The Good Witch by Tiffany

The Good Witch by Tiffany - July 2014 Scholarship Essay

In high school an individual ends up having a wide variety of teachers throughout the years that influence his or her life, and education, in a profound way. This influence could be negative or positive, but regardless the influence is there and it will always be remembered in years to come. I, myself, have experienced teachers of all sorts but one that I will never forget due to her direct impact on my life education wise was the one and only Mrs. Moratto. Mrs. Moratto may have been the most strict and scary teacher that I have ever had, but after I finished Algebra II my sophmore year I realized how much I appreciated having her and all she taught me.

I will never forget the day I met Mrs. Moratto. I had heard many wild stories about this woman that made me question my decision in taking her class for math, but I had no choice and this was my teacher for the year. I walked into class and everyone's face said it all about the class: it was going to be hard, and Mrs. Moratto was going to make the work long and hard just to achieve that A for the year. Her first words to the class were, "Everything you heard about me is right. I am a witch and everything that rhymes with it,". Right then and there, I knew this class would not be a walk in the park like all my math classes were. It was going to be difficult and I was going to have to put a tremendous amount of effort in. I definitely was not ready for it.

As the year began, I used my usual study habit, which did not assist me in any way in the class. I did not enjoy studying to begin with, but I never in a million years had to study for a math class, ever. Math just came to me; I would learn the concept and then apply it. It came naturally. Moratto's Algebra II class was not like that, and I was forced to pay attention in class, take diligent notes, and when it came to the test, it was time to sit down weeks in advance and go through all the material. Math was no longer a freebie "A" anymore, and I had to put in work. Working out problems continuously to achieve the grade I wanted in the class was the new norm of studying. The year progressed and so did my grades, each test back was better and better. This class taught me how to study for math, something I never thought I needed to do.

Education is such an important aspect in my life now, and its all thanks to my previous teachers, especially Mrs. Moratto. She came off as a hardhead, mean, and even a "witch", but after taking the class and continuing my education, I am grateful that I had her as my teacher, and even more grateful that she pushed us to the limits in order to strive for the best we can be. She was a hard teacher because she knew math classes were only going to get harder, and she knew that no one really did put much of an effort in for mathematics. Regardless, hard work was something that we had to do to succeed in not only math class, but any class. I learned this thanks to her. Mrs. Moratto gave me a better understanding of my education, and I can easily say that without Moratto, I would have never been able to succeed in my calculus and statistic courses I took after her.

Mrs. Moratto positively affected my attitude toward learning and studying, but only after I had left her class did I learn this. Throughout my sophmore year, I dreaded going to her class, studying, taking notes and test taking, but when I went to calculus I understood the meaning behind all of her disipline and the tough act that she displayed in her class. She was preparing us for what was to come, because the teachers only became harder and the concepts became more complicated. I began to excel in my math classes prior to hers while other students failed and dropped because it was too difficult. Moratto made me put effort into my word to the point where I was always proud of everything I handed in. She gave me a wok ethic and a proud attitude about my work that I continue to carry with me today in college; everything I hand in I am proud of and put one hundred percent into, and this is the key to success. That is what Mrs. Moratto taught me, and I am so thankful that she did.