Meaghan Winnans

EDU 211

Best Practices Paper

10 May 2021

Best Practices Paper

Teaching takes patience but most of all it needs to come from the heart. The teachers that

I have had who outshined the rest are only great because they truly have a love for teaching and

students. In my eyes, a teacher who is patient, brings joy to their classroom, is there for their

students with opened arms, and overall loves what they do, are the ones who will make long

lasting impacts on their students. In my fourteen and a half years of being a student I have had

multiple good teachers but there is one who will always be at the top of my list. This teacher was

my high school art teacher for all four years but in those short four years he had made the biggest

impact on my life and education then almost anyone else. Still, three years out of college I still

look up to him and inspire to one day be as great of a teacher as he is.

To this day I still remember my first time meeting my high school art teacher Mr. T. It

was while I was still in middle school in eighth grade at one of my sister’s fine arts night. My

sister who is two years older than me had this art teacher first, so I was lucky to go into high

school with already knowing a teacher even though he scared me at first. Walking into his art

room the first-time freshman year was very intimidating and it wasn’t until almost the end of the

year that I was finally comfortable/not scared coming into the classroom. No matter how scared I

was of Mr. T, he always offered a helping hand and made sure I had everything I needed.

Teachers offering help/making sure a student always has what they need when they are

intimidated by a classroom, I think is a great way to showcase love for teaching because it lets
the student know you still recognize them and care for them even if they’re not ready to be

themselves yet.

Growing up I really struggled in school and struggled even more once I got rid of my IEP

the beginning of sophomore year of high school. In those first few months of getting rid of my

IEP I never had felt more defeated or wanted to give up. It was Mr. T through who wouldn’t let

me give up and sat with me every day looking over what homework I had and what needed to be

done. Teachers who willingly give up their time to help their students when they are struggling

shows dedication to being a teacher and putting their students first. Then I was told at the

beginning of my senior year by my counselor that I didn’t have the grades to go to the college I

wanted to, Mr. T was the first one to sit down with me and figure everything and to make sure I

wasn’t letting anyone get into my head telling me I wasn’t smart enough. I don’t think he will

ever understand how much he had changed my life and impacted the way I learn. Without him,

always supporting me when I was struggling proved that I had so much more to give to this

world and he saw something that I couldn’t see in myself at that time.

A great quality to have as a teacher I feel is to be able to tell when your student is having

a rough day, or something is going on. Mr. T always knew when something was wrong. I

wouldn’t even have to say a word because he just knew. During my senior year, my mom ended

up in the hospital around the wintertime and I really started to struggle in classes. Mr. T knew

that something was wrong and would continuously check on me to make sure I was okay. His

office was always open and what I loved about him most is he always offered to pray for you and

pray with you. Being religious is not needed to be a teacher but as a catholic who prays, knowing

someone was praying for me just made everything feel better.

 Going through school, I believe everyone needs that one teacher who they can go to for

anything. It could be for school reasons or just needing a friend but whichever that reason is find

that teacher is important. I never believed in myself as much Mr. T believed in me. He knew I

could and would overcome anything that came my way in any aspect of my life. Today, Mr. T is

the reason I inspire to become a teacher. The love and support that he has given me and still does

is something I wish to return to my students in the future. I want my students think they can do

the impossible because that is what Mr. T has done for me.