I'm so happy to see that there is a week dedicated to appreciate the teachers out there. These men and women are so incredible and during my years in school, I don't think I really understood just how influential each of them really were. Now that I have finished college, I look back and am amazed at how each of these educators have played a role in molding me to who I am today. Below are just a few teachers that I want to take a moment and thank.
*Mr. Hershey, 2nd Grade: When I went into preview day the week before the first day of school, I was shocked to find out that I was going to have a guy as a teacher. It just wasn't a common thing in elementary schools. But he quickly became one of my favorite teachers. He knew how to make class fun for an easily distractable 2nd grader like myself. What I remember most from 2nd grade was Mr. Hershey teaching us sign language and watching caterpillars turn into butterflies in the classroom.
*Mrs. Corrado, 3rd and 4th Grade: Y'all, there are no words to describe my appreciation for Mrs. Corrado. I think that the fact that I am still in regular contact with her says a lot about the type of person that she is. When I found out that my family was going to move after 4th grade, I was absolutely devastated. Why? Because Mrs. Corrado wouldn't be my 5th grade teacher. But, she was great at comforting my anxiety (yup, anxiety was a regular thing even as a kid for me). She was always supportive of me, no matter what. Prior to the school year ending, she visited my new school and put my fears to rest. See? That just says so much about her character!
*Mrs. Heinbuch, Mr. Dahlin, and Mr. Indovina; Music Instructors: Lord, these three individuals were nothing but supportive of my piano career. They believed in me and presented me with opportunities all the time. I wouldn't be have been the performer that I was without them.
*Mr. Jernigan, AP Calculus: This man made me love Calculus. Yup, you read that correct -- LOVE + CALCULUS. It was probably the toughest class that I had in high school and while in the moment, I loathed every second of it. I spent endless number of nights practicing derivatives, anticipating any potential questions that he could ask. In the end, I understood that he was tough on us because he wanted to see us succeed. I'm sure glad that he did because I got to skip out of Calc at AU. On top of that, after our scores were released, Mr. Jernigan spent his summer vacation making calls to students congratulating them. LOVE IT.
*Mr. Jefferis, Physics: Oh Mr. Jefferis. My absolute favorite teacher of all time. This guy wrote all of my college recommendations. I met Mr. Jefferis on my first day of high school which also happened to be his first day teaching. I started out high school with Mr. Jefferis as a teacher and ended high school with Mr. Jefferis as a teacher as well. He made science FUN...and tolerable. Class was always exciting because of his dynamic personality. But the greatest thing was -- you knew he cared about his students. He spent all his free time helping students with whatever. Hands down, my favorite teacher ever.
I dug out this photo of Mr. Jefferis and I at senior prom. I mean, he has to be a fun guy if he agreed to chaperone a high school dance, right?
These are just a handful of teachers that I want to thank. The list could go on for days. What these teachers all have in common: they INVEST in the lives of their students. They actually really do care about our success! Too often, all of their hard work goes unnoticed because of the snarky attitudes of teenagers. We shouldn't just thank our teachers during this one week, it should be EVERY DAY.
Thank you to all the educators in my life and to those down the road.
*Mr. Hershey, 2nd Grade: When I went into preview day the week before the first day of school, I was shocked to find out that I was going to have a guy as a teacher. It just wasn't a common thing in elementary schools. But he quickly became one of my favorite teachers. He knew how to make class fun for an easily distractable 2nd grader like myself. What I remember most from 2nd grade was Mr. Hershey teaching us sign language and watching caterpillars turn into butterflies in the classroom.
*Mrs. Corrado, 3rd and 4th Grade: Y'all, there are no words to describe my appreciation for Mrs. Corrado. I think that the fact that I am still in regular contact with her says a lot about the type of person that she is. When I found out that my family was going to move after 4th grade, I was absolutely devastated. Why? Because Mrs. Corrado wouldn't be my 5th grade teacher. But, she was great at comforting my anxiety (yup, anxiety was a regular thing even as a kid for me). She was always supportive of me, no matter what. Prior to the school year ending, she visited my new school and put my fears to rest. See? That just says so much about her character!
*Mrs. Heinbuch, Mr. Dahlin, and Mr. Indovina; Music Instructors: Lord, these three individuals were nothing but supportive of my piano career. They believed in me and presented me with opportunities all the time. I wouldn't be have been the performer that I was without them.
*Mr. Jernigan, AP Calculus: This man made me love Calculus. Yup, you read that correct -- LOVE + CALCULUS. It was probably the toughest class that I had in high school and while in the moment, I loathed every second of it. I spent endless number of nights practicing derivatives, anticipating any potential questions that he could ask. In the end, I understood that he was tough on us because he wanted to see us succeed. I'm sure glad that he did because I got to skip out of Calc at AU. On top of that, after our scores were released, Mr. Jernigan spent his summer vacation making calls to students congratulating them. LOVE IT.
*Mr. Jefferis, Physics: Oh Mr. Jefferis. My absolute favorite teacher of all time. This guy wrote all of my college recommendations. I met Mr. Jefferis on my first day of high school which also happened to be his first day teaching. I started out high school with Mr. Jefferis as a teacher and ended high school with Mr. Jefferis as a teacher as well. He made science FUN...and tolerable. Class was always exciting because of his dynamic personality. But the greatest thing was -- you knew he cared about his students. He spent all his free time helping students with whatever. Hands down, my favorite teacher ever.
These are just a handful of teachers that I want to thank. The list could go on for days. What these teachers all have in common: they INVEST in the lives of their students. They actually really do care about our success! Too often, all of their hard work goes unnoticed because of the snarky attitudes of teenagers. We shouldn't just thank our teachers during this one week, it should be EVERY DAY.
Thank you to all the educators in my life and to those down the road.
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