In 8th grade, I had the privilege of having Mrs. Persinger (Mrs. P) as my English/literature teacher. Mrs. P was a wonderful teacher who taught me many things during our short time together. Mrs. P had a great influence on my work; she constantly pushed me to try harder, and she taught me that I should never settle for anything other than my best. She helped me become a better writer by always finding and giving me challenging material. I have improved both academically and socially because of Mrs. P. She is a superb teacher who I am very fortunate to have had.

Mrs. P encouraged me to do my best in many different ways. She always made sure I understood the material that we were learning in class; that gave me the feeling of confidence before I took the test. If there was something that even just one person did not comprehend, she would make sure that they would get the help they needed. Mrs. P tried her best to make her class fun and interesting. She gave us material to read that made us think and use our brains, whether we were finding symbolism or trying to decipher what the text meant. Class was not all just books and writing;with Mrs. P, we did group and partner work using ipads or laptops. We even did interactive games on the smart board that helped better prepare us for tests. Grammar is not my favorite subject, but because of Mrs. P I actually began to enjoy it.

During my eighth grade year, I became more self-sufficient. She gave me more responsibility than I had in my previous classes. She did not always remind my class when something was due; she expected us to be responsible and look on her website or pay attention when she originally told us the due dates. With certain material Mrs. P allowed me to correct my own work. By gaining her trust I made sure I would not disappoint her. I felt that I was always challenged in Mrs. P’s class, especially in writing. I wrote many five paragraph essays and even and nine-page research paper! She recognized that I had potential and did her best bringing out that potential. I moved up a book in vocabulary because she knew that I could handle it. I definitely worked harder than I ever have in English class, and I gained a lot from it.

I am not that much of an outgoing person, but thanks to Mrs. P I came out of my shell. I used to be terrified of public speaking (I still kinda am). The thought of having more than ten people listen to me while I spoke would make me hide under a chair. In Mrs. P’s class, I was given many opportunities to improve my public speaking; I usually turned them down. Mrs. P, however, persistently pushed me to give it a try. I finally agreed and was assigned to read the Stations of the Cross in front of several different grades. I was without a doubt nervous, but when I went up to the podium and began to read, I felt a wave of relief. It was not as bad as I made it out to be. After Mrs. P encouraged me to speak in public that one time, I did it much more frequently. I even ended up reading the opening speech at my graduation! I went from being completely frightened of public speaking, to willingly volunteering to speak. I am very lucky that Mrs. P encouraged me to try something new and to work outside of my comfort zone.

There have been a numerous amount of educators who have influenced my life for the better, but none quite like Mrs. Persinger. I feel that I am a different person than I was before having her. She helped me comprehend things that were difficult, taught me about trust and responsibility, and helped me achieve my full potential. Mrs. P is someone who genuinely cares about her students and wants to see them achieve their goals. I certainly am grateful to have had the privilege of being her student. Therefore, I nominate her for Teen Ink’s Educator of the Year award; she deserves it.