Mrs. Weissmiller, my Advanced Algebra 2 teacher, is the most positive person I have ever met. She begins each class by saying, “Good morning beautiful humans, today we will learn…” Before every test, she calms everyone’s nerves and calls out “Who’s the best?!” The students must respond as loud as possible, “I’m the best!!!”
Before Algebra 2, I thought I was good at math, but was doubtful of whether I was good enough. Mrs. Weissmiller encouraged me from day one. I moved from California to Texas in 10th grade, so I took a test to determine the appropriate math class. After Mrs. Weissmiller finished grading it, she whispered with a big smile, “You’re so smart. I’m glad you’re here, you’re in the right place.” This comment helped me feel self-assured and steady amidst a chaotic first week, but the encouragement continued all year.
Besides support in-class, Mrs. Weissmiller influenced my study habits. She made a discussion board online and asked everyone to post there twice a week. In this way, students from different class sections could collaborate on difficult homework problems and share resources (videos and articles). There, I happily answered my peers’ questions, developing my math confidence and deepening my understanding of the concepts. Teaching can also be learning, as I experienced first-hand. Eventually, this made me comfortable enough to reach out to my peers for help, online and in class. I also started regularly looking up videos for explanations on my own.
I developed self-sufficiency because the class and the homework were very difficult, even for the brightest students. This helped me realize that there is no magical level where one is “good at math,” there is only the next challenge, and the next, and the next. Therefore being “good” means having the perseverance and the skills necessary to overcome the next challenge, and teamwork was one of the options. This realization (as well as constant assurances from Mrs. Weissmiller) helped me stop doubting my skills and abilities and gave me the confidence to continue to pursue math – now it’s my college major.
I can say that Mrs. Weissmiller supported me more than any school teacher ever had. She helped boost my confidence, taught me to utilize online resources, have a positive attitude, and ask for help when I need it. These are skills I continue to apply every day. More fundamentally, Mrs. Weissmiller shifted my mindset on the value of teamwork, the definition of success, and my self-treatment. Today, I am a better person and scholar because of a high school math teacher, Mrs. Weissmiller.