Deeper Personal Understanding by Brooke

Deeper Personal Understanding by Brooke - June 2021 Scholarship Essay

When my name was called, I got up to walk across the stage of my sixth grade graduation. I walked down the line shaking the hands of my previous teacher. I got to my predominant teacher, Ms. Presley, she hugged me and whispered in my ear. She said, "I'm proud of you." this caused me to cry because of how much it meant to me. Ms. Presley was the most influential teacher I have had because of the personal connection she made with me.

Because of the structure of Montessori, I was with Ms. Presley from grade four to six. At a young age you change and develop rapidly. This undoubtedly allowed Ms. Presley to watch me evolve and mature which creates a bond. We were given the opportunity to exchange the tickets we earned for good behavior for eating lunch with Ms. Presley. I spent these lunches getting to know Ms. Presley and telling her about my life. We were connected by the fact we both lost someone we loved and we had a better understanding of each other. While walking me to the bus, Ms. Presley would always ask about my family dynamic because she knew it could be difficult at times. Ms. Presley exceeded her job requirements by carving out individual time to help me improve a skill I struggled with. She payed attention to where I needed improvement, which happened to be reading aloud, and worked to help me enhance this skill with individual practice

Rather than a temporary and superficial bond students create with their teacher, the bond I had with Ms. Presley was deeper. I felt that Ms.Presley genuinely cared about the person I was becoming. Her job would have been easier if she didn't take the time to get to know me and pay attention to what I needed. Kids are malleable and easily influenced at a young age which is why Ms. Presley had a lasting impact on my life. I didn't want to leave someone so important to me.