Dedication, Motivation, Creative, Involved, Inspiring, Patient. All the adjectives in the world and still not one word compares to this individual. We were told to write about the best educator we know, the one teacher who has inspired us to go above and beyond. However, my nomination is more than just a person, but a role model. She is more than just a teacher, but a coach. She is more than just an inspiration, but she is my mom. As I sit here and think about all the teachers I have had in my past 17 years of life, and many who have been very encouraging and inspirational, not one of them stands out above my mother.

My mother came to Georgia looking for a job she really liked. With a degree and background in Science my mom quickly found an opening as a high school Biology and STS (Science Technology Society) teacher, teaching students from grades 9 through 12. It was never the easiest job, but rather a more hostile and unfavorable type environment. Working with students who come from contentious home lives, many with learning disabilities and others with just the lack of desire to learn, and every student demanding the attention of one teacher. It was never an ideal situation. However, my mom was ready for the challenge, and willing to take in the kids who other teachers specially stated they didn’t want in their classrooms.

For the past 6 years, my mother has been recognized for her astonishing efforts and success in her teaching. For a class with under a 60% passing rate on their Georgia High School Graduation Tests, my mother has found ways in her style of teaching that helps to increase the learning capability in her students. She uses activities that require the students to pay close attention to details, and activities that involve the children’s senses, such as specific colors to help them acknowledge certain information. Ways that have helped these students increase to a 98% passing rate after just one year with her.
I can’t even begin to count the numerous amounts of nights my mother has stayed up late strictly working on one day’s lesson plans, because it’s the only way children learn the material. Having my mom teach at my school I’m bound to hear things being said. In a situation I would expect to hear bad things, it is in fact the complete opposite. I can’t imagine how many times I have heard someone tell me how much they love having my mom as a teacher, how hard she was on them but how great she is at what she does. It’s those late nights and comments that make me realize how great of a teacher my mother really is.
For someone who is so passionate about what they do, so hard working for what they believe in, so demanding for what they wish to be achieved, and for believing in students who think they have no one, my mother deserves to be acknowledged for all she does.