The Best Teacher

Blog Prompt: Describe the best teacher you ever had.

The best teacher I've ever had was Lesley Wheatley (now Lesley Quast), a professor at Furman University. She saw things in me that I didn't know was there. I was pretty shy and had very little confidence. Growing up sheltered and spoiled, I felt that I really wasn't capable of doing much but I always dreamed of being a teacher and was determined to achieve this dream. I loved every class she taught. She was so calm and assured that I wanted to model myself after her. By encouraging me to observe other teachers and have hands on experiences, it was her gentle way of teaching me. I was always in awe of her knowledge and never felt confident enough to have in depth conversations with her so I remember standing apart from the crowd that always surrounded her. Yet, she never gave up on me and always included me whenever she could. In my senior year of college, I almost gave up my dream but she would not let me and now I'm actually getting ready to retire from teaching. We still keep in touch which is amazing to me and now I'm able to talk to her with more confidence. In fact, she sent an email letting me know how far I've come since way back then and it really warmed my heart! I have won some teaching awards over the years and I have tried to thank her for all that she has done, but I'm not sure I will ever be able to show my appreciation for the chances that she has given me. All I can say is: Thank You Dr. Quast!