Powerful Teaching

Mrs. Adair was my eighth grade ELA teacher. I had just begun my angsty teen phase and was becoming a little bit more artsy with my writing. Mrs. Adair noticed and was the first teacher who made me feel like all the hard work I put into every ELA project was worth it. She made me her class assistant and constantly used my projects as good examples. She made me feel like I was on a path to do big things. From her, I learned the power of recognizing your students. It can mean the world to them if you simply see them through their creative endeavors and expressions. This is something I wish to do with my students; make them feel special.

Mrs. Greene was my teacher for Precalc in the 11th grade. In high school, I was a quiet kid and I never really interacted with my teachers beyond what was necessary. Mrs. Greene knew I was one of her best students in Precalc and I would regularly do well on homework quizzes. That was until Track season started. I failed my first homework quiz, but instead of brushing it off, Mrs. Greene called me over after class and asked what happened. She knew this was not like me, she wanted to make sure I was doing okay. She ended up letting me retake the quiz later in the week, but it always stuck with me that she cared enough to ask. She checked in on and me and gave me another chance, possibly the best lesson I learned in her class. This is something I would employ with my students; compassion and understanding.

I decided to take my first AP class in tenth grade; AP US History. My teacher was Mr. Ignagni, and he was very intimidating. He taught with such passion and vigor and I always came to class excited to learn. I was very quiet however, and I always left every class every year feeling like I had made no impression. Two years later, after I graduated, I ran into Mr. Ignagni outside of Target. To my surprise, he smiled and approached me to talk. We discussed my plans for college, where I was going, and what I was studying. He congratulated me and I felt happy. He taught me the importance of building relationships with your students and making them feel seen.