Do you remember your favorite school teacher? Did they inspire love for the subject you found difficult or boring before, or maybe they gave you great advice when you were lost? Dedicated educators make a great difference in students’ lives – it is no wonder they remember them for years to come. Mr. Moriarty was an amazing teacher to his pupils, so when he called them back for a special “assignment,” it was no surprise so many of them rushed to the reunion with him.
A retired science teacher gathered his former students for an epic eclipse party in his driveway
Image credits:NBC News
When he became a scienceteacher, 22-year-old Patrick Moriarty was hoping to make a difference in his students’ lives. After all, the natural world has so many fascinating secrets he was willing to teach them about and he would dedicate long years to ensure his “kids” were prepared for adulthood. During his career, he build a solid reputation as a tough but caring teacher who would stay after hours to tutor students, cracked “dad jokes” before tests to help them relax and made the most boring topics such as wind trajectories and cloud formations soundinteresting.
In 1978, he was teaching kids about celestial events and passed out worksheets around his class, showing the trajectories of upcoming eclipses. Sadly, a lot of them would not be visible in Upstate New York. All but one on April 8, 2024.
“Circle that one,” Moriarty told his students. “We’re going to get together on that one.”
Image credits:Marek Okon (not an actual photo)
Mr. Moriarty began teaching at 22. He was known as a tough but understanding teacher, always giving them a helping hand
“They looked at me like I was crazy,”laughedthe now-retired teacher.
The excited teacher would tell his students to keep an eye on their local papers, the Democrat and Chronicle, for a message regarding the event.
“I did say unless there’s any other way in 2024 you can get ahold of people easier than that,” he noted. As the popularity of printed press declined, he created a Facebook group in 2022 detailing the event and trying to find former students who would want to attend it.
In his class, he passed out a worksheet detailing the upcoming eclipses and told them to mark April 8, 2024, promising they would get together then
It seemed crazy, but the dedicated teacher made sure to fulfill his promise made almost five decades ago
He wasn’t expecting a big turnout – imagine his surprise when almost 100 former pupils showed up to his house
Mr. Moriarty never expected such as a massive turnout, but the word was spreading like wildfire among former classmates. After all, it’s not every day you get to see your former friends, crushes and belovedteacherunder the mysterious solar eclipse.
On Monday, the 8th of April, about 100 former students gathered in their teacher’s driveway in Rochester, N.Y. Mr. Moriarty beamed seeing his students as thriving adults and gave everyone a massive hug.
“When teachers go into education, they hope that they can be that kind of teacher that would have an impact on people and make a difference for people. And this event right here just firmed it up for me that I guess I did okay.”
Truth is, there is no better proof of a job well done than 100 former students who remained curious about the world around them thanks to their teacher.
All of them grown up, many even had grey hair, but they still respectfully referred to their teacher as Mr. Moriarty
To make this epic party even better, Mr. Moriarty hired a local pizzeria to cater to the event – everything is better with pizza! He also bought 130 pairs ofeclipseglasses, reminding everyone the most important rule – never look directly at the sun.
As the students started arriving to his house, he had trouble recognizing them. No longer were they awkward teenagers, they were adults with careers and children. However, he remembered most of their names and some hilarious stories that happened during his teaching years.
“It was so interesting seeing them walking up bald or with gray hair, and looking at me like, ‘You’re still my teacher’ and I could see in their faces, in their adult faces now, what they looked like when they were 14,” shared overjoyed Mr. Moriarty.
One of his pupils, Kevin Thompson, shared his surprise at how much shorter his former science teacher seemed. He laughed that Mr. Moriarty, who is 6’7’’, seemed like a giant to a ninth grader. Despite having grown a few inches since then, Kevin, 56, still called his teacher Mr. Moriarty.
“This has got to be the longest homework assignment in history,” he laughed.
He hired a local pizzeria and bought 130 pairs of eclipse sunglasses to make it a safe and unforgettable experience
Image credits:Jason Howell (not an actual photo)
At the end of the event, Mr. Moriarty suggested another meeting in twenty years, when the next solar eclipse will be visible in their hometown
As the moon completely covered the sun, everyone grew quiet in fascination at this incredible sight and took in the magic of the eclipse. Well, as it was cloudy, no one actually saw the moon, but they noticed how much significantly darker it got. However, despite not being to get the full eclipse experience, everyone remained in high spirits – it wasn’t just about celestial bodies, it was about alovingteacher who kept his promise 46 years later.
“The eclipse itself took a back seat to what this was all about. The eclipse was my catalyst more than anything,” noted the teacher.
And as everyone was leaving, Mr. Moriarty suggested to mark the 22nd of August, 2044, the day when the next visible total solar eclipse will occur. Once again, everyone laughed, but this time with a little less skepticism.
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