Throughout my private school days, I didn’t care for many of my teachers, especially in middle school; but, there was one teacher who I really connected with: Mrs. Gould.

Mrs. Gould originally was a fill-in teacher in elementary school. She was just subbing while our teacher was out for a few weeks. The kids instantly loved her. She was young, she was fun, and she understood us. When our original teacher came back, we were devastated. That was until middle school, when Mrs. Gould became one of our sixth grade teachers.

We were delighted, enthused and ecstatic to see our favorite teacher back in our classroom, and we were excited for the year. While my other classes were filled with the likes of teachers I didn’t seem to agree with, her class made the day worth it. She taught in a way that allowed students to learn the necessary material, while still having fun. The year flew by, and again we were sad to see our favorite teacher get left behind.
But during the next two years, Mrs. Gould followed our class where we went, to both the seventh and eighth grade. It’s almost like she was the one who didn’t want to lose us. As our final year of middle school wound down, our class participated in an invasive species, forest clearing project. We got finished with our section early, and it was very hot, so Mrs. Gould took us to her house down the street and made us lemonade. This act of kindness really showed how much she cared and went above and beyond for her students.

During our graduation ceremony, Mrs. Gould came up on stage and gave a speech about how much she cared about each and everyone of her students. She told stories that all of us could relate to in some way, and she shed tears while she told them. It was emotional, to say the least; but, it reminded us that she was more than a teacher, she was a person, and she legitimately cared about us.

Mrs. Gould should not only win Educator of the Year, but also become the greatest teacher of all time. Her passion for her job, her love for her students, and her knowledge about the subjects she teaches puts her above all other teachers. She was my favorite teacher, and now that my high school career is nearly over, she still remains on the top of my leaderboard.