Thank You Teachers!
It’s Teacher Appreciation Week! As a thank you to some of the wonderful teachers that HBA employees have had, we’re sharing testimonials of our favorite memories with teachers to “Thank a Teacher”.
“My high school French teacher, Larissa Arist at North Harford High School, encouraged me and my friends to explore French beyond just learning the language. We held events for French holidays and learned about their culture. She took us to events like the French Film Festival in Richmond every year. Learning a subject outside of the classroom made it exciting and kept me interested in the language and the country long after graduation.” – Mandy LeBeau
“Calculus has always been described as one of those “scary” subjects. But my high school Calculus teacher at Nansemond-Suffolk Academy, Brenda Kincaid, made it fun and anything but scary. She helped us visualize differential equations using physical models and explained the “why” behind each section. Mrs. Kincaid helped us find an exciting way to visualize and solve a difficult problem, rather than making it a foreign language.” – Lauren Perry
“My most influential teacher growing up was Mrs. Monks. She was my second grade teacher and a very enthusiastic and theatrical woman. She was in charge of the class play and because she had seen some sort of spark in me she wanted to make me lead role. Had she not tried to force me into the lead role of a play in which I had to almost kiss the guy that I had a huge crush on, I may have not developed my severe stage fright and may have actually become a singer/actress. Thank you Mrs. Monks for scaring me to death and subsequently pushing me into a different form of art: Architecture, which I love!” – Katie Martin
“Middle school was a rather tumultuous time for me, but amid all the chaos of finding myself in a new country, learning a new language, and meeting new friends from very diverse cultures there was a certain sense of stability every time I went to Mr. Tevez’s ESL class. He was strict, but also fair in the sense that he always pushed us to better ourselves because he knew we could do it. There was never a sense unfairness or failure, and proving to Mr. Tevez that we could learn English quickly was a great motivator to do well in his class. I still remember him to this day and because of teachers like him I have a great appreciation for the profession.” – Sebastian Ramos
“My AP English Teacher Mr. Webster pushed me to work diligently and strive for my best, but also knew how to bring fun and joy into the classroom. His ability to mix dedication with playfulness influences me to this day.” – Grace Cope
Do you have a favorite teacher who shaped who you are today? Join in with HBA to #thankateacher and share your testimonial below, or “like” us on Facebook and “follow” us on Twitter to join in on the conversation!