Throughout our lives, we have the opportunity to interact and learn from scores of individuals. Whether it is our friends, family members or co-workers, each person has the ability to make an impact on our lives, both positive and negative. One individual who has had a positive impact on my life is Mrs. Shannon Winchester, my former Advance Placement United States History teacher at Weddington High School. Yet, after I concluded my time in her classroom, she not only became a person I deeply admire, but someone who I aspire to become one day.
Growing up, I was socially awkward and lacked confidence outside of school. While I was successful in my classes, this success was not noticeable in my daily interactions with others. It was difficult
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Throughout the course, we were assigned two texts to read: “A People’s History of the United States” by Howard Zinn and “A Patriot’s History of the United States” by Michael Allen and Larry Schweikart. These two texts take opposite historical standpoints; Zinn’s standpoint is presented through a leftist lens, while Allen and Schweikart take a more conservative approach. After we read a certain section of each book, we would devote an entire day of class to discussing what we learned from each section. While at first I was nervous about coming off as a nuisance, Mrs. Winchester personally pushed me to interact in the discussion more, saying that my written work was proof enough that I had intelligent things to say. Thus, I took a chance and argued my points. At first, I was extremely uncomfortable with speaking in front of the class, but I was willing to take more chances with my observations, more students began to remark how they agreed with my points. As more students replied in agreement, these seminars ended up serving as a big confidence booster and gave me the skills to better interact with not only peers, but also adults. I truly believe that without participating in these seminars as a result of Mrs. Winchester’s encouragement, I would not have earned the rank of Eagle Scout as easily, as some portions of the Eagle Scout project require presenting in front of a group of adult
I was shy because I didn’t know anybody. Now I’ve gotten to know the people in my classes, and I’ve learned that they can help me just as I can help them. Because I was homeschooled, I was a little laid back on when to turn in assignments, I just turned them in when I felt like it. At college, I have changed the way I turn in assignments. I have learned that if I turn in my assignments early or on time I have a better chance of getting a higher grade. I have also changed in the way I manage my time, before I started college I would just get out of bed whenever I felt like it. Now I set alarms and different times on when I need to get something
Today as I sit in a graduate class I realize how closer I am getting to the dream I once had as a child. I, Dominique Jerome a Haitian-American always dreamt of being a teacher at a high school and college level. My love for history has grown each and everyday from the second I started attending primary school. As I sit back and recollect on myself as a maker, I realize without my culture, my motivation, my family and passion I would not be where I am at today. My hopes and dreams are to be an asset to the world of academia whether it’s in the classroom or outside the classroom.
Over the years I have spent working on my education, I have encountered numerous teachers who have had a significant impact on who I am as a person and how I conduct myself. One such person was an English teacher of mine Mrs. Schwartz. She was my teacher for honors English 10 and advanced placement English 12. Mrs. Schwartz was always a very kind woman. She always encouraged us and pushed us to do our best. She was like a mother figure to those in her classroom; it was obvious she cared about each and every one of us and how to help us reach our educational potentials. I still remember when we were assigned our end of the year portfolio, I chose a short story by Neil Gaiman to analyze. Unbeknownst to me, Neil Gaiman was a favorite author of
During my sophomore year of high school, I was put into a world history class. My teacher was a big fan of current events. Often, our class started with him telling a story of an important event that had happened the day before. Following that, he initiated a conversation between himself and the class, often asking for our opinions on the topic. We were all encouraged to speak up in front of the class at least some of the time, and many of us did. Yes, there were a select few that tended to speak up more than others, but it was more equally dispersed than in other classes. This is because our teacher made it clear that whatever our thoughts were on a specific subject, it was acceptable to voice them. In fact, we often did not know what our thoughts were on a topic, and it was okay to say that too. As long as we were contributing to the conversation in some way, the class ran smoothly. The environment that the teacher had created was perfect for encouraging students, especially those who usually did not speak out, to do so. Furthermore, he made it clear that no one’s views were more important than another student’s. It did not matter whether the student was male or female, as Tannen might believe, the encouraging climate that my teacher had created led to the participation of nearly every
Ever since I was in middle school, people always told me that I’m quiet and shy. Having said that, I never felt comfortable communicating with people I didn't know that well. That also includes speaking or presenting in front of a class. According to my family and friends, I’m the complete opposite, because they claim that I’m talkative. Being shy and nervous did affect my schoolwork. I wouldn’t raise my hand in class that often, because I didn’t feel comfortable enough. When I was in 6th grade, my teacher would always call up students to share something they liked about a story they read. When the teacher called out my name, my heart started pounding, my hands were shaking and my mind went completely blank. I was so nervous to the point where I felt like I was going to pass out any moment. That’s when I asked the teacher if I could excuse myself to go to the bathroom. She didn’t mind that request so I tried to calm myself down by washing my face and breathing. After class, my teacher and I discussed my inability to present in front of a class. She was obliging, because she agreed to help me overcome being shy and to help boost my self-confidence. Shyness and nervousness also stopped me from participating in activities and obtaining opportunities. In 10th grade, my Chemistry teacher suggested a film festival, because she was aware that I loved filmmaking. At first, I considered the idea, because I’ve never done anything like it before. Having thought about it, I then realized that I was going to have my movie up on a full screen where
I graduated with a class of ninny-nine kids and now I have a Math lecture with four-hundred kids. This class didn’t only help me with my leadership skills but it helped me learn and really help my final transition of being apart of such a huge community. Learning how to become a better leader helped me become a better person in general. It can be as small as giving someone a complement on a good deed they did or something as big as changing a person’s life around for the better. Knowing that the way you use certain nouns can really have an impact on people. Something you don’t think twice about can have an effect on someone for
Teachers have a positive influence on many students lives. One teacher has made a huge impact on my life. Mrs. X has always helped me and made a huge impact on my life. She always listened to what I had to say and she helped me learn.
