Meeting the "Miracle Worker" by Julie

Meeting the "Miracle Worker" by Julie - February 2016 Scholarship Essay

If I could have dinner with any one historical figure, I would choose Anne Sullivan. Anne Sullivan was an exceptional teacher. Her accomplishments included teaching an especially difficult student, Helen Keller, about the world around her. Helen Keller was blind, deaf and unable to communicate. With an unlimited amount of strength, patience, and dedication, Anne Sullivan opened the door for her student to a new world, one that she may never have known.

At an early age, Anne suffered extreme sickness and loss. At the age of five, she contracted a bacterial eye infection called trachoma which left her half blind. By the age of 10, she had lost her five siblings and both of her parents. She lived in an overcrowded state poor house until entering the Perkins Institution for the Blind in Boston. Nicknamed “Miss Spitfire”, she became known for her headstrong personality and great academic ability. The teachers encouraged her to tutor younger students. All of these experiences prepared her for the day she met her student Helen Keller.

When Ann Sullivan met Helen Keller, she found her to be a spoiled child, prone to temper tantrums. How frustrating it must have been to be in this child’s situation. With determination and patience, Ann worked with Helen to overcome her challenges. For example, by pumping water on to Helen’s hand while signing, she taught her student to associate words with objects. She spent hours with Helen in classes, signing everything into her hand. In this way, she taught Helen 600 words, her multiplication tables and how to read braille, all in only a couple of months. Though her parents never thought it would be possible, Anne Sullivan taught Helen to speak.

As a future education major, having dinner with this gifted teacher would be a great inspiration to me. I would ask her what kept her motivated through the hardships of her life and her teaching experiences. Perhaps she could tell me more about how to approach students who are unwilling to learn. I also wonder how she seemed to naturally build a positive relationship with her student, finding balance between discipline and encouragement. This quote from Anne Sullivan fully encompasses her philosophy which I hope to embrace: “Let us go cheerfully, hopefully and earnestly and set ourselves to find our special part. When we have found it, willingly and faithfully perform it; for every obstacle we overcome, every success we achieve tends to bring man closer to God”.