You hear some people say "my teachers suck", and others you hear say "I love my teachers" well, I was that person who was stuck in the middle. I hated some, and loved others, there was no in between.

As a freshman in high school, I entered that oh-so-wonderful place with high hopes, hopes that I had these awesome teachers and that the next four years would go by so well because of them. While I was hopeful, that was not the case. I ended up disliking so many of these teachers, some of them weren't even MY teachers, but, there were the few that I really grew a liking to, and that's what this article is about. This is a post to appreciate those teachers who sparked my interest and really built a bond with me.. get it? Building bonds? Chemistry? No? OK, well on to the rest.

To my freshman year biology teacher, thank you for taking a chance on me and seeing my potential. You helped me find something I was passionate about and you had my back when I needed you. You were not only great teacher but also a great mentor. You made class feel like so much more than just a "learning" place, it made us students in that class really come together regardless of our differences.

To my junior year business teacher, you showed me that hard work really does pay off. I can remember when I was in your history class and wasn't a good student, but that changed and you were a big part of the reason why. I see you as one of my idols, a person who I can say that I enjoyed seeing everyday. Being in a class where we're appreciated for our efforts makes all the difference and that's what you gave us. I learned so much more than business and history, I learned the meaning of respect and compassion.

To my junior/senior year math teacher, this past year I sat in the front row of your class. I'm not sure why I did, but I'm glad. Being front row everyday gave me reason to get involved in class and not just hide behind everyone else. Doing this also enabled me to connect with you, we had a lot of laughs this past year. I actually got better at math because of you, you took the time to help me when I needed it, even though I was stubborn. Not only did I get better at math but I got better at being a genuine person.

To my junior year chemistry teacher, when I first had you as my homeroom teacher during my freshman year, man I did not like you. But, times change and with change comes maturity. You helped me mature even when I didn't want to grow up. This was my second time around in chemistry, and your first, we helped each other out and both succeeded. This was the year I felt that we really understood each other, this was the year I finally started stopping in to your class room to say "hello." We built a bond, and for that I'm so grateful to have had you as a teacher.

Lastly, to the Spanish teacher next door to mine, you weren't my teacher but you always cared. You always said hi and asked how I was doing, my brother too. You were there when there were girl problems and you were there for prom, you are truly someone who deserves to be appreciated.

Teachers do so much and their jobs can be hard. I've been in classes of rowdy kids, I was one of those rowdy kids but at the end of the day, I'm so grateful to all these teachers who helped guide me through high school. I will carry more than just academic skills with me through life because of them. So, again, thank you to all of those teachers, and thank you for everything i've learned.