The Positive Mrs. Tanner-Anderson by Mary

The Positive Mrs. Tanner-Anderson by Mary - July 2014 Scholarship Essay

I walked into my Language and Composition class. It was my first day as a junior at Amelia County High school. Looking around the room I was upset because I learned that my Language and Composition class only had six people in it. Taking my seat, I looked up and I saw this tall lady with bright red hair, wearing the most outrageous looking flower headband “Good afternoon, my muffins!” She exclaimed. And thus, began my next two school years with the lovely Mrs. Tanner-Anderson.

Ever since that first day of my junior year, I always looked forward to Mrs. Tanner-Anderson’s class. No matter how crappy the day was going, “Mrs. T-A” always had a way of making it better. The best days were when she had a story for us before class. “OH MY GOSH! Let me tell you guys what happened to me yesterday!” then she would proceed to tell us a funny antidote about her and her husband or family. She made whatever she was talking about, whether is was English or her life, relatable to her students. Mrs. T-A encouraged us to talk about things that were going on in our lives, good or bad. Some class periods, we would put work on hold just for a minute so she could talk to a student who was going through a difficult time. By the end of our senior year, Mrs. Tanner-Anderson became not only our teacher and sometimes personal psychiatrist, but one of our best friends. However, this did not mean she was going to sacrifice our time for learning.

Furthermore Mrs. Tanner-Anderson never sugarcoated anything. She was very clear and sometime very blunt when it came to what she expected. It was a humbling experience for me the first time I saw a ‘C’ on one of my essays. I never got C’s. When I met her for a conference, she said I was a good writer. But I could always be better. This “pep talk” really pushed me through my senior year to write the best papers I could. As a result, I ended up getting the Outstanding Achievement Award for Language and Composition as well as one for British Literature. If it was not for Mrs. T-A continuing to challenge me, I would not have been a successful in my senior year.

Even now as a sophomore in college, I consider Mrs. Tanner-Anderson as the most influential teacher I have ever had. She has taught me how to be honest with myself as well as others and has shown me that no matter what you are studying, you can make it a fun and enjoyable experience. Her positive attitude and outlook on life is what made my education experience with her positive and worthwhile. I hope I can influence others in the way she influenced me.