Developing the Next Generation by Hannah

Developing the Next Generation by Hannah - March 2023 Scholarship Essay

During orientation for senior year, I took an unexpected trip to the computer lab. My newly received schedule held a shock. I had planned to take a single AP class for my senior year: AP Microeconomics. A glance at my line up revealed that I had been placed in the honors economy class rather than AP. To adjust my schedule to accommodate AP Micro, I had to sign up for both AP Government and AP Language Arts. As someone who has always struggled with writing, AP Language Arts was the last class I wanted to take. As senior year ends, I am more than thankful for this twist. My experience with my AP Language Arts teacher, Mr. Murphy, completely changed me! He altered the trajectory of my education and confidence by investing in me, pushing me to improve my public speaking, and turning every assignment into a learning experience.
Jumping into my senior year, I was anxious that I wouldn't fit in with my peers. The fear was unfounded but distractingly present. For our first project, we had to split into pairs of our choosing. I had the embarrassing moment of asking Mr. Murphy to help me find someone to work with since everyone else appeared to find a partner instantly. He didn't mock me as my fears said he would, and instead assisted with my search to find a partner that I could work with successfully. Thanks to his direction, it didn't take long before I felt like I was part of the class.
Mr. Murphy connects to each student despite being our teacher. He is one of those teachers with a wall of pockets for each student to deposit their phone upon entry to his classroom. He called our phones "digital devils". We often discussed the impact of technology on our socialization and society. Despite having a class rule that typically turns students against a teacher, any student asked about Mr. Murphy only has praise for him. Where others might sit us down with busy work, he engages us in dynamic activities and teaches in a unique way with constructive criticism and encouragement. He's down to earth and the way that he draws us in and jokes with us makes us forget about the world behind our tiny screens, much like Mr. Keating from the movie "Dead Poets Society."
Every student's worst nightmare is a class presentation. Mr. Murphy’s class was packed full of them. We engaged in all types of public speaking from solo speeches that consisted of only a student and their memory to group projects with slides to a condensed play of Othello acted out by the students. Almost every assignment involved speaking! I have grown so much more comfortable speaking in front of a crowd. Our numerous presentations have shown me, that with enough preparation and rehearsal, I can have the confidence to present well in front of any crowd, no matter how uninviting or intimidating the topic.
One of our many presentations included arguing for or against a change in the world. When a student jokingly did their presentation on the legalization of marijuana, Mr. Murphy did not admonish the student but allowed him freedom of speech and choice. Instead, he gave us an anecdote about his experience with drugs. He allowed himself to be vulnerable with the class and told us about how his sister died because of her addiction. Mr. Murphy is a teacher who truly wanted the best for every one of us, and he emphasized the value of developing perspective by seeing both sides of every coin, sharing his life experience with us to give us a fuller picture.
There are all different kinds of teachers - teachers who choose to teach for authority, teachers who love their subject, and teachers who like kids. The most precious type of them all, are the ones who see each student as an impressionable life that has value, putting their heart and soul into nurturing those in their classroom. Mr. Murphy is one of those who, more than anything, wants to see individuals succeed. It is truly incredible how a class I never planned to take made such a noticeable improvement in my school career and even helped me grow me as a person. My confidence and comfort with communicating publically took a positive detour with that surprise walk to the computer lab to revise my schedule. I have never met another teacher more determined to develop the next generation. For the teacher whose big heart softened us all, I wish Mr. Murphy the best in his upcoming retirement!