Mrs. Jones was my 4th grade teacher. I lost track of her, so I have not spoken to her since I was 10 years old.
She praised my drawing of aliens on Jupiter, even though those aliens looked uncannily like Chewbacca with big thighs.
She is the reason I know the words to "California Dreaming" by The Mamas and The Papas.
She is also the reason why every time I hear "My Sharona" by The Knack I think of how I brought that 45 to class one Friday and we played it on the record player, and my fellow students were amazed someone as geeky as me could like the same music they did.
Even now, when people ask me who my favorite teacher was, I say Mrs. Jones.