in 4th grade. She was kind to me and everyone. She read us all books aloud (like The Hobbit) and made the classroom much more welcoming that it would otherwise have been an even more awkward situation.
My 6th grade math teacher, Mr Higashi who had programmed texts in a box on a shelf that I could and did devour after finishing the homework. I taught myself Algebra so the following year when we had it taught via overhead projector by a teacher none of us could follow I was fine since I had learned it in 6th grade and tutored those around me.
Also Professor Kitzhaber who helped my polish my OWN written voice in college, unlike so many other teachers who just wanted you to mimic their voice. He also nominated me as outstanding SR woman with AUW and I won and attended a banquet (my boyfriend accompanied me and drove).