Thank you, one of a kind teacher

                                                            One of a kind

                Yes. She is one of a kind. She is a kind of teacher that you never want at first and then you realize how lucky you are to have her as your teacher later. She is my middle school English teacher. I still vividly remember how dead I was inside every time I had a class with her. I thought I would get over the bad feeling as the time went on but no. If you asked me what the most difficult subject in school was, I would have said English. I would have laughed at your face if you said “One day, writing in English is something you do it for fun.” But, look where I am now. It all thanks to my teacher, the greatest teacher who came in disguise.

                It all started like this. I came into English class like other students did. I thought the teacher looked pretty intimidating. My best friend leaned over to me and said “Our life is in hell”. I raised my eyebrow to her which means “What you mean? School year just started!”  She said, “She is the horrible English teacher everyone is talking about.” I just shrugged. It was actually no big deal because I behaved in class. The reason I behaved in class is that my mother who is also a teacher and she always complained how life would be easier if kids showed some manners in class. I showed teachers respect and pretended to listen even though sometimes, I was bored as hell. So, I had a confidence that I won’t get on her nerves. “Oh boy! How wrong I was.”

I swear I didn’t do anything wrong. But as time went by, every difficult question was for me. Whenever she had every brain wrecking questions, she would look at me, expecting I would have some good answers. If she gave homework, I did every single piece of them because I didn’t dare to risk my life. I knew for sure she was going to ask my answers for homework if kids in class couldn’t come up with answers. I liked that the way she put the light on me as if I was some kind of hero but man she made it so hard. She would never humiliate me if my answer was wrong but I wanted to give the right answer so that I could still look like a cool, smart kid. So, there was no choice for me but to study hard. I was sick of English because I had to study almost all the time.

You couldn’t imagine how happy I was on the last day of class. I couldn’t wait to get rid of this English class. I was on 9^th cloud. I didn’t know that the storm was coming. All I knew is dug my own grave and died peacefully when my mother said she would enrolled me in after school English class because she thought I started to like English subject very much because of the teacher. “Another year with that teacher? Let me die please!” I screamed mentally. I wonder why my first language isn’t English. If it is my mother tongue, then I didn’t have to deal with that kind of crap.

At first, there were so many students in class. But after a month, there are only a few students left who are somewhat smart or who couldn’t persuade their parents to deregister the class. So, these poor fellers like me stuck together in hell. One day, I asked my teacher, “Teacher, I think this exercise is too advanced for my level.” She said, “It really is.” I was hoping from her some kind of explanation to make these exercises easier but her expression said it is done. Do it now. I was upset. I felt like it was unfair. I remember I did so many mistakes on that exercise because I knew that these exercises are advanced so I didn’t even think about the answers twice. I don’t care. It is unfair. It doesn’t deserve the effort. That was what I thought. When the class was over, she just came to my desk and said, “You might be feeling like it was unfair. I know I pushed you too far because I saw the potential in you that you didn’t notice.”

Well, those words made me feel good even though I didn’t believe any of them. However, I had to admit those words affected me subtly.  I willingly played along when she pushed my limit. Not just in English, I took challenges in other subjects, believing I could do that. Even in life, I challenged myself, believing I had a capability and there was a possibility. But, she was still a horrible teacher to me because I was too young to notice that she changed my life: she boosted my mental ability and self-confidence. I didn’t realize that I was improving my challenging myself.

 I was kind of glad that I didn’t have to deal with anymore because I was high school student and she was middle school teacher. I graduated high school with a very good score and accepted from top university in my country. She congratulated me and said, “Told you so. You have potential.” I didn’t see her as terrible teacher anymore. I was glad that she was my teacher but the thought “she changed my life” never appears in my brain. Honestly, that thought didn’t occur to me until I was chosen for the Ugrad Scholarship Program.

To study in the United States is my dream. But, I thought it was just a dream because my parents were not rich enough to support me. While I was studying in my country university, I started to know the word “Scholarship”. I decided to give it a try. That is the spirit that she put into my vein. Here I am now! In my university (USA) dormitory, writing this story on my computer. At the age of 19, I could manage to come to America, my dream country, to study with fully funded scholarship. All I want to do now is give her a call and thank her for transforming the way I think but it’s too late. She passed away when I was in college (my country). However, I believe she is now looking down at me from heaven with a cocky, content smile on her face which means “Told you so. You have potential.”