Most people at my school think Mr. Siddiqui is, oh,
let's just say "out there." Why? Maybe it's because you can drive
by school almost any time on any day of the week and see his car
parked in the same spot. Maybe it's because on some afternoons
you can hear his bread-maker rumbling in the hallway. Maybe it's
because he likes to keep a change of clothes and an arsenal of
utensils in his closet. Maybe he is strange. I just think he's
committed.
I knew Mr. Siddiqui's calculus class was going to
be different from any I had ever taken. One of the first things
he said was, "You see your books over there in the corner? Well,
take a good look because that's where they're going to stay."
Everyone laughed, but to this day, I have yet to pick up a
textbook in his classroom.
He explained that he knew more about
calculus, or The Calculus as he calls it, than any textbook could
ever hope to teach us. That's what I call confidence. Looking
back, I realize how much I've grown as an individual. Before
calculus, I wasn't exactly the best math student, but I always
tried hard. Mr. Siddiqui matched my commitment with twice as much
as I gave him. Six days a week until the last person left,
Mr. Siddiqui was there to help. He has only one goal for our
class - that everyone receive credit on the AP test. High
expectations? Well, he guarantees you credit if you're willing to
put in the work. That's commitment.
Another difference is Mr.
Siddiqui's teaching style. It isn't exactly orthodox. First term,
we had three tests, and that was our grade. That's if those
grades counted in the first place. You see, one of Mr. Siddiqui's
brilliant ideas was the "trig quiz," a timed quiz we had to pass
without mistakes for our real grades to even count. You had as
many tries as you needed before the term ended. You'd think
that would be the worst, but for our second semester we have two
timed quizzes to pass, not to mention a quiz every day of the
week. Well, except on Fridays - then we have a test.
On Mr.
Siddiqui's wall are framed photos, pictures of all his classes.
Underneath are the names of those who scored five on the AP exam.
It's not unusual after school to find one of these students home
from college visiting Mr. Siddiqui. I've talked to kids who've
gone through his program, and they all say the same thing. His
commitment to his students is unparalleled. Mr. Siddiqui has
changed my perception of what a good teacher should be. I've
never met anyone so devoted to his students that he's willing to
sacrifice afternoons and most weekends to help them. His only
request of us is that we put in the effort. That's not a hard
request to fulfill.
Going into the exam, our class has adopted
the slogan: "All calculus, all the time," and it's proven true,
as recently I've spent more time with Mr. Siddiqui than my whole
family. Because of his commitment, I feel confident not only to
pass the exam, but also hopefully to make the wall. And there's
one person I have to thank for that: thank you, Mr. Siddiqui.
I stared
at her. I was going to lie to her. I could not tell her that my mother and
father abandoned me, that when I left school, I wasn't going to my
parents' home but to a group home, that I was extremely unhappy, lonely,
depressed. I could not tell her. I would not tell her. But her big crystal
eyes looked so compassionate and sincere. I could not help it; she genuinely
cared about my well being. I struggled not to say I was a motherless and
fatherless child, but naturally I responded to her.
Mrs. Eisenberg, my college
advisor and English teacher, turned out to be a wonderful outlet for me to
release my pain. Because I told her I lived in a group home, my life changed
dramatically: I did not feel the need to hide it anymore or feel abnormal. I
did not feel sorry for myself anymore. Mrs. Eisenberg, with her own life and
responsibilities, gave her time to hear my problems. She encouraged me daily
and smiled whenever I went to see her. The simplest things she said meant so
much; she asked about my classes, and hammered into my head the significance
of earning a high-school diploma to be able to attend college. I wanted to
accomplish all the things she said I was capable of.
Mrs. Eisenberg is an
angel in my life. Her words, actions and compassion mean so much. Without her
encouragement, I could not and would not have wanted to succeed. As my English
teacher, Mrs. Eisenberg has also helped strengthen my writing abilities. With
patience and effort, she channeled my strengths and worked on my weaknesses.
Through Mrs. Eisenberg, other teachers became aware of my writing abilities. I
was no longer just another student; because of Mrs. Eisenberg's admiration, I
was given the title "The Writer." I began writing more, eagerly sharing my
works with others. It really makes such a difference when someone believes in
you.
Mrs. Lynne Shoemaker is one of
the most amazing people I have ever met. In her class, I feel very relaxed; her
energy and knowledge can't be measured. As an honor student, one expects a
difficult biology class, and I am lucky to have Mrs. Shoemaker.
When she was
only 16, she gave birth to the first of her three children. She had to fight her
way back into school, and her child was later diagnosed with diabetes. Another
son has a form of dyslexia. He can read, but writes in a language she cannot
read. Beating all the odds, Mrs. Shoemaker pursued her education, graduating from
high school, then college and more college.
She becomes very close to her
students because she understands teens' problems. When a student asks a
question about anything, Mrs. Shoemaker will discuss it, and more questions
follow. We don't even need to bring our books to class. If she isn't answering a
question, she will show us some of her many treasures, including skulls, jungle
slides, snakes and anything we may think is disgusting, but she finds amazing.
When we leave class, we too realize those disgusting things are actually quite
interesting.
In 1997, Mrs. Shoemaker was chosen to teach in Russia. The next
year, she was selected as a leader for science standards by the National Science
Teacher Organization because they knew she could make presentations, had many
contacts and could accomplish whatever they asked her to do. This October she
taught for three weeks in Japan. Her students have received the Presidential
Youth Environment Award twice. She currently has six publications under her belt
and is only two and a half credits away from her Ph.D. She refuses to teach from
books, instead teaching from her experiences.
Mrs. Shoemaker is much more
than a biology teacher. One of the biggest things she has done for me is get rid
of my fear of snakes. Mrs. Shoemaker brought in her 11-foot snake, Phoenix, to
show the class. She said we could touch him, and I did - very lightly. Then I saw
how she played with him and treated him as if he were her baby. Day after day,
she showed us other snakes and how good they were. Every day my fear faded. Now,
the only thing I won't do is watch them eat.
To her students, whom she treats
as her children, Mrs. Shoemaker is the greatest. She teaches what others have
taught her. The more she enjoys her classes, the more she learns from those
students. She is a true treasure, and that is why I am nominating her for
Educator of the Year.
Teen Ink PO Box 30 Newton, MA 02461 (617) 964-6800 editor@teenink.com
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