My Inspirational Teacher | Teen Ink

My Inspirational Teacher

May 23, 2010
By Andrea Evans BRONZE, Sandy, Utah
Andrea Evans BRONZE, Sandy, Utah
2 articles 0 photos 0 comments

When I first met Mrs. Perkins, I had no idea how tremendously she would impact my life. I have been privileged to have her as my band director for three wonderful years. Each day I cannot wait to enter her classroom and play my clarinet. Mrs. Perkins has always encouraged me to pursue music and practice diligently. She sincerely cares for each of her students, and Mrs. Perkins listens to any concerns they might have. She has always done more than required. Mrs. Perkins is also ahead of stage crew, a helper with the school’s musical, and she assists in many assemblies at our school. Ultimately, Mrs. Perkins is an excellent, considerate, and hardworking educator.

Mrs. Perkins is a phenomenal band director who introduces her students to the beauty of music. She has the ability to take beginner, intermediate, and experienced musicians and turn them into a successful band. Mrs. Perkins has shown us that music is so much more than notes on a page. As I approach a song, I immediately notice the tone of the piece. Each note means so much. The greatest feeling is that felt after you have placed your whole heart into a piece of music. I would not know these things if it were not for Mrs. Perkins. She helped me to understand how imperative it is to pay attention to dynamics, articulations, and tuning. Even the most difficult piece can be made easy with the help of Mrs. Perkins.

Band has always been a way for me to escape my daily worries. It may be the worst day ever, but the moment Mrs. Perkins begins teaching I immediately feel better. She makes each student feel important. When we do well, she often tells us that we deserve gold stars. Mrs. Perkins cares so much about our band, and she believes in each of her pupils. I try to practice each day, and her encouragement motivates me. When working though a hard piece, I tell myself, “Mrs. Perkins believes that you can play this song, and you can do this.” If it were not for Mrs. Perkins, I would not have progressed as much as I have now.

Mrs. Perkins has always been the teacher that goes above and beyond. She is consistently at school early and stays late. At 7:15 AM on Monday through Thursday she teaches jazz band. Mrs. Perkins takes each of her responsibilities seriously, and she has an amazing attendance record. She always hates it when she cannot come to school, and Mrs. Perkins often ensures that we are left with a nice, musically talented substitute. Additionally, Mrs. Perkins recently worked with the school musical. That required staying past 5:00 PM each night for rehearsals, and coming at 5:30 PM on performance days. During the play she had to do lighting, music, and sound effects. Mrs. Perkins also is ahead of stage crew, and she must help run many of our school’s assemblies. This means she often assists with slideshows and any other objects that are used in a presentation. Many tasks would not be completed if Mrs. Perkins did not kindly volunteer to pitch in.

In conclusion, Mrs. Perkins has done so much for me. She deserves billions upon billions of gold stars. I cannot help but feel nostalgic as I look back at the past three years in Mrs. Perkins’ band. She has inspired me to work hard and to be the best that I can. Next year I know I will miss the comforting feeling I receive when I walk into her classroom. It was an absolute honor to learn and work with Mrs. Perkins. No words can express how grateful I am for all of her hard work and effort. A good teacher is one that helps students to understand difficult concepts, but Mrs. Perkins is a great educator that not only motivates teenagers, but sincerely cares for and helps each of her students. Because of her, I am now able to thoroughly enjoy and understand music. Never again will a piece be simple, boring notes on a page. I now feel that each song is like a present, waiting to be opened and explored. I love the clarinet with all my heart, and I credit Mrs. Perkins for helping me realize the joy in music.


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This article has 7 comments.


sally shine said...
on Jul. 7 2014 at 5:26 am
AWESOME essay. this shows us that our teachers are our inspiration  

on Oct. 3 2013 at 5:36 pm
princessrachel GOLD, Wilmington, Delaware
17 articles 2 photos 19 comments

Favorite Quote:
You have to be willing to sacrifice who you are for what you can become.

Awesome job! Loved your writing! 

ElsyM GOLD said...
on Aug. 31 2013 at 3:41 pm
ElsyM GOLD, Conway, Arkansas
10 articles 0 photos 46 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Carpe diem"

Loved it. Teachers can become our best friends over very short periods of time.

Spock GOLD said...
on Oct. 3 2012 at 8:44 pm
Spock GOLD, Weston, Wisconsin
17 articles 0 photos 5 comments
That's awesome! My band teacher's name is Mr. Perkins, I also play the clarinet. Thumbs up. You did a nice job describing your band teacher. You also do a very good job on making her a tremendous teacher. All in all nice job.

on Sep. 11 2012 at 4:23 pm
hedwigy13 PLATINUM, Piscataway, New Jersey
27 articles 2 photos 21 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Only in the dictionary does success come before work." -unknown

oh my god! That sounds so much like my band teacher, Mr. Fischer. In the past two years that I've had him, he's done so much. I loved the article. keep up the good work!

KylieK GOLD said...
on Jul. 29 2012 at 9:46 pm
KylieK GOLD, Mt. Washington, Kentucky
11 articles 0 photos 270 comments

Favorite Quote:
"To love is to surpass one's self."

I had a teacher like this, but she was my creative writing teacher in fourth grade- Mrs. Stokes. She was inspirational and looked at me like I was something special.

 

Be glad you got an experience like this. Teachers like this only come along once in a lifetime.

 

Awesome job and great vocabulary. 5 stars, friend!


agaklo6 said...
on Jul. 7 2012 at 10:26 pm

I really enjoyed your piece! It was heart-breaking how much you would miss Mrs.Perkins:( I remember when I was in 6th grade, and I had the same teacher that never gave up on me and always inspired me to do better!