From the First to the Fourth Grade by Hope

From the First to the Fourth Grade by Hope - June 2021 Scholarship Essay

The smell of her sweet perfume drifted around as she peered her head over my shoulder and complemented the picture I was drawing of my dog in the park. She picked up on as much detail as a first grader could put into a picture made out of colors from crayons and markers. Mrs. Nation's attitude was infectious and her positivity radiated into the souls of her students. Throughout the school year, we would sit one-on-one at the macaroni-shaped table in the back of the classroom going through a long list of sight words. In my tiny head, it felt like the hours were slowly passing by as I sat there struggling, my eyes welling up with tears, and hands shaking out of frustration from not being able to read the words. I worked myself up over simple tasks when I couldn’t easily understand them. I put too much pressure on myself to be the best when it would take time and practice. This was something Mrs. Nations could clearly see. At the table in the back, she always encouraged me to continue with heartfelt words and guided me along through reading. Once, she even purely recommended that I take a break from the task at hand and walked me down to the water fountain and bathrooms where I could re-evaluate the overwhelming emotions I was feeling.
Three years later she moved up with my class to teach the fourth grade. The day I found out she was going to be my teacher for a second time, I was so giddy and could not wait for the first day of school. She would always joke that we were her favorite first-grade class and that was why she was following us to fourth grade. This specific school year, as annoying as it was looking back on it, I was caught up in quite a few instances of drama among my friends. Jealousy and sadness were pumping through my blood over the smallest of issues. Most days I would come to school early just so I could go to Mrs. Nations’s classroom and talk to her about my problems. She helped me to better control my reactions to situations and to work through the emotions I was feeling. I don’t think Mrs. Nations knew that when she signed up to be my fourth-grade teacher, the role of therapist came along with it, but even after hearing me complain about my friends she would show up to class with her bubbly personality and ready to inspire her students through her kindness and humor.
Mrs. Nations taught me to never take myself too seriously because as humans we are ever-changing beings who need to accept ourselves for who we are. She constantly reminded me that I would get through whatever was going on in my life and someday would look back and laugh at the problems that I once thought were at the center of my journey. She was willing to laugh at herself, listen to others, and was aware of the possibilities of learning something new. Mrs. Nations carried these qualities with her through her teaching and showed me the importance of exemplifying them every day.