There’s something to be said about a teacher who is more thrilled to teach a subject than you are to learn it. AP Psychology is an intricate subject that can be hard to understand. That is, if you don’t have Mrs. Brown as the teacher.

It was a lighthearted evening when I decided to join Psych club sophomore year. I anticipated an exuberant time in Psych club. When the time arrived, I walked in to see a small -- and mature looking -- instructor, Mrs. Brown. By time Psych club ended, I knew if I took a Psychology class, I wanted her to be the teacher. She was mesmerizing, energetic, and genuine. Being her student as a junior, I realize she is nothing less.
Walking into class, I saw Mrs. Brown with a brilliant smile on her face (stretching from one cheek to the other). Even on my worst day, I expect a smile from myself just by seeing her. And seeing her teach inspires me to do my best in everything I do.

Her teaching transforms the way her students interpret and retain information. One time in class she was giving an example of how “Fight or Flight” works. She put the class into a scenario -- which made it more engaging and intriguing. The scenario was this: You come home late to your empty home and suddenly hear creaks on the floor upstairs. You believe it came from your room, so you head upstairs. Your sympathetic nervous system is secreting adrenaline when you go to check it out, and when you found out it was just your cat, your parasympathetic nervous system slowed down the process. This story made learning about the nervous systems much more interesting. In that sense, the way she teaches is mesmerizing.

She’s also energetic and active. We did the Scissors Activity, where the class sat in a circle and had to guess a pattern. We had to carefully observe our surroundings to understand the pattern. She used the scissors as a distraction to keep us from focusing on the way we were sitting, which was key to the pattern. This showed us that we need to closely observe everything around us -- and not just focus on the big picture (in this case, the scissors). Because if you only look at what’s obviously visible, you will miss out on something great. There was another activity where she had seven students line up to simulate the way the nervous system works. This showed us in slow motion how the nervous system works -- in reality, it’s much faster, which is why it would be hard to see. She’s walked around the class bursting with energy like a sun that never stops shining. She does this for every activity we do and this makes learning easier in her class.

Having a teacher who is approachable makes coming to class enjoyable. She has a genuine interest in her students and what they’re up to. During homecoming week she asked, “Are any of you going to the parade?” She feels more like a friend than a teacher. And since Psychology is such a broad topic, she relates it to everything we do and she does that well too.

I feel as though Mrs. Brown deserves more recognition for her efforts. With the time she spends in school teaching and the time she spends outside of school on her club activities, she should get more praise for her hard work. I would love to let her know how much her effort and teaching has impacted me. She brings a new meaning to enjoyable, capable, and approachable. I’m starting to believe she’s beyond this world.