Mrs. Albrecht was my 5th grade teacher at Hartland South. My favorite memory was the first day of school, we brought in a picture of our family. We put them up on the wall in the classroom and whenever we missed our family we looked at the pictures, it helped us get to know our classmates and their family. 

I came from two years in charter school. This set me back immensely and I felt like I didn’t know anything. 

She knew something wasn’t right when I failed test after test. After two retakes on each math test I still only got a C. She knew I needed a little more help than everyone else. So she took the extra step and got me the help I needed. 

I remember going into a room with one of the other teachers often during work time. She asked me to do countless activities; from counting backwards, to doing math in my head, to naming colors. I thought it was fun and something that no one else got to do. Little did I know, she was trying to see if I had any learning disabilities. 

After I was diagnosed with ADHD and got medication to help, my life changed. 

I remember making the presentation for the digestive system unit, and I was determined to do good. I made the video at home, I made props and used them in the video. Then came the moment I dreaded: time to get grades back. I already knew even after the hard work she and I put in, I would still get a bad grade just like every other unit. But then, she handed back my grade and it was an A. I finally did it! After all my hard work and time that I put in, it paid off. She was so proud of me.

When math homework was due, if we finished and got our answers corrected first, we got a crown and a “checker pen.”  Other students would come to you to check their answers. I always wanted to be a checker. I struggled because I never understood how to do the homework. But then, at the end of the year, I was a checker once. I felt so accomplished. 

Until 5th grade, I hated school. I would go to the health room because I didn’t want to be in class and would go home “sick.” On the last day of 5th grade I got a perfect attendance certificate. That was highly telling of Mrs. Albrecht; I got to a point where I enjoyed school enough to stay a full day. 

By the end of the year I felt like a completely different student.

In the following years I sent her pictures of my report cards, crowded with A’s. It felt so special to be able to send her pictures of something we worked so hard together for. 

Thank you for believing in me and helping guide me to a successful life.