Want to thank you all for your comments on the “Best Teacher EVER” blog below.  An honorable mention goes to Mr. Langhorst’s students, who sent in this photo earlier this week.  Their teacher wrote that they like the puns at the end of our show, “although they usually groan.”  So do I.  (…But it’s still kind-of fun to say ‘em!)

We sincerely appreciate the work of our nation’s teachers and everything they do to make our show possible.  They’ve certainly earned their own appreciation week.

Carl Azuz, Anchor

Every new report we’ve brought you from Myanmar has been worse than the one before it.  The more that reporters and relief workers saw, the more it became clear that Cyclone Nargis was catastrophic.  If you’re looking to help out, click right here to access CNN’s Impact Your World resources.  You’ll find links to organizations that are working to bring relief to storm-stricken areas of Myanmar.

Carl Azuz, Anchor

This is an easy one for me.  My best teacher was my mom.  And I’m not just kissing up ahead of Mother’s Day:  Mom’s been in the classroom for longer than I’ve been alive, teaching everything from English to German to Cultures, and I’m both proud of her and grateful for her.

Now I could spend the next ten pages writing about all the stuff she’s taught me, but that wouldn’t leave much space for your comments.  So tell us who your best teacher was - and better yet, tell us what he or she did that made the class worthwhile.  You’re welcome to comment here, but if you shout out to your teacher in an iReport (you’ll need your parents’ permission), you may see it on our show!

Carl Azuz, Anchor

The economy is one issue you just can’t ignore.  It’s not something separated from you by a TV screen or hundreds of miles.  It’s in your gas tank, your allowance, the places you go and the stuff you buy.

It’s never been more expensive to drive, and if you’ve bought a gallon of milk lately, you probably noticed that it wasn’t cheap.  We’d like to know if and how you’ve been affected.  Tell us whether you’ve been pinching pennies, noticing price increases, or if economic changes haven’t affected you at all.

Carl Azuz, Anchor

On Tuesday afternoon, a headline in one of our news wires read, “Whether applauded or reviled, outspoken pastor still an issue for Obama.”  The story went on to say that, to those who applaud Rev. Wright, he’s a man with the courage to speak out; to those who revile him, he is racist and a “millstone around Sen. Obama’s neck.”

Despite Obama’s statement that he was “outraged” by the Rev. Wright’s recent comments, this story is a good example of how a political candidate’s association with someone controversial can affect a campaign.  Wright isn’t the one running for president, but his charged statements have had an impact on a man who is.

So it gives you a few things to think about, whether or not you’re old enough to vote:  How could the Rev. Wright controversy affect Obama’s campaign?  Should it?  And does it matter to you?

Carl Azuz, Anchor

While discussing Tuesday’s show, before we settled on a Shoutout concerning China’s Great Wall, we debated asking something about Mesopotamia.  Now part of Iraq, this ancient region is known as a “cradle of civilization” because it’s where one of the world’s first civilizations developed.

So the Arwa Damon report about Iraq’s recovered antiques (which included tablets dating back to the second millennium B.C.) was fascinating to me.  Maybe you’ve been to the Smithsonian; maybe you’ve been to the Louvre.  Both of these renowned museums contain artifacts that could never be replaced; they’re like world family heirlooms.  So you can understand why it’s so important to Iraqis and the rest of us that the recovered relics of the ancient world be preserved, even if they can’t yet be displayed publicly.

Carl Azuz, Anchor

I remember that prom night wasn’t really cheap for anybody.  What I saved on renting a tux went to pay for dinner and my date’s corsage; what she saved from working all winter went to pay for her dress.  In my opinion, it’s not something you absolutely must go to - the longer I’ve been out of school, the less it has mattered that I went to prom.  But I hate the thought of someone not being able to go because he or she couldn’t afford to.

That’s what made Friday’s report on free prom dresses really stand out.  It showed how a good idea to help someone can expand to a major cause.  We’d love to know what you thought of it and what you think of prom in general.

Carl Azuz, Anchor

Personally, I never think it’s a bad thing when a celebrity goes public to help someone.  “Publicity stunt” is a phrase some critics use when that happens, but as long as someone in need actually benefits, who cares?  As you hear in Wednesday’s report, “Clooney has Darfur, Angelina has refugees, Bono has Africa” and Shakira has Colombia.  Fine with me:  They’re using their talents for good causes.

What I’d like to know is if it matters to anyone.  Think about the famous people you look up to — are you more likely to support a cause if they do?  Would you want to find out more about it, or do you not care as long as they keep making hits?

Carl Azuz, Anchor

Yep, it’s Earth Day! Every April 22 since 1970, we’ve paused on this day to plant a tree, pick up trash on a riverbank, or something else to keep the planet running a little cleaner. In today’s show, we saw a Duke University class that’s figuring out ways clean up a polluted creek using a plan created by Mother Nature. It’s pretty cool. So, what are you doing this Earth Day? If you or your class is heading out work on a project for Earth Day, don’t forget your camera. Document it, and send it to us in an iReport. We may put it on CNN Student News!

Gerald Smith, CNNSN Producer

When we covered the Virginia Tech shooting last year, one aspect of the story I found so amazing was some students’ responses to it.  A junior at the time said she “could never imagine leaving”; she felt that she owed it “to the students to go back and just finish the year out.”  And a freshman talked about how she wanted to finish her classes to have closure. 

Their stories reflected marks of resilience, our Word to the Wise for that day.  And one year later, you could see it rising in the next group of Virginia Tech students, embodied in the decision of Haley Freking to attend the university despite what it went through.  Whether you’d describe this as simple determination or, in the words of CNN reporter Kate Bolduan, “the fighting Hokie spirit,” you’ve got to admit that it’s remarkable.

Carl Azuz, Anchor