“The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.”

Those words, penned by the late William Arthur Ward, author of Fountains of Faith, ring loudly for students and instructors worldwide.

Think back to the days you spent hunkered beneath a desk; your knees bouncing off the makeshift table’s underside; elbows sticking to the desk’s laminate top.

Between you and the chalkboard, one individual stood teaching, turning tidbits of information into lifelong lessons.

We all have at least one teacher that instantly comes to mind. One instructor that pushed, challenged, and molded us into the mechanically minded individuals we are today. For me, her name is Allegra Blake, an English 101 adjunct instructor at Central Michigan University. I entered her class as a 17-year-old freshman, and left a confident writer. Her meticulous editing — recommending shorter, sharper verbs and acknowledgement that adjectives are as hurtful as they are helpful — helped mature me into the journalist I am today. While Blake’s class was the first of many English courses I’d complete on the Mount Pleasant, Mich. campus, it certainly proved to be the most influential and inspirational, and her name is one I will never forget.

What about you? What’s your teacher’s name? What made him so special? Was it her ability to present the information in a clear and concise way? Or was it his ability to demonstrate exactly how to properly swap out a condenser?

With your support, this instructor — who helped mold you into the HVACR workhorse you are today — can gain the recognition he or she deserves. The NEWS’ Best Instructor Contest is currently accepting nominations for worthy teachers and trainers.

The contest was created 12 years ago to recognize and reward HVACR instructors and trainers who have dedicated their careers to enriching the lives of students. The short nomination form takes less than 5 minutes to complete. Isn’t that five minutes of your time worth the hours the instructor poured into your career? Share your nomination no later than June 4 at http://bestinstructor.achrnews.com.