Respect, Nuance, and Empathy by Ella

Respect, Nuance, and Empathy by Ella - June 2021 Scholarship Essay

¨Re: back again?” I quickly say as a short, bearded man in his early 30s walks towards me, pointing with a popsicle stick.
“Good,” he exclaims as he drops my popsicle stick back into the glass jar in his hand and returns to the middle of the oval of standing desks to draw someone else’s name. I let out a sigh of relief; I’m still in the game.
My seventh grade gifted English teacher, Mr. Brock, ran his classroom a little differently than any of my other teachers. For starters, there were very few desks in the room. Instead, there was an assortment of tables and podiums arranged in an oval to use as standing desks. There were two factors of this arrangement that made it notable. First, we never had assigned spots; everyday choosing a spot was a new decision. Second, he stood in the oval with us. He had his own podium with all of his teacher supplies on it, and only in retrospect do I recognize the significance of this action. He was depicting himself as an equal. I realize now that we respected him so much because he respected us.
When it came to content, our material differed from the other English classes as well. We read different books, all of which remained some of my favorite books throughout my school career. In these books we annotated characterization, concepts, conflict, and themes, and debated them in a socratic style discussion. This forced us to look for and comprehend nuance and deeper meaning in these books rather than just the plot. Whether it be books, movies, or music, I subconsciously look for depth and nuance to this day.
We also studied Game Theory, which is an analysis of strategy focused on what motivates different actions. To truly understand game theory, one must put themselves in another person’s shoes and consider not only the options that lie in front of them, but their personal stake, past, and goals. Although the objective of this consideration is to win, the act of considering helps to understand both oneself and other people in decision making. In short, Game Theory teaches empathy.
Mr. Brock was the most influential teacher I had because he changed the way I think. He taught me that every person matters. He taught me to look for meaning in the world. He taught me to think about the consequences of my actions on myself and others. The world needs more people with respect, nuance, and empathy