Superintendent Newsome's Blog

Appreciating teachers

Meeting with my Student Advisory Group on Education is always a bright spot on my calendar. Student leaders from every Chesterfield high school make up the group, and we get together monthly to discuss education and additional ways to engage students.

During yesterday’s meeting, during Teacher Appreciation Week, I asked these high school seniors to jot down how their favorite teachers make a difference:

• My favorite teacher encourages me to succeed. She is helpful, easy to talk to, very caring and thoughtful.
• My favorite teacher is hard to describe in one sentence, but he has inspired me to be a better person. He has been a friend for many students and is a great person.
• My favorite teacher has inspired me to pursue what I love to do and is always available to talk, regardless of the situation.
• My favorite teachers (I have two) are funny and only strict when necessary. I trust them enough to talk to them about anything. They offer great advice. They treat me like an adult.
• I like that I can come to my teacher anytime during the day, and I can talk about anything.
• My favorite teacher is not too strict or too easygoing, and she always finds a way to make the lesson interesting and fun.
• My favorite teacher isn’t afraid to laugh with us or have conversations with us — treat us like people, not just like students.
• My favorite teacher has supported me all through high school and has always been available for advice even though she hasn’t taught me since ninth grade.
• My teacher helps me with everything. My teacher is an all-around nice person with a good heart.
• My favorite teacher taught me the most important thing: to think and problem-solve for myself.
• My favorite teacher is very energetic and involved. She is motivating and encourages us to do well.
• My favorite teacher is important to me because of the help she gives me outside the classroom; she teaches the class and me great moral lessons and she is someone I can talk to about anything.
• My favorite teacher incorporates critical thinking in every class and relates every topic to real-world issues or pop culture.
• My favorite teacher is funny and connects well with students.