English used to be my worst subject. In fact, I completely dreaded every class taken up until my sophomore year. Reading doesn’t interest me and I especially did not like to give speeches in front of the class. In middle school, I was put into reading support because of my low reading level. I have always been a struggling reader and felt that I was always trying to catch up to the other students.  My grade school years were a constant challenge as I worked harder than most students just to earn a “B” in English.
Then my sophomore year changed my English perspective. As I walked with my head down into my English 10 class, I thought of every other place I’d rather be. My entire body language changed as I met my new English teacher. She is the smallest staff member at Arrowhead, but her personality is larger than life! Mrs. Markano is a tiny lady with a huge personality. She is loud, inspiring and passionate. Everyday when I walked into class she would greet me with, “Hi Kelsey!” She was always so enthusiastic about everything she taught and there was never a dull moment in her class.
As the school year went on, and our first speech was coming up, I began to get anxious and worried because I did not like 30 sets of eyes staring at me as I gave my speech, praying I wouldn’t mess up. For our first speech, we had to choose a quote and connect it to our daily lives. My quote was about moving, and how I had to move to Wisconsin from New Jersey, knowing no one. Mrs. Markano offered to stay in during lunch and after school to help me practice my speech. She gave me helpful advice and tips to being more comfortable during my speech. Then the day came when it was time to give my speech. I was very nervous and shook, but for the most part it was ok. After class Mrs. Markano come up to me and says, “I’m from New Jersey too!” I was thrilled to make such a connection with her, and we talked all about our past and memories in New Jersey.
As football season started, I came to find out that Mrs. Markano, along with myself, are Bears fans. This meant that at least one of my teachers would not “Boo” me as I walked into class with a Bears sweatshirt on. This helped our connections grow and helped me feel more comfortable around Mrs. Markano, not just as a teacher, but as a friend.
As the school year continued, we moved into the play unit, we would read scripts in class and have to understand them. Mrs. Markano was not like all my other English teachers; as she read the play, she would change the tone of her voice as she switched from character to character. On one occasion, she even acted out scenes from the play. Mrs. Markano is in charge of all the school plays, and just being around her I could feel her show presence.
Towards the end of the year, we started working on our last speech. It was a charity speech and I was actually looking forward to it because of my personal connection. My charity was the Make-a-Wish Program. My cousin, Jordan, was diagnosed with cancer and almost didn’t survive, but because of the Make-a-Wish Program, he was strong enough to make it out alive and is still healthy to this day. As we started working on this speech, I really wanted to prove to myself and others that I was passionate about this topic and that I could give this speech confidently. I volunteered to present on the first day, and as I stood up in front of the class, I thought about everything Mrs. Markano had taught me, and for the first time, I wasn’t nervous. I gave my speech with a purpose, not even looking at my notecard once. As I finished my speech, the entire class clapped. I turned to Mrs. Markano to see a tear rolling down her face. She was so touched at all the personal connections I had added into my speech.
Mrs. Markano changed the way I looked at English. She taught me that speeches were fun when you are talking about something you really care about. To this day English is my favorite class, and my reading level has improved thanks to Mrs. Markano and her helpful tips and desire to help students learn. I am so glad I received her as my tenth grade English teacher. Thank you for everything you have taught me, and more importantly thank you for being my friend.