She came walking into the classroom wearing fly fishing gear and carrying a fly rod. It was speech class and the teacher, being an avid fly fisher, was going to make a speech to the class about fly fishing. Mrs. Gibson knew how to motivate the class!
While I did not have Mrs. Gibson for speech class, I did have her for English and upon hearing this story, I could easily picture her in her fly fishing gear. Her enthusiasm and love for teaching was not only apparent in speech class, but in English as well. Mrs. Gibson was my freshman Honors English teacher and I will never forget her. Not only was she an incredible English teacher, but she was truly motivational.
When reading Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, she would pair up all the girls and boys in the class to recite the famous, “Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?”, speech. I remember standing on a chair in the middle of the classroom, a little nervous, hoping to remember all of Juliet’s words. On his knee looking up at me, was Elliot, a classmate of mine, reciting the words of Romeo. The class had quite a chuckle when each “Romeo and Juliet” pair went to the front of the classroom to profess their undying love for each other.
Another memorable day was giving a speech to the class as Princess Diana. Upon researching and writing an essay on Diana’s life, I was required to transform myself into the elegant Princess, while I addressed the class with facts about her life.
Not only do I remember the fun things our class did, but I remember how Mrs. Gibson taught an entire classroom of confused freshman how to master writing the five paragraph essay. Mrs. Gibson was there to help me write every essay until I finally grasped the concept.
To this day I attribute all “A’s” on college essays to Mrs. Gibson. When other students ask me how I continue to do so well on essays I respond with the answer, “You should have had Mrs. Gibson.”
Of all of my teachers, I will forever remember Mrs. Gibson. She made the English subject, which is so dreaded by many, interesting and fun. Her enthusiasm for teaching will forever stick out in my mind. It is not every day that you have a teacher that lives and breathes the subject that they teach, as she did.
Mrs. Gibson is an inspiration to me and a large part of why I am studying to become an English teacher. I only hope that one day I will be that Mrs. Gibson to my students and that I will show such enthusiasm for English that my students will be motivated to study and to learn.
-- Chrissie Randolph, Florida Atlantic University