What’s makes a good teacher? Someone who you can walk into their office, sit down and they’d know exactly what was wrong. Mrs. Magee was that teacher for me. I could talk to her about anything. If you ever needed someone to just sit there and listen, that’s where you went. I would go there and just pour my heart out to her about anything that was on my mind. Yes, I know that she was the guidance counselor and all, but to me, she was somewhat like a sister or best friend. She’d let you sit there and ramble on about something just so you could reflect on what you just said. There didn’t need to be a whole lot of conversing in order to know what was being said. She would give me her honest opinion on certain issues, or tell me what the good and bad decision would be and let me choose for myself. If you did ask for her opinion, expect a straight-forward answer back. She will tell you, honestly, what she thinks. This meant that she was as honest as anything, even though sometimes the truth hurt.

Did you ever know anyone that you could go to for anything and know you weren’t going to be judged? Even if it was something you weren’t sure if you should tell someone? Basically, you could almost tell her you murdered someone and have her help you through it without thinking you were automatically a bad person! Even though things were all open in her office, she never forced you to talk about something if you didn’t want to. She always knew the right things to say and when to say them. If you asked her a question, you wouldn’t get a yes or no answer. Instead, you’d get an explanation, in detail, which we would understand. She put everything into the prospective of a teenager. She would know from the expression on my face whether or not I understood what she was saying or if maybe it was just that something else that was bothering me or on my mind.

During my middle school years, my sister, Elaina, began to have panic attacks and was diagnosed with anxiety. Because of this, she was sent to not one, but two mental hospitals: Rockford and some place almost three hours away in Pennsylvania. This was scary for me being 11 years old and having my little baby sister freaking out to the point where she was running away. One time she even threatened to commit suicide at such a young age while I was home alone with her! Can you imagine calling the police on your 7 year old sister at 11 years old? Talk about scary! Since the school knew about all of this because of how much work and time my sister missed, Mrs. Magee helped me through this hard time. She helped me put into perspective what was going on. She helped me deal with being scared of my sister. Because of her, I knew what was going on. She would explain to me, in a way that I understood, what was happening and why it was happening. I felt like an outcast. After all of this evened out and my sister was put on different medicines and going to a psychiatrist and psychologist once a week, she helped me get back to being myself. She suggested methods and different things to try to calm myself down. During this time, my family and I weren’t getting along well and were almost bumping heads. She was a good advice giver, whether you wanted it or not. She was always willing to give and never asked for anything in return. Because of her, I was able to graduate and still keep my head in tact.

My dad is not the easiest person to talk to, especially because I’m not only his first child, but also, I’m a girl. To be honest, he intimidated me. Because of Mrs. Magee, I was no longer that intimidated by him, and I was able to stand up for myself when he freaked out over the littlest thing. I never was able to sit there and talk to my dad, knowing that he wouldn’t get mad, before her. She made this easier for me also. She gave me tips on how to get through to him and other guys in a way that they would listen and understand. If I wanted my parents involved in an issue, she’d help me with that. If you were talking about something that was either difficult or awkward to talk about, she’d make it fun or interesting, and no longer awkward. For some reason, not one of her lectures was boring. She had a way of teaching that was fun and kept you attentive and occupied.

Mrs. Magee is one of my role models. I have always looked up to her because almost everyone respects her. She treated everyone with respect, and in return, got the same. Almost everyone liked her, and she was the type of person that as soon as she walked into a room, she immediately gave off an energetic vibe and made a good first impression. A teacher is, “a person who teaches or instructs, especially as a profession; instructor.” That is exactly what Mrs. Magee was: the best teacher I ever had and that is why I’m nominating her for Teen Ink’s Educator of the Year.