In high school, I'm more than certain that we've had at least one teacher that we absolutely adored, possibly even enough to consider them a favorite.
I was fortunate to have several teachers like this, and it wasn't even in high school specifically. Most of the teachers I've had from grade school all the way up have impacted my life greatly and taught me much more than simply how to read. Every teacher I've ever had has memories that will stick with me forever -- some good, some bad -- and I, personally, wouldn't have it any other way. All of my teachers have been good me to and have done their best to teach me things both in and out of the classroom, and I must say every one of them has succeeded. With this being said, I'd like to take the time to focus on high school.
Four different teachers, four different years, five different classes.
I know that for my first couple years of high school, it was hard to get me to focus and even do my work, but you didn't give up on me. You didn't turn your head the other way because I wanted to be the class clown. You were hard on me, and rightfully so. I know that at the time of having any of the four of you, I was a little irritated with you getting on my case about things but, looking back, I know you only pushed me because you knew I could do it. You saw the potential in me that I didn't even know I had, let alone saw in myself. If it wasn't for you four, I wouldn't be here writing this article -- that many people will see, may I add -- for a type of social media platform that shares ideas and articles all over the world like a more sophisticated version of Buzzfeed. I hated your homework. I hated your projects. I hated your novels. But I see now that you weren't just trying to teach us the material, you were trying to get us to think. You wanted us to see things from more than one point of view. You wanted us to develop our own voices, our own characters. It was never about answering questions out of a packet, reading Shakespeare out loud in class, or even writing terrible poems. It was about applying ourselves, working through things with several ways to see one situation, expanding our vocabulary which would in turn expand our minds. You taught me so much more than grammar. You taught me so much more than how to pass a state test. I never knew that class discussions were just lessons on how to appropriately communicate ideas and opinions with others until I had to apply that in real time at work.
Every teacher, no matter what grade or what subject, has given us the tools we need to face the real world, and I can bet you that most of us don't even know it. At the time, I surely didn't. I thought teachers were just trying to torture us. I was wrong. Teachers are some of the most important people we will ever encounter in our lives. Without them, this world would be much worse than it is -- and I don't even mean just those who use the wrong "your" and "you're".
