Imagine teaching a classroom full of gifted children-sounds like a dream come true right? Now imaginehaving to find countless activities and lesson plans to keep these children challenged and engaged in what they are learning. Teaching gifted children can be a gift, but it also takes a lot of works to keep these students intellectually and creatively stimulated. That was the daunting task of my fifth grade teacher, Mrs. Neuenschwander. Not only did she challenge the class as a whole, but she also inspired students as individuals to learn and be creative. Her dedication to her students is what sparked my interest in teaching.
Mrs. Neuenschwander entered my life in the second grade. I tested into gifted classes that year, and I left my regular classroom two days a week for two hours. At first, I felt uncomfortable because I didn't know anyone in my gifted class, but Mrs. Neuenschwander welcomed me with open arms. She immediately took interest in me and showed me that I had something to contribute. Soon, Tuesdays and Thursdays couldn't come any quicker. That year I had a great learning experience, so I was thrilled when I found out that I would have another chance to be in her class. She was a familiar face in a new school, and I knew my fifth grade year would be great. Mrs. Neuenschwander made everything interesting; math was turned into a subject I could relate to. We went on more field trips that I could count. Through her instruction, I learned about the world around me, and my place in it.
Looking back, the thing that impressed me most about Mrs. Neuenschwander was the fact that she went out of her way to make sure every child in her classroom felt important and valuable. She made every lesson applicable to every child's life, and made students want to learn even when they weren't being required to. She became the teacher I compared every other to, and I will never forget the contributions she made to my life.
-- Saffron Brown, Florida Atlantic University