Making School Better, One Teacher At A Time by Alison

Making School Better, One Teacher At A Time by Alison - September 2023 Scholarship Essay

The search for comfort never stops, since we were young we have continuously been looking at others' responses to help us understand who we need to become. I believe that to help our students become more engaged, we need to make our schools better by building better relationships with students.
Throughout my 14 years in school, I have struggled with going to school and focusing due to struggles with friends and family relationships, and financial abilities. These problems at home affected my abilities in school completely, and due to me having a lack of those to talk to about this, it deepened them. This was until my fifth-grade year, I had an amazing teacher who showed me exactly how much she cared. While I was struggling she listened, and set me up with greater opportunities to meet other people to pontificate to. Due to this, my mental health and grades were strengthened. Along with this, my teacher not only comforted me in private, but she helped my classmates skilfully. She got their input on their ways of learning. If someone was a visual learner she would create diagrams and so on. She was an amazing teacher who not only inspired others but inspired me to become a teacher.
After I realized I wanted to create a positive environment for other students, just as she did me, I took part in a program that allowed me to intern in an art class at Don Jeter Elementry. I have been in this program for 2 years and I am currently on my third. Here I have met students of all ages and backgrounds. During this time I created bonds with all of my students and comforted them during hard times. I adjusted my lessons to fit the learning skills of all students and I have even changed some to fit their abilities.
Overall, I have learned through mentors and experience that it is not only a teacher's goal to teach students, it is their job to care for them as well. Students will excel if teachers and staff let us know that they are here for us. To achieve this, directors must ask more questions about how teachers care for students, and hire caring teachers that are not just there to teach.