To the teacher who inspired me to teach,
First and foremost, thank you. I will never, ever be able to say it enough.
I am one of the privileged few who has always had a great relationship with school. Not that I haven’t had my share of bad grades, all-nighters and general overwhelming homework-induced stress because I certainly have, but because, despite all of that, my eagerness to learn remains. That being said, if not for the incredible teachers I have had in my life, I probably would have given up on wanting to learn a while ago. I love and look up to so many of the people who have taught me over the years, but I have a special place in my heart for one teacher in particular.
I am about as good at math as Donald Trump would be as the leader of the free world. In a nutshell, I’m terrible. It’s not a secret, and I actually embrace my mathematical deficiencies because it’s a great conversation starter when I’m asked the question, “Why are you an English major?” However, despite my acceptance of it now, I used to be incredibly self-conscious of my math abilities (or lack thereof). I am also a perfectionist and am plagued by anxiety, which, paired with failing a few tests and feeling genuinely academically helpless, is one of the worst possibe combinations. So, when I started falling behind in my sophomore geometry class, I felt that all hope was lost. Luckily, one teacher in particular, Mrs. M, had faith in me. She recognized that I was trying and offered to work with me outside of class, even saying that I could pop in while she was teaching other sections so that I could process the material a second time. She offered me countless explanations, give me extra practice work and always assured me that there are more important aspects of life than high school mathematics, something I’d never quite thought about. It’s important to note, though, that Mrs. M wasn’t my actual teacher, although she did teach in the department. Instead, she was just an incredibly wonderful educator who wanted to ensure that an insecure teenager felt more confident in her abilities.
Although I am still not a math genius, I am not nearly as self-conscious as I once was. If you were to ask me to find X or identify lengths of the sides of a triangle, I could actually probably do it. But, really, math proficiency is not the point. I am an English major who loves working with kids. Although I’ve thought about several potential career paths since I started college, I’ve been inspired by Mrs. M to teach. It would be amazing if I had the chance of encouraging a student, like my former self, about their abilities. I am a firm believer that everyone has potential. It might just take a wonderful person, like Mrs. M, to help one see it.
Mrs. M, I hope you know how awesome you are! I can’t wait to tell my future students about you. Thank you so, so much.