Teacher Advice from a Student by Hollyn

Teacher Advice from a Student by Hollyn - January 2015 Scholarship Essay

The people we tend to remember later in our lives are those who touched us in some way. Mrs. McManus is the only teacher I will remember from my high school years. Everyday I came into class, she would put a hand on my shoulder and say "Good morning! I hope you are having a splendid day!" I would always reply with "The same to you Mrs. McManus!" It was a simple exchange. She will never know how much it meant to me. Just to know that she cared gave me the motivation to please her with well-written essays. The best advice a student could ever give a teacher is to show compassion. If you can connect with a student on an emotional level they will let you in.

Mrs. McManus' class was the only class I ever looked forward too. We would read literature aloud and she would excitedly stop us, mid prose. "Oh my goodness! This part is so good! Sorry, sorry... Keep reading." Our teacher would get so excited that she would do a little hop and her face would get flushed. Not only did Mrs. McManus have compassion, she had incredible passion for the subject she taught. The class WANTED to be involved because her giddiness was so infectious. Another piece of advice from a student to a teacher is to not be afraid to show your love for the subject.

Overall, Mrs. McManus wanted the class to do well, and we didn't want to disappoint her. She graded our written work with a very strict system. The students rarely go an "A" on their essays. However, Mrs. McManus had high hopes for everyone in her class. The harder she graded, the harder we tried to impress her. In a way, she inspired us to be better than we ever dreamed of being. For these reasons, I will never forget her name and her lasting impression she had on my life with her fiery love of literature.