Dandy Gandy by Ashley

Dandy Gandy by Ashley - July 2014 Scholarship Essay

Usually when high school teenagers think about school, all they envision is a prison. They view the teachers as wardens, the rooms as cells, and the cafeteria food as poison. We’re forced to learn things that we don’t care about and put up with people we don’t like. One might say that school is an un-enjoyable place-I can’t blame them! I used to feel the exact same way until I met my sophomore English teacher, Ms. Gandy. This woman not only changed my viewpoints on classrooms and teachers but on life in general, which is a gift that is priceless.

On the first day of school, I walked into English dreading what the year was going to bring. I always thought that English was boring, hard, and a waste of my time. But, as soon as I stepped into the classroom my whole perspective changed. There were no desks-just tables turned upside-down with chairs on top of them. The walls were painted lime green, white, and navy blue. The ceiling tiles were painted in shades of blue, increasing in the depth of color as you scanned your eyes toward the back of the room, kind of like the ocean tide. There were bean bag chairs in one corner and a life-sized butcher-paper tree in another. Could this really be an English classroom? No. Could this be a high school classroom? The scene definitely took my breath away…but it gets better. I look over and standing at the front of the classroom is what should be my “boring English teacher”, yet I find a complete wacko. Approximately 5’5”, brown hair with tight curls, no make-up, and wearing a dress that looks like something Ms. Frizzle would have worn from the Magic School Bus. But the icing on the cake was what she had on her head. A helmet. Yes, a helmet. She then proceeded to say if we wanted to sit down then grab a seat. We all looked at each other confused. How can we grab a seat? There’s nowhere to sit other than the floor. But after standing there for some odd minutes, we all finally figured out that she wanted us to literally grab a seat from the table, turn it right side-up and sit down. So we did. The best part however was her helmet story. Why did she have a helmet on? “Well on my first year of teaching, I got so nervous that I fainted while going over the syllabus. Of course my class gathered around and asked if I was ok, which I was. But now every year I come prepared with a helmet just in case. That way if I faint, I can just get right back up and continue teaching.” Well there you have it. This class by far was the weirdest, strangest, most entertaining class I’ve ever been in. And it was my favorite already.

Why am I telling you all of this? Well, to say this: Because of Ms. Gandy-because of that wonderful first day of English class-I decided to become a teacher. Ms. Gandy was a teacher that didn’t care what her students thought about her. She was nutty, quirky, goofy, and down-to-earth. She was the teacher that was real with her students. She was the teacher who understood exactly what each and every student thought and felt about school, life, etc. She wasn’t afraid to “take chances and make mistakes”, as Ms. Frizzle puts it. She clearly inspired her students’ everyday to continue learning, living, and loving. She truly inspired me. She made me want to continue my education, work hard, and appreciate the privilege and honor that I now call, school. She changed my view-what once was a prison was now a palace; A place where I could dictate my future. Because of her, I have decided to become a teacher. I want to be someone who inspires their students’ everyday to go out into the world and live-truly live. To make your mark, fulfill your dreams, and have fun while doing it. Ms. Gandy truly was my inspiration and overall a true Dandy Gandy.