My 6th grade math teacher had one problem— he couldn't teach for his life. In light of this, my mother took it upon herself to find me a tutor. In came Adam. Adam was funny, engaging, and made difficult mathematical concepts easy to understand. He would guide and encourage me as I meandered my way through my homework. After I had a solid grasp of whatever subject we were on, he would go the extra mile to teach me tricks on how to do everything faster, how to proof my work, and how to take tests.

 

In the 7th grade I was fortunate enough to have not one, but two, extremely talented and influential teachers who laid the groundwork for my success in school. My pre-algebra teacher, Mr. J, spoke with razor sharp clarity and boundless humor, making math class something I looked forward to everyday. What Mr. J was to math, Ms. M was to English.  On the first day of school this Mary Poppins-like teacher greeted us standing outside her Hobbit-hole themed doorway with a smile unlike no other.

 

Ms. M did what every English teacher should do: she taught us how to analyze, understand, and write about literature. The course was centered The Hobbit, to this day the best course reading I've been assigned. By focusing on one relatable book, Ms. M was able to effortlessly teach us how to annotate, use figurative language, spot plot development, character development, and poetry, as well as how to read and write different essay styles.

 

In the beginning of her class, I was Bilbo and she was my Gandalf—engaging my curiosity while pulling me out of my Hobbit hole into the world of literature. By the end of the class I knew how to write, read, and analyze as a student properly should. I credit her with teaching me the literary fundamentals I needed to be not only a successful in school, but as a tutor and published author of my own series of books.

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Adam, Mr. J, and Ms. M made school easy for me. They made me excited to take each new step and pushed me toward a far better future than I would have had without them. My one goal as a tutor is to foster that same spirit they did for me in students who are in the same place I was: without a clue what they're doing. I tutor because nothing is more gratifying than helping students in the same way my mentors helped me. All it takes is one good teacher to change a life, and I've made it my mission over the last seven years to make that difference for as many students as possible.

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