Educator of the Year

    Over many years of being a student at two different schools, St. Anthony of Padua Grade School and Delaware Military Academy, I have had the opportunity to learn mentally and physically how to be successful in life and further my education on all major topics. I have had many teachers over the years, but one in particular has helped me, to the best of her ability, and she has become a role model to me.

     The teacher that I am nominating is Mrs. Achenbach. As I began attending St. Anthony’s as a three-year-old in preschool, I was very shy and did not feel comfortable being around all the other children. I remember that Mrs. Achenbach made sure that I had a good day at school even when I missed my parents, while they were at work. On picture day, I refused to get my pictures taken, so Mrs. Achenbach saved the day again and made me feel better. She has helped me a lot in my life, but she also has provided me with an excellent foundation to build off of in the classroom. We learned things in the classroom that not all pre-school children did.

    Mrs. Achenbach decided that she wanted to become a middle school teacher when I was in fifth grade which meant, she would be my teacher the following year. Meet the teacher night rolled around, and as I went into the classroom, there she was. I was thrilled to find out that she would be my teacher again. As I started sixth grade, I wasn’t nervous anymore, and I became a very outgoing person. In the classroom we would do fun activities that were creative but, still taught us a lot. She made the classroom more fun, and I enjoyed being at school and learning.  

    At the end of sixth grade, I was sad that Mrs. Achenbach would no longer be my homeroom teacher. In seventh grade she still taught me two subjects, science and literature. When I would go into her room for class, she always had a busy schedule to keep us engaged and excited to learn. At the end of seventh grade Mrs. Achenbach asked one of her students, that had been in my grade since preschool as well, to read a letter. In the letter it said, “I am excited to tell you all that I will be teaching eighth grade next year and will be your homeroom teacher for your final year at St. Anthony’s”. When I heard that, I was so excited because I had created such a bond with Mrs. Achenbach that I did not want to let go of. The start of eighth grade went great and my grades went up tremendously. She helped me understand each topic, and if someone was behind, she would do nothing but her best to help them. Throughout my last year at St. Anthony’s we had a bond stronger than I ever though I could have with a teacher.

    As it was time to graduate eighth grade, I knew that I was going to miss, having her fun and exciting classes everyday and knowing that I would be able to laugh and be happy. My other teachers never had gotten me to be that interested in a topic that we were learning. Mrs. Achenbach has a talent that no one could ever teach. As a freshman in high school, I still go back to my old school and visit Mrs. Achenbach. All of her new students love her as much as I did and are always ready to learn. These are the many reasons why I chose Mrs. Achenbach, as my Educator of the Year.