What is the most important lesson you've learned from a teacher? by Paris

What is the most important lesson you've learned from a teacher? by Paris - July 2016 Scholarship Essay

Paris Brown
Schlarship Essay
July 13, 2016

My parents have always told me learn, grow and be wise. I’ve heard this so many times, I can pinpoint the exact time any one of my parents will insert this in a lecture. Over the years, I’ve learned many lessons from my parents, but it wasn’t until I took one of the hardest classes that I have ever taken where I have learned one of my most important lessons from a teacher.
In my senior year, I took statistics. This class was difficult, mind-bending and a total free time stealer. I whined, I cried and I complained. I wanted to give up a thousand times. I clearly believed life hated me.
One day toward the end of a long statistic lecture, I bravely raised my hand prepared to express to my teacher and my peers that the problem doesn’t make sense and that I couldn’t do this anymore. When I was called on, my body betrayed me and instead the words “This is too much, I can’t handle this problem and I don’t understand flowed from my mouth. My teacher with a calmness responded, “What don’t you understand?” I said, “Everything. I don’t understand this whole problem.”
My teacher must have noticed my hysteria and calmly said, “Paris when problems seem huge and when you feel overwhelmed don’t look at all of the problem. Start from the beginning and take it one step at a time. This class can not only teach you how to solve the math problems in my class but also how to go about solving life’s problems.”
At that moment, the heavens seemed to sing in chorus hallelujah, hallelujah and a huge weight had been lifted. Even though I was sitting in my statistics class overwhelmed and ready to give up, it dawned on me that I recognized my reaction to the math problem as my life pattern. Emotionally every time a tough problem came up in my life I’d look at the huge problem declare the problem was too difficult, mind-bending and a total free time stealer that the way I was thinking would cause me to spin into an emotional frenzy and restraining state. I discovered up to this point that I’d let my problems academically and personally paralyze me and keep me from moving forward to a solution.
My teacher taught me the most important lesson. A life lesson. I am 18 years old but I learned from my teacher something that will stick with me for a very long time. The lesson is when problems come my way, calm down don’t look at the entire problem in a fit of hysteria but start from the beginning, take it one step at a time and eventually I will come to a solution. This is the most important lesson I’ve learned from a teacher.