An Outstanding Teacher (Part 2)

Michelle L. Jones

Dr. Sonia Begert

English 99

18 July 2011

An Outstanding Teacher

      Flipping through the chapters of my life, there have been numerous people who have been great influences to me over the last 36 years. I stop and open my book to the educational years, giving Mrs. Montgomery well deserved credit for being a big part of who I am today. She was my fifth and sixth grade teacher at MacDonald Elementary School. She was known as one of the school districts most outstanding teachers. She was recognized for her teaching skills because she was able to help her students focus on meeting goals, made learning fun and interesting, was an advocate for children’s self-esteem, always there for her students, and promoted lifelong learning that would follow students into adulthood.

     "We are the only ones responsible for our futures!" said Mrs. Montgomery as she helped us focus on meeting our goals. Often she would remind us that our goals should be set in small steps to ensure we would succeed in each one. She helped her students stay focused and emphasized her wisdom as she kept us mindful of our choices we would make that would reflect our future. In the beginning of school year, she would have us write our goals down on a sheet of paper and write a letter to ourselves reminding us of the goals we had set for ourselves. As we worked toward meeting our goals through the school year, she would coach us when needed. During the summer she would mail the letters and our goal lists from the beginning of the school year. Being able to see all our individual accomplishments we achieved prepared and empowered us for the next school year.

     No matter what subject, Mrs. Montgomery opened creativity to make learning fun and interesting. She had the ability to ease the feeling of boredom in learning, within the classroom. She had the art of sparking imagination in all her students. For instance, our sixth grade’s favorite history project was learning about different cultures within countries around the world. Mrs. Montgomery called it, “Dinner Around the World.”  Each group of students was assigned a country in which we had to prepare week-long projects. The group was to write a report and transform their school desks into the “Customs Booth” for their assigned country. The booth was to be displayed with the country’s flag, facts, and chart of statistics. On Friday, all groups were to bring in a special food dish to share with the class which the country was known for. Since my group was assigned Sweden, our special food dish we prepared was Swedish meatballs that my mom instructed us how to make.

     The next day our classroom looked like an International tourist extravaganza. The aroma of food from America, Italy, Mexico, and China filled the air down the hallways. Excitement and chatter filled the classroom as we headed out to sea. As we stopped in each country, our pretend passports were stamped at every customs booth.  By the end of our day long adventure, we had chased Leprechauns in Ireland, walked the Great Wall of China, danced the Polka in Poland, rowed in the Gondola down the Grand Canal of Venice in Italy, celebrated Cinco de Mayo in Mexico, ran with the bulls in Spain, had tea and crumpets with the Queen of England, and toured The Eiffel Tower in Paris, France. Although we didn’t want to end our trip around the world so quickly, it was time to head back to the United States so we could clean up and head home for the weekend.

     Along with the fun and exciting times, Mrs. Montgomery also had her serious side too. She was an advocate for children’s self-esteem, and she believed that teachers played a major role in developing this in a child. Mrs. Montgomery took pride in watching her students achieve. No matter how big or small the achievement, she would let us know how proud she was of us. When there were failures, she would encourage us to pick ourselves back up and try again. To make us feel better, she would slip in a triumph or failure of her own to let us know that if she made it this far, she knew we could go even further. She had passion, encouragement, and a gentle way of helping everyone out in their own special way.

     One of the very first things I remember Mrs. Montgomery telling our sixth grade class was, “No matter what, I will always be here for you,” and she held true to her word. She was an inspiration to all her students. She always treated us as if we were her own children. Her love and compassion showed true in all she did for us. For instance, I had been jaded by my previous experience in the fifth grade. I was sure that having to repeat the fifth grade and having previous educational challenges was going to follow me to my new school.  With an open mind and a smile, Mrs. Montgomery welcomed me into her fifth grade Science and English class that year. She knew of the frustrations and sadness in my education history. No matter what, she would always arrange special one on one time for me, as she did for all her students when we needed it.

     Mrs. Montgomery promoted lifelong learning that has carried me through all of life’s obstacles. She would always tell our sixth grade class that no matter what challenges come our way in life, to stay positive and we would find the good out of any bad situation. She instilled in us that no matter how old you are you are never too old to learn new thing. As an adult, I see all my educational achievements and owe a lot of my successes to Mrs. Montgomery for her dedication to the education of her students.

     It had been 17 years since I spoke with Mrs. Montgomery, but just yesterday on Facebook I reconnected with her. I let her know that I think of her often and continue to teach my children on a daily basis the life-long lessons she taught her students. We talked about the past and present, how I have been able to find the good out of the many bad situations that have come my way. I said to Mrs. Montgomery, “I have made my lemonade with the lemons God has given me.” She asked me if I had any regrets in life, I told her only one…..not going to college right out of high school. She said, “You are never too old to learn new things.”, and she was overjoyed to hear I returned to college. I thanked her for empowering me with the wisdom to conquer the accomplishments I have made along the way. She was an outstanding teacher, and now I have the encouragement and ability to succeed all the way to my college degree as a “Medical Assistant.” Before our conversation ended, she said to me, “Good luck in school! An education of any kind only helps you and makes you a better, stronger person…..”