Title - A Student That Has Been Inspired
By - Sarah

This is a story of how inspired I was by my fifth grade teacher.

My name is Sarah and I just finished the fifth grade. My teacher's name was Mrs. Wilston and she has truly inspired me. We have a wonderful relationship. She is more than just a teacher to me; she is a friend. I really know a lot about her because I really admire her. She has done so much for me and I've done a lot for her too, especially encouragement and so forth. She has helped bring out the inner me. Mrs. Wilston knows just what to say to make you feel good about yourself. She has that smile that makes you smile. I want to be a teacher because of her. I know a lot about teaching because I have tutored and stayed inside for recess to help the students with corrections. I'm not going to lie, teaching is hard work, but when you teach a student something new and they finally understand with a smile - it makes the frustrating day completely worthwhile. Mrs. Wilston is really dedicated as well as devoted to her job. To see her frustrated or upset or sad makes me feel the same way, so I do something to help, like encourage her with words or a smile to show I care and understand. I love reading and writing poetry about teachers and reading stories here on lessonplanspage.com. That is what brightens my day. Mrs. Wilston is my #1 teacher and role model, I want to be just like her when I grow up. She has seen something in me that no other teacher has. She sees faith deep inside me and I brighten her day like a star she says for she is the center of my universe - everything revolves around her!

She is an A+ teacher.

Title - This is the Child that Teachers Built...
By - Rachid Khouya

When people show their homes to others, they proudly show off the many different rooms, the nice furniture, the beautiful decorations and how well built the house is, but they never talk about the builders who worked so hard to make that house what it is today.

When parents talk about their successful children, about their jobs, their social, political, and economic status and about their many degrees, parents never talk about the teachers who have placed the bricks, one upon one, to make those kids what they are today.

Being a teacher of English for more than five years, I have learned one thing: if I am successful today, it is thanks to the work of all my former teachers who have taught me how to love the ABCs from the cradle to the grave.

Being a good teacher today means being faithful to the memory of all the good teachers who have motivated me and pushed my life boat within the oceans of life, through its waves and storms, and even when it occasionally got stuck in the sand of a shore.

My teachers, both good and bad, have done a lot good things to me, to my mind and to my heart. Today it is easy to remember all those bad teachers and think about how harsh they were. But it is better to remember that I do not have to be like them and to be aware that my kids don't have to think bad thought about me one day.

Today, thinking and remembering all the good teachers who have taught me makes me feel the great responsibility I shoulder to be like them and to become better than them, because I want my students to see me as a role model in the future.

Parents also need to remember that if their students are successful today, that is because their personality skyscraper is built upon the shoulders of teachers.

Title - Never Judge a Teacher by their Appearance
By - Taryn Sennott

My story is about my 8th grade history teacher. He was the best teacher I think I've ever had and without him, I don't think I'd be where I am today as a Sophomore in High School.

Mr. Hagar was the scariest teacher I think I'd ever had. He was very tall, and loud. But once we all got to know him, he was the nicest person in the entire world. He would teach my classmates and I how things were and have us act things out in class. He was always yelling, but through all the yelling, there was always a smile.

When I was in 6th grade, he had to leave school because he had cancer. The year I had him, he was recovering, and then he had to leave for a couple of months to have reconstructive surgery. When he was gone, I was so lost because there was no more yelling; school seemed so quiet. Then when he came back, he had a scar and a cane. He was still the same guy, but he couldn't yell as much, but just the same... He was back and we were so excited.

I realize now, 2 years later, that he had to go through so much and I am happy he is in remission now. He also retired so he can enjoy riding his 5 horses. He was a great teacher, and a friend. Anyone who knew him would agree. He is the bravest man I know, because I know he had to go through a lot of suffering and painful surgeries. Although now, 2 years later, he has fully recovered.

I don't get to see him that often, only once a year, but I am so glad that I do. Just to see him and know he's okay and to tell him that his inspiration still grows, and also thanks to Mr. Hagar, when I grow up I want to be a history teacher just like him, and honestly...he was the only teacher at my middle school to actually be called "Mister".

Title - The Difference a Good Teacher Makes
By - Carolyn Hopkins

I have been teaching for four years now. I am a tenth-grade English teacher. Needless to say, I love my subject and vowed to one day impart my love of literature to my future students. Well, I must admit, I have made more than a difference, I have changed the way students perceive literature and have even inspired some to become English teachers.

I have received countless thank-you cards, gifts, letters and certificates in appreciation for my time and effort and I hope compassion. If I could pick one or two students with whom I have come to love as my own, that would be difficult. There have been several students each year who stand out and a lasting bond between us is formed.

One student in particular, however, is named John Doe. I met him last year when he was a student in my English class during eighth period. He has expressive brown eyes that light up his face. He sat in the back often, saying very little. However, I sensed that he was taking in all that I taught. John was never absent nor was he late. He was a mild mannered student who seemed very mature for his age.

As the year progressed, we read lots of poetry and various stories about different cultures and real-life experiences. I have always wanted literature to speak to my students so that they could find relevant connections which would ultimately give them that motivation to read, write and interpret. While reading and writing poetry, John had written some beautiful poetry that spoke of his experiences as a black male in America. I was delighted and surprised that he could write poetry so well. Of course, there was some editing to be done, but he was inspired and encouraged to write about what mattered to him.

On the last day of school, students were asked to write a brief autobiographical essay and to dedicate it to someone he or she thought was significant in his or her life.

Needless to say, John dedicated his essay to me and used clip art that decorated the dedication with roses.

He stated in the essay that "some people you meet in life are flowers, but then there are those who are roses. Ms. Hopkins, I just wanted you to know that you are a rose in my life and I have enjoyed every minute of being in your class. If you thought that sometimes I had zoned out, well, you were wrong. I would never zone out on a teacher such as you. You have shown me that I have purpose in life and that I am a poet. I will never forget you." Needless to say, tears streamed down my eyes and eyeliner was everywhere. But John's words touched me in such a profound and emotional way. I had had a particularly hard personal life that year and somehow that letter made it worth the struggle.

I needed to hear those words and I told John that his words were nourishment for a very fragile and weary soul.

Now, I see John probably twice or sometimes three times a week. He visits as much as possible and tells me how much he misses my classroom and my superb ability to teach from a real-life perspective. Making a significant contribution to someone's life is something money could never buy. Teaching allows teachers to make a positive difference in the life of someone. Thank you God for allowing me to teach.