Sparx

Purging things I don’t need anymore and I found this.

lessonsfroma4thgrader:

I wrote it for a class in college. We were supposed to create something that somehow defined “The Perfect Teacher.” I wrote this:

The Perfect Teacher

In Kindergarten, I learned how to share. That is really the only thing I remember.

In first grade, I was taught to be kind and not throw rocks at boys. Those are really the only things I remember.

In second grade, my best friend taught me how to tie my shoes while my teacher taught me the importance of feeding a hamster every day. Those are really the only things I remember.

In third grade, I learned that I would not like all of my teachers and I just had to deal with it. I also learned that you can’t decide if your best friend’s mother is going to have a baby boy or girl. Those are really the only things I remember.

In fourth grade, I was shown just how mean girls can be when my two best friends became my two worst enemies and we had to have a pow-wow with our teacher in the hall. I was embarrassed and angry. So were they. That is really the only thing I remember.

In fifth grade, I learned that when a boy asks you to be his girlfriend, it really only means that you are friends. At least in fifth grade it does. I also learned that school doesn’t have to be boring and that learning about Native Americans is actually kind of fun. Those are really the only things I remember.

In sixth grade, I learned that life is not fair when my best friend’s mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. I learned that boys at that age do not understand the whole breast cancer concept. I also learned that punching a boy for making fun of your best friend’s mom is not the correct way to deal with things. Those are really the only things I remember.

In seventh grade, I realized how much the appearance of someone can effect how others perceive you and judge you. That is really the only thing I remember.

In eighth grade, I was taught that a hug can say a thousand words when given to your best friend when her mother just passed away of breast cancer. I also realized that you can’t trust everyone and you can’t like everyone. Those are really the only things I remember.

In ninth grade, I learned that all friends are not forever and teachers are more than teachers, they can sometimes become your friend. I also realized that high school is not at all what it is made out to be. Those are really the only things I remember.

In tenth grade, I realized how stupid fighting is when my good friend passed away from a car wreck one week after a pointless fight that I have to wait the rest of my life to apologize for. I also realized that the best conversation I’ve had in my life so far occurred with another friend when he told me that he was looking forward to going to heaven so he could see his mother again. He got that wish three days later. Those are really the only things I remember.

In eleventh grade, I learned that when a teacher makes you to stay after class to ask you if you have an eating disorder because she heard you say that you skipped breakfast does not mean that she is trying to attack you. She is just worried about you and has your best interest in mind. That is really the only thing I remember.

In twelfth grade, I learned the importance of having a mother when my close friend’s mother died in a car crash and how walking across the stage to get my diploma in the same room as her funeral is hard to do. I realized that lying to your parents is not smart because they will find out anyway. I also learned that most of the friends I had in high school were really bad friends. Those are really the only things I remember.

So far, in college, I have learned that family is the most important thing. I learned that true friends don’t care what you look like and what you wear. They care about who you are inside. I realized that love is not easy and life is never perfect. I saw that people will believe in you, but only if you believe in yourself first. I learned that sometimes you have to make sacrifices and that being selfish is okay if it effects your overall happiness in life. Those are really the things that matter.

I have sat in hundreds of classrooms. Listened to many teachers lecture to me over why math is important to my life. But those are the teachers that I would not put in the “perfect teacher category.” To me, the perfect teacher is not always the person who stands in front of a chalkboard and does a math equation. To me, the perfect teacher can be your mother, father, sister, friend, boyfriend, coach, and most of all, yourself. Teaching is more than what the state standards set. It’s going beyond those four white cement block walls and into the world. It’s giving lessons that will change a person’s life for the better. To me, you can’t put a definition on the perfect teacher.