Middle school is an awkward time for everyone. There’s this little window of time where puberty starts and the drama begins. You have acne, and the endless flow of hormones; over anxious pre teens want to grow up and begin the battle to be the best you can be. Unfortunately, I was losing this battle. Being that awkward chubby kid who never talked to anyone, I was always picked on. This led me to find support in my eighth grade teacher: Mrs. Grendel.
Mrs. Grendel is my definition of a true educator. She is even paced, level headed, and knows what to say and when to say it. Being my eighth grade English teacher, she was a teacher I liked. I can remember the first day I walked into her classroom. There were no games, and no “get to the know the class” questionnaires. There was just her daily itinerary. Being a little hermit, I enjoyed that I didn't have to speak in front of the class and embarrass myself. She might not of taught like most middle school teachers, with the rigor of a high school course, but she taught the way I loved.
I always came in during lunch period to practice vocabulary with her, or to just talk about my day (almost always about my day). She was different from the rest of my teachers. She listened, she didn't judge, and she always gave me supportive advice. I can remember one day I came into her room crying, tears just rolling down my face. I had just got into a fight with my twin brother, and was suspended from school for a day. She didn't even ask me what was the matter, she just let me blow off steam and confide in her. After I finished my rant, she looked at me and said this: “Noah, you can't fight with your brother. One day your parents will be gone, your friends will come and go, but you will always have your brother. No matter what.”
That was the biggest dose of reality I had ever had. She gave me a perspective I had never even bothered to look at. She was good at doing that, though she was always showing you the other side of the argument. If it was a grammatical rule or literary analysis, she could always show you how she came to her conclusions. She didn't “tell” you how English was done, she “showed” you.

To me, she is not only the best educator in the state, but she is also a close friend and personal hero of mine. She’s the water and sunshine that helped me bloom into the confident and vibrant flower I am today. If anyone deserves to win this award it is her. Thank you, Mrs. Grendel