As a result, I’m a confident person now. I got used to the environment at the dance studio and was able to share my personal stories with my co-dancers. I developed the ability to talk to other people. I used my past lack of confidence to help other people out. For example, during this past summer, I was in charge of a basketball camp and helped the kids who were shy to come in the front and introduce themselves. I also raise my hand in class whenever the teacher asks a question, and I make friends playing basketball at the
Before I tried out for my 7th grade cheerleading team I was an extremely unconfident, young girl. I did have friends and would talk to them a lot, but they were people I had been around for years. Anytime I met someone new, it would only be because they were friends of my close friends, but I didn’t always talk to them, I would just stand or sit there and not really say anything. If I had classes with no one I knew, I would never talk to anyone unless I was forced to. I had plenty of amazing opportunities that were offered to me, but the lack of confidence I had had held me back from doing things that could have benefited me later in life.
It took me eighteen years to realize what an extraordinary influence my mother has been on my life. She' s the kind of person who has thoughtful discussions about which artist she would most want to have her portrait painted by (Sargent), the kind of mother who always has time for her four children, and the kind of community leader who has a seat on the board of every major project to assist Washington' s impoverished citizens. Growing up with such a strong role model, I developed many of her enthusiasms. I not only came to love the excitement of learning simply for the sake of knowing something new, but I also came to understand the idea of giving back to the community in exchange for a new sense of life, love, and spirit.
Envision a world wherein many students are lost when a college instructor opens a textbook filled with the works of authors from the ancient world. Does this even happen in colleges and universities? This does happen in classrooms around the world, and I want to be able to impact the future generations that will one-day grace the halls of a college or university. Education impacts an individual’s life every day, and I have always envisioned myself educating students to a greater extent than many students would feel capable of accomplishing.
On the first day of my Freshman year I walked into debate class and saw the desks in a format that I had never seen before. The desks were separated into two groups and set facing each other. This symbolized the opposing viewpoints of debate and inspired my will to compete to be better than my opponents. Throughout the semester I overcame my fear of public speaking by learning out to construct an argument, give speeches, and refute others.
I was not always a social and outgoing individual and I considered myself unlucky in life. I never stood out and did not have enough confidence to attempt to do so, not until one day in middle school. My Mathematics professor gave us an unexpected test. A lot of my classmates did not do well and I was sure I would be one of them. To my greatest surprise I scored the highest in the class with an A on the test. She called me aside after that class to talk about how I could develop my Math skills. She also ...
As I was pondering what to speak about tonight, I started thinking about what has been the main influence in my school experience. I realized that what has shaped me most has been my teachers. What is a teacher? After 13 years of school, believe me, I have an extremely good idea of what a teacher is. Two teachers began to teach me, my father and my mother. The poet Ann Taylor wrote, "Who taught my infant lips to pray, And love God’s holy book and day, And walk in wisdom’s pleasant way? My Mother."
Throughout life, many people and events have a major impact on future decisions that will, hopefully, lead to great success. For myself, deciding on pursuing English Education changed my life for the better. All my life, I had always wanted to become a type of doctor, from pediatric oncologist to gynecologist. As I aged, however, I realized I was not the type of person who was ambivalent about working late and fickle hours my whole life, especially since I planned on having a family at some point. Once I had this realization there was some thinking I had to do in order to figure out what I was meant to become. Eventually, with the help of a teacher, I discovered the love I had for education. Without this teacher, I may have never realized my calling. This was Mrs. Vorhis.