School--a topic I never enjoyed talking about or dealing with. I never enjoyed school because I never had a teacher who made me enjoy it. So walking into high school, I had low expectations--that was, until I met Mrs. Walters, my ninth grade social studies teacher.

Mrs. Walters looks like your typical teacher, dressed for success. But once you talk to her and get to know her, you learn she is more than just a teacher. She made sure she knew something about you that would make her remember your name and who you are. Mrs. Walters has two kids, so the mother in her would show in class. And I enjoyed how she didn’t hide it. If Mrs. Walters noticed that something was wrong, she would ask us if we wanted to talk about it or if we needed to take a small walk. Not many teachers ask you if you need a moment to just walk away from your work and come back.

She always told us, “You’re at the bottom of the mountain and by the end of the semester, you will be at the top,” while pointing at the mountain picture next to her desk. She wanted to make sure we understood the material and if we didn’t, she wanted to work with each one of us. She didn’t want anyone to fail, she only wanted us to succeed. Not many teachers are like that. Some tell you “everything is on you, if you fail, you’re just going to have to deal with it” and no one wants to hear that. Students want to hear their teachers say they want them to succeed and move forward in life rather than backwards. Students want teachers to motivate them and inspire them to want to be successful, not only in life but school too. And Mrs. Walters does just that.

During first semester of freshman year, I struggled because I am not a strong test taker. I am someone who--no matter how many times I study a certain topic--struggle when a test in thrown on my desk. It’s like the sunburn you get after a day in the sun--bad.  But Mrs. Walters noticed my problem and requested a conference with my parents. My mom met with her and she said she enjoyed having me in class, but was concerned with my test scores. Mrs. Walters told my mom she could work with me during study hall if there was something I didn’t understand. My mom agreed and said she would talk to me. I wasn’t upset or mad that Mrs. Walters requested a conference because I wanted to know what she had to say and what she thought I could do to improve.
During second semester, I had her for first hour and I was the first person in class (I was at school by 6:45 because my parents work downtown). Mrs. Walters always greeted me with a “Hello” and “How are you today, Anne?” I have never had a teacher who has genuinely cared when they asked the question “how are you doing today?” But every morning, I would say a “Hello” in response and ask her the same question. I was surprised when she showed that she genuinely cared how I was doing in morning or throughout class. That was when I realized Mrs. Walters was more than a teacher.

Throughout the class period, if we had work time, she would walk around and stop to talk to people and make sure everyone was understanding the material and ask if they had any questions. One day, Mrs. Walters came to my desk and looked at my work and told me I was doing a good job and that she liked my response to a question.
When the end of the year came around, she told me she liked how much progress I had made since first semester. She told me she was proud of my work and proud of me. I have never had a teacher say they were proud of me and mean it. It made my day to hear that a teacher was genuinely proud of me. So on the last day of class, I made sure to get a selfie with my favorite teacher.

Once sophomore year rolled around, I made it a priority to see Mrs. Walters at least once a week. Towards the end of the year, when I stopped to talk to her between classes, I was sad to hear that she was retiring. Mrs. Walters is more than just a teacher. She made it a priority to make me--as well as all her other students--succeed. She cared when she asked how you were doing and if you needed help. She put her students and fellow staff members before herself.

Whenever I  see Mrs. Walters in the hallway, she is talking to another teacher or helping a student pick something up. Even when in the teacher cubicles, she is talking to everyone and having a laugh. It isn’t until she sat down in her cubicle that she took time for herself. In class, she talks to every student to see how they are doing or if they have any plans for the weekend.

Mrs. Walters is caring, selfless, brilliant--and the list goes on--but nothing could possibly describe Lynn Walters because there aren’t enough words to describe the impact she had on me.