Ms. Schulze (The Quintessential Teacher)

I had my admission interview at Seattle University this past week. I have applied to the Masters in Teaching program at SU and should know if I am accepted by the second week of April!

In our interview, my group was asked to define what makes an effective teacher, and if the state should grade teacher effectiveness though standardized test scores. If you stop and think about it for a moment, it is incredibly hard to define what makes effective teachers. I feel any teacher can impart some bit of knowledge to their students, but knowledge alone is not what makes a teacher effective.

The best teachers in life do more than pass on their knowledge, they change their students' lives. Thinking back on my high school days, I had some bad teachers, many good teachers, and a few great teachers. I was a good student, but I must have driven my teachers crazy! I had problems with instant gratification, or "Feeding the P.I.G.," as we call it in the group home. I always wanted to be first, wanted the teacher's undivided and immediate attention, and thought the classroom revolved around me and my needs.

On a typical school day during my sophomore year, Ms. Schulze, one of Yankton High's best, influenced me in a way no one had before. Our Creative Writing class was in the library working on a project. My classmates were scattered about the computer lab and Ms. Schulze was working her way around the room answering questions. Feeling that my questions were obviously much more important than anyone else's, I kept interrupting Ms. Schulze as she was working with other students. After about the third interruption Ms. Schulze looked up, paused for a moment, and calmly spoke something I needed to hear.

She said, "Trey, I love you very much and know you want to do well; but, you are not the only person in this class and there are six other people I need to help before I can help you. So please go back to your computer, and I'll get to you in a minute."

In that moment, my blinders were removed, and I finally realized that the world did not revolve around me. Ms. Schulze could have snapped at me and told me to sit down; and, I would have sat down, feelings hurt, and been the same obnoxious person the next day. However, her ability to handle her frustrations and offer positive criticism helped me realize that I needed to relax, take time to solve problems on my own, and be a better classmate.

I know that I am still not as humble or selfless as I should be, but Ms. Schulze helped mold me into not only a better student, but also a better friend, brother, and son. So, thank you Ms. Schulze; I don't believe any standardized test could measure the effectiveness of your pedagogy.