Growing up I found it difficult to talk to teachers or students without feeling uncomfortable, whether it be asking for help or even having a friendly conversation. But that changed my freshman year of high school when I met Ramona Armour. She taught me so much more than just French--she taught me how to grow and succeed as a person. Mademoiselle Armour changed my life for the better and I could not be more grateful.
She is one of the most passionate people I know -- and she is not just passionate with her work, but also with her students. She tries her best to get to know everyone and make sure everyone is in a good place. Last year, I struggled in school and I let that affect my attitude, so Mademoiselle had walked up to me and said, “If you need anyone to talk to, please know you can always come to me.” When she said that, it made me feel better knowing someone cared about me and how I was doing. It also helped me change my attitude and work on improving my grades.

The more I talked to Mademoiselle and got extra help from other students the more comfortable I felt going to other teachers for the same thing. I was able to participate more in class discussions, ask questions, and even carry on a conversation with teachers I wouldn't normally talk to.

When I think of Mademoiselle enthusiastic, compassionate, and outgoing come to mind. I was crushed to hear that a girl in my class, Iris, was recently diagnosed with non-terminal cancer. Mademoiselle encouraged her students to come up with ideas to support Iris. So far, students have come up with tee shirt designs and an enormous poster with supporters signatures making every inch.

Mademoiselle is always eager to keep her students active and connected with each other. Every week, we get a new  partner, and everyday, we ask them how they are doing and what they have been up to. This made me feel more connected with everyone in my class, and it made it easy to talk to people. 

I do not think I have ever met anyone as hard-working as Mademoiselle. She teaches four different kinds of French classes. She also works hard keeping us focused by only speaking French, so we have to pay attention not to miss anything important. She is also persistent with making sure we work  whether it be on homework or in class activities

I love going to the French club activities that she runs -- scavenger hunts, baseball games with foreign exchange French students, and dinner at the Melting Pot. My French class feels more like a family than a class. We joke around, tell stories, and sometimes pick on each other, but we do it all on French. This encourages us to speak French outside of class and apply it to the real world.

But there was a time when my class was struggling with speaking only french in class even though we knew that once we got to French three would would no longer be allowed to speak English.  We were like a bunch of little kids learning how to talk. Either we would secretly speak English or not a word. Mademoiselle became quite flustered and said, “This is French class, not a class about France.” And that changed my work ethic. The kids who were also struggling improved their speaking skills and that helped the class grow. 
Over the three years of knowing Mademoiselle Armour I realized she is so much more than just a teacher to me -- she is one of my best friends. I could not be more grateful to have Mademoiselle Armour in my life to have helped me overcome some struggles I was facing.