Finding a truly exceptional teacher these days is rare, but I have had the pleasure of finding such a wonderful teacher. Her name is very fitting and speaks wonders about her: Mrs. G... I consider Mrs. G... to be an outstanding educator because she has a concerned teaching style, is devotedly involved in both school and community activities, and touches many students lives every day.
Most teachers do their job of teaching well and may be friendly with their students, but an excellent teacher shows concern when a student is struggling and takes extra time to help fix the problem. Mrs. G... is actually concerned about each and every one of her student’s academic careers and personal wellbeing: Mrs. G... is very likely to ask about your weekend when you walk into her classroom on Monday morning. She uses an orderly, firm teaching style to keep students on task and to maximize the overall success of each class period; she will not allow any student to waste valuable time that could be spent working. When she sees an idle student, she will ask them what he has to work on and makes every attempt at getting him back on task. Even though her strict teaching style insists that students work hard, Mrs. G... is still loved by many students. Mrs. G’s unwavering personality demands respect, but she never takes advantage of that respect: She just does her job well and does not expect any rewards.
If superwoman were a real character, Mrs. G... would be she. She gives the illusion of being able to be in two places at once because she can accomplish so much in a short period of time; students can be sure to have papers to be returned and graded the next day. She is probably the one of the most devoted members of the High School staff. She teaches cooking, cake decorating, family relations, adult roles and responsibilities, advanced elder care, housing and interior design, and fashion and textiles at different times throughout the year. Mrs. G... always finds time to attend as many high school sporting events to watch her students in action and constantly compliments the athletes on their performances. She used to volunteer her time working at sporting events before she became too swamped with her other endeavors.
In the community, Mrs. G... puts her talents to good use making cakes and altering clothing; recently, she had a customer from out-of-state order a birthday cake for his mother who was living in the nursing home. She made the cake and delivered it after a little playful teasing from the birthday girl. Upon tasting her cake, the birthday girl pointed out all of the “mistakes”, such as too much icing, which Mrs. G... was able to take light-heartedly and chuckle at. In correlation with her fashion and textiles class, she heads the Y-Teens service group where students make a baby comfort blanket to donate to the pregnancy care center. She expertly manages funds for the Y-Teens and purchases the maximum amount of fabric for the blanket-making service project year after year. Mrs. G... is also active in her church where she teaches the youth and goes on trips with the enormous youth group.
Mrs. G... has influenced many students in her several years of teaching. She teaches a few important classes for the youth of the County: family relations and adult roles and responsibilities. In the family relations class, students learn about healthy relationships, the consequences of risky behaviors, marriage, reproduction, sexually transmitted diseases, the affects of substance abuse on an unborn child, death and dying, and options for unplanned pregnancies. In the adult roles and responsibilities class, students learn to budget their money and run a household through participation in a “grown-up” scenario. Students also get the responsibility of caring for a life-like baby doll.
Through her work in the community and school, Mrs. G... has developed many relationships with her peers and students. In the family relations class, students participate in a circle group discussion along with Mrs. G... where they tell about three of their major problems or complaints in life; the discussion gets very personal and emotional, but the conversations never leave the circle. Mrs. G... gives good advice, and many students feel comfortable going to Mrs. G... with their problems. She has even been known to direct students who suspect that they may be pregnant or that they have an STD to the local Pregnancy Care Center. A student who goes to Mrs. G... for guidance and advice can always be sure that she will not gossip about the student’s problem in the teachers’ lounge, or anywhere else for that matter. Mrs. G... also offers a constant stream of support and encouragement for all of her students. She has persuaded students who had no intentions of attending college to further their education.
Mrs. G... is always patient and calm, but she will not tolerate rude or lazy pupils.She has been a very important part of my life, and I believe she has a heart of gold. Mrs. G... is a truly outstanding educator and friend because she has a loving teaching style, she is a devoted teacher and citizen, and she is a major influence in many of her students lives.