High school brings a number of changes in the lives of its students. High school is a time when we all just start to figure out who we are, and even when we’re finished with it, we still aren’t completely sure. There also aren’t many people who we can turn to for help. Sure, our parents are always an option, but there are just some things that parents may not understand.
In fact, most people don’t seem to understand. This was particularly a problem for me when I moved to a new high school during my sophomore year. I was in a completely different place, once again. My parents didn’t try to make the transition easier and my friends were hundreds of miles away. But it was at my new school where I met a teacher who would completely change not just my high school experience, but also my view on life as a whole.
When I first entered that Spanish class, I still had not made many friends, but I’d heard many rumors about the teacher I’d be having for the next few years. All of my apprehension quickly faded, though, when she started joking on a football player for wearing two different pairs of Jordan’s. It was in that moment when I knew she’d be a great fit.
As I continued my Spanish classes she not only taught me to better speak and learn the language, she also offered insight on the culture as a whole, which inspired me to learn more about the culture. The more I learned, the more my desire to travel increased. I wanted to make my own experiences like she made hers. I wanted to see the contrast of living from my own. Most importantly, I wanted to learn.
And what she taught me extended from our relationship as student and teacher. She didn’t only teach me what I should know for an AP exam, she went outside of that and kind of forced me to learn valuable lessons about a lot of things.
She once said to me, “No matter what you try to do, you’ll always be good at it because you’re just that type of person.” This was something that no one had ever said to me and it only further pushed me to succeed. She believed (and still believes) that I can do great things no matter what and having at least one person believe that about you is an incredible feeling.
At the time, I’m sure she had no idea how much those words would mean to me. When she said them, all I was doing was trying out for a school team and she was simply offering words of encouragement. But hearing those few words truly helped me, and now I always hear her voice in my head saying them when I need them most. She laughed at my clumsiness, made fun of me for my failed pronunciation of many Spanish words, and frequently thought I stole her pen, but she also made me laugh, encouraged, guided, and inspired me.
High school is hard and some teachers don’t make it any easier. In fact, there are no shortage of those who make it worse. But there are also a lot who truly change the lives of their students, with no thanks or acknowledgement. I know I’ll never be able to fully thank my favorite teacher for all she’s done, but hopefully this article is a start.
