Merriam-Webster defines a teacher as “one whose occupation is to instruct.” I define it as much more. To me, a teacher is someone who goes out of their way to make connections with their students. Getting to know the kids they’ll see every day for 180 days is more of a priority than simply cramming in their content in 45 minutes.

For as long as I can remember, forming connections with teachers has been a major part of my school philosophy, perhaps because I have teaching in the blood. My grandparents in Michigan were both teachers for over 20 years. My ‘aunt’/mom’s best friend is currently teaching in Shanghai, China. My grandma worked at Archbishop Wood for years. One of my aunts currently works as an elementary guidance counselor in Central Bucks. I think being around so many school professionals indirectly made me see the hard work they put in, and the contributions they can make to the lives of students who take advantage of them.

So, as I prepare to say goodbye to my 13-year North Penn career in just over a month, I’m using this Teacher Appreciation Week to write a thank you note to the ones that helped me get here.

To Mrs. Alloway, Ms. Stock, Mrs. Harvey, Mrs. Alpert, Mr. Hinz, Mrs. Fink, Mrs. Chapman, Mrs. Burg, Mrs. Bryan, Mrs. Poley, Mrs. Shaughnessy, Mrs. Rousseau, Mr. Pecharo, Mr. Adornetto, Mrs. Kelly, Mrs. Neu, Mrs. Williams, Mr. Wendell, Mrs. Wydra-Gat, Mrs. Moore, Mrs. Kenney, Mrs. Bratina, Mrs. Fleetwood, Mademoiselles Gumbert and Miller, Madames Sapalidis and Fuga, Mrs. Cassel, Mrs. Roney, Mrs. McLarnon, Mrs. Behm, Mrs. Trego, Mrs. Schmidt, Mrs. Parrish, Mrs. Daywalt, Mr. Collier, Mr. McCreary, Ms. Haeusser, Mr. Wilson, Mrs. Curley, Mr. Haley, Mrs. Weizer, and Mr. Manero, thank you. No matter how close we were/are, each of you has helped me grow into the soon-to-be adult that I am today. 

To Mrs. Fink (4th grade)-Thank you for bringing whimsy into the not-so-fascinating world of fourth grade Math and English. I still remember a group of us helping you grade spelling tests during recess, your horse racing stories (including when a grandma beat you), and your magic wand.  

To Mrs. Burg (6th grade)- Thank you for being the first to take notice of my writing skills. If you never opened my eyes to my potential and encouraged me to join the staff right here at The Knight Crier, my life would be entirely different. I wouldn’t even be writing this very story.

To Mrs. Bryan (6th grade)- Thank you for being the perfect balance of no-nonsense and pure fun. You were the teacher to help begin the transition into the stricter rules of middle school, while always keeping the lightheartedness of elementary school (6th grade Uptown Funk?!?).

To Mrs. Shaughnessy (7th grade science)- Thank you for making the scary transition to middle school feel so much easier, at least during 7th period. I don’t think I will ever forget the time you were dissecting a cow’s eye for us…and it squirted across the table, right onto my binder!

To Mrs. Poley (7th grade English)-Thank you for making room 210 a safe space for my three years at Penndale. I never hesitated to pop in for ask a question, discuss the last night’s Jeopardy!, or share a baked good. I am so thankful that we’ve kept a connection for the last five years. 

To Mrs. Fleetwood (9th grade English)- Thank you for being so passionate about literature and opening my eyes to two of the greatest stories I have ever read; Night and To Kill a Mockingbird.  

To Mrs. Wydra Gat (7th to 9th grade FCS)- Thank you for being, hands down, the spunkiest teacher I had in my 13 years at North Penn. Thank you for letting me lead groups and take full advantage of our time in the food lab, and, perhaps most importantly, thank you for laughing with me through my disastrous pants sewing project (that took me two weeks longer than everyone else!).

To Madame Sapalidis and Madame Fuga (10th and 11th grade French)- Thank you for always making me want to rush to B pod, even when I knew I didn’t know anything about the imperfect tense or pronoun quiz we were about to take. Our “Just Dance” party before winter break in 11th grade is one of the greatest moments I have ever had in a classroom! And of course, thank you both for always be willing to try one of my baked goods. Merci beaucoup!

To Mrs. Cassel (10th grade English)- Thank you for bringing your theatre background into our classroom. It was so much fun to act out Julius Caesar and Cyrano de Bergerac; switching roles and reading for Roxane in Act 5 was quite an experience. And, when I was freaking out before I had to give my Tale of Two Cities presentation, I will always remember when you pulled me aside and calmed me down.   

To Mr. Collier (11th grade Chemistry)- Thank you for finally making me look forward to going to C pod. Our random, often over 15 minute class discussions about random Youtube videos you had seen, Klondike bars, or literally any other topic in the world were the perfect way to end the day. Who’d have ever thought that something called stoichiometry could actually be interesting?

To Mrs. Schmidt (11th grade English)- Thank you for allowing me to fall in love with a novel like I never had done in school. I would read each chapter of Gatsby and end with about 17 questions, and you never hesitated when I came into second period ready to ask them all. 

If you’re a senior, reach out to your favorite teacher and let them know you still remember them all these years later. I know they’ll be thrilled to hear from you!

Even though Teacher Appreciation Week ends today, remember to let your teacher know you care about them all year long. This year has been stressful, so an unexpected reminder that students recognize the hard work teachers are doing can be just what they need. And this year, the best way to show them is to turn your camera on and talk!