When I was in the first grade, I had a marvelous, nurturing teacher. Her name was Mrs. Crandall and she loved her students. My teacher would listen to my questions and help me understand the ways of life and why things are the way they are
Mrs. Crandall would hug every student each day and tell him or her that they are smart. I still remember her smiling face each morning as I walked into the classroom. That year, the teacher decided to focus on a particular curriculum and deviate from the normal schedule. She asked the class which continent we wanted to study. Everyone, including me, was very enthusiastic about Australia. From that day on, the class made books and conducted creative projects that revolved around Australia. The immersion into the culture fascinated me and intrigued my interest of travel and other people.
Mrs. Crandall always wanted her students to feel free to speak his or her mind and never be shy about talking in class. Her strategy and manner molded me to be a comfortable student in class. Since then, I have always been amazed by the country and have always wanted to go there. Mrs. Crandall served as an inspiration to me. Her methods have encouraged me to one-day go outside of the box and create a classroom in which students are happy and eager to learn. Mrs. Crandall also incorporated a lot of fun into her lessons. This created an interest and enthusiasm that carried the class throughout the year. Instead of dreading class, I along with the other students loved school and couldn’t wait to learn new things about Australia and the culture.
Mrs. Crandall was just one of many good teachers I have had. During my early, developmental years, it seemed that I had a lot of great and nurturing instructors. Since then, teachers seem to stick very rigidly to the plan of the lesson and I feel like class and school has lost its fun and enthusiasm. Even though my great teachers were mostly in my early years, I still believe that the art of teaching should and can always be fun and entertaining. Mrs. Crandall, along with others, has inspired me to always look for the interesting, yet academic way to teach. One day I hope to become my student’s favorite teacher and make learning fun and exciting.
-- Alexis Rentschler, American University