It Isn't All About Math by Elmiche

It Isn't All About Math by Elmiche - July 2016 Scholarship Essay

Time is precious. One of the many things in life that I know to be very true but seems to always slip my mind. I owe one of my teachers much respect for reminding me the virtue: Time is precious.

I don’t enjoy Math in general and I didn’t like Math Analysis either even though it was an easier math class compared to the other math classes I’ve taken since Algebra I. My Math Analysis teacher, Mr. Maggart has certain aspects of his teaching I didn’t like. For example, I didn’t like him assigning 40 problems that took me an hour to finish. Even though I didn’t like everything about him, I did respect him. He was very different from any other teacher I had. He seemed to really care about his students not just about their grades but their futures. I know a lot of teachers worry if their students are failing their class. Mr. Maggart didn’t want any of his students to miss on opportunities.
My Math Analysis class was made up of mainly seniors. Every Wednesday, we would have this thirty minute break called Lions’ Time. During this thirty minute break you could: meet with teachers, go to the cafeteria, go to the media center, use your phone, do homework, and etc. Most seniors stopped caring about school or had what they call senioritis. Many of them would just be on their phones during the time. My teacher, Mr. Maggart didn’t like them wasting their time. He would go around to those on their phones and ask them if there was anything else they can do better with their time. A lot of them thought it was annoying but I could see Mr. Maggart’s point. From his dedication, I learned how important my elders are. Adults have been teenageers and made many of the mistakes that I have made or will make. I think when he looks at his students, wasting their time snapchatting or tweeting, he wishes he could go back and make good use of the time he wasted. He knows such a thing isn’t possible so he makes right with himself by doing what some might perceive as annoying. I respect Mr Maggart’s dedication. From that dedication, he has taught me a valuable lesson: that time wasted can’t be brought back but the time you have now can be used not wasted.