Miss. Whalen by Eden

Miss. Whalen by Eden - January 2025 Scholarship Essay

Teachers make a school, they're the reason the a school is great, okay, or awful. I loved my elementary school for most of its teachers, but the best teacher was my fourth grade teacher, Miss. Whalen.
One of the days I remember most vividly was a day I went in crying. My sister and I had fought that morning over a bathroom mirror. Later that day, when I was less upset, she talked to me about it. It was nice to feel so seen and have a teacher identify with me. She could guess what was wrong. She was a great teacher that made you feel safe and important is class.
Another great memory from this time is when I missed some of school for a doctor. When I came back, everyone turned to me and someone shouted that I was back and everyone cared. The same thing happened when I was out sick for a day and came back. Although my teacher wasn't directly responsible, she created such a great environment of support and friendship that I learned how school could be a safe place and that people want you there.
Miss. Whalen was also full of creative ideas. We did escape rooms and projects. Our class room was decorated for testing and we had colorful notes from parents. Every Tuesday we listened to and analyzed songs about growth mindsets. Fourth grade was the most fun year of my education. It was when I learned school could be fun, that it wasn't something to try and get out of.
I've had many good teachers and some bad ones, but one of the few that stands out the most was Miss. Whalen. She was a fun, engaging, caring, and creative teacher. She always made me feel heard, feel safe, and let me have fun. She taught me so much, especially as a future teacher about a healthy classroom environment. Although hard times have worked against this, this was the year I learned that a teacher could make school fun and she taught me so much about optimism and smiles.