A Teacher Students Will Not Forget

I asked a group of students what they remembered about their favorite teachers, and they all gave me good answers. “He was interesting.” “He controlled his class.” “She was involved in her students’ lives.” “She loved us and showed us she cared.” “He was always prepared.” I realized as I read through the students’ papers that I could learn from each one, and I could learn from their teachers. One of the students wrote about a teacher I will never forget.

Miss Siebenhaar is a teacher whose students will not forget her. After years of making a difference as a grade school teacher, she broadened her influence by teaching college students how to make a difference. These college students learned to love teaching and have gone all over the world investing in others. Miss Siebenhaar has had a world-wide influence because she makes everyone special to her, makes every day important, and makes every lesson vital. She enjoys teaching, so her students enjoy learning . She is a master teacher, and one from whom others should learn. I know I have learned from her.

1. She made everyone special to her.I was a little intimidated when I first entered Miss Siebenhaar’s classroom, but the can of pop on my desk that said, “I can” put a smile on my face. I realized that this teacher was different because she gave of herself to each student. She passed around a calendar so everyone could fill in his birthday. On each person’s birthday, she gave a birthday gift and had the class sing “Happy Birthday.” She worked to get to know each student individually and tried to meet each one’s needs. She genuinely believed in her students, and her comments on their papers and her remarks after a job well done (or poorly done) showed that.

2. She made every day important.Miss Siebenhaar was always in her class and always prepared with something new. Some days she would stay up until the early morning hours to finish researching something for one of her classes, but she came to class every day looking refreshed and gave her best. With her positive spirit and praising speech, she never let bad circumstances ruin her classes.

3. She made every lesson vital.
I have learned countless facts and many Biblical truths, but Miss Siebenhaar presented facts intertwined with spiritual application. She made her Christianity practical, and she applied it to every single lesson she taught. Her reading lessons were life changing because she masterfully and practically applied each lesson to her students’ lives. She breathed everything she had into each lesson, and she made a difference because that was her purpose and her goal.

4. She made learning enjoyable.As a college student, I did not always enjoy my classes, but I always enjoyed Miss Siebenhaar’s because each class was a breath of fresh air. She did everything she could to wow her students and to get her students involved. She prepared and presented videos and visuals that enhanced her lessons. She filled each class hour with new material, lively games, and exciting activity. She made her students enjoy learning because she really enjoyed teaching.

I will never forget Miss Siebenhaar because she has made her classes unforgettable. I get to choose how my students will remember me or if my students will remember me. If I make everyone special to me, make every day important to me, make every lesson vital, and make learning enjoyable, I too can make a difference. I can be a teacher my students will not forget.