I have never struggled with math, but at the same time, I would have never pictured myself tutoring other math students. But then, during second semester of last year, I got an email from Mrs. Viegut. She asked me to join the SASS (Students Assisting Student Success) math tutoring program and without my Advanced Algebra teacher, Mrs. Viegut, I never would have grown to enjoy math.

Mrs. Viegut is a dedicated, organized, and compassionate teacher. At the beginning of each unit, she hands out a calendar that says what we are doing each day and sticks to it like glue. And as she teaches lessons, there’s no need to ask, “When am I going to use this in real life?” because she has already told us (because it’s built into her lesson plan). Knowing where you are going to use the skill outside of school makes it much more interesting than learning about something you’re never going to use again (which is what I thought before I had Mrs. Viegut for a teacher).

Although Mrs. Viegut’s classes consisted of 30 students, she still found a way to make her teaching personal. Everyday when I came to class, she asked how my day was going or how I did at my track meet. She would also walk around as she taught a lesson to make sure everyone was on the same page and understood the concept.

Throughout the semester, we had to use our graphing calculators and mine worked differently than everyone else’s, so each time we were asked to use it, she would come over to my desk and specifically show me how to do it on my calculator. Without her help, I would have felt completely lost, discouraged, and would not have done nearly as well in the class.

Not only was Mrs. Viegut a great in-classroom teacher, but she was also a great leader of the SASS tutoring program. Even though this program focuses on students helping other students with math homework, Mrs. Viegut was there every Tuesday and Thursday to help students and answer questions. When I was asked to join the program, I said yes because I thought it would look good on college applications. But after going to a few sessions and spending time with Mrs. Viegut and other students, I began to love it. I not only looked forward to going into the library during my study hall because I knew that I was helping THEIR understanding but also helping MY understanding by having to explain concepts. However, the program would not be nearly as successful without Mrs. Viegut.

Mrs. Viegut was like my mom away from home. She has the much needed persistence that pushes me to do my homework, but she is also encouraging and helpful in forgetful situations-- she is the type of mom who would drop off my lunch if I forgot it at home.

One time, a classmate of mine was asking her friends to lend her $15 so she could buy a homecoming ticket while they were still on sale. As her friends said they couldn’t, Mrs. Viegut willingly offered to go out to her car at lunch to get $15 to loan her. This just shows how much Mrs. Viegut cared about her students and would do about anything for them.

For all these reasons, I am nominating my favorite math teacher, Mrs. Viegut, for educator of the year. Even though she decided to retire at the end of last year, she deserves recognition for the all her hard work, dedication, and love for her students.