People feared her. People loved her. No matter what, everyone knew her. She was one of the most, if not, then the most talked about teacher. She was Ms. Diane Steiker.
I had her when I took AP Human Geography. Honestly, I followed the rumors regarding her prior to the first day of school. I even went to rate my teachers and had mixed feelings since some students wrote that she was a “rude teacher,” while others wrote, “Steiker is a great teacher!” Yup, she was going to be a mix bag.
After being with her for a course, I have to admit, she is harsh, she is caring, she is tough, and hands down, she is the best teacher I’ve ever had. Sure, we had to outline the entire AP textbook, and at times, I found her to be a heartless teacher. However, she was prepping us for life. By making us outline, she was teaching us how to simplify difficult and long texts into comprehensible notes. It was tedious, but an important life skill. She is also the most caring teacher. Around March when I wasn’t able to give my best performance in her class, she pulled me out and offered to help me cope through whatever I was going through. While being a caring teacher, she always stayed real, because she reminded me that if I didn’t give my best performance, chances are I’ll get a 1 in the AP test. She taught me to not be satisfied with just an "A," because there is always that "A+" to work for.
Ms. Steiker used to tell us stories about how she had a class where a girl accused her of “failing” her. However, that same girl came back after a couple of years and apologized to her. Ms. Steiker is a very devoted teacher who not only gives us notes and help for the AP, but also notes and help for life. She has very high expectations from us because she usually teaches AP classes. If we are not willing to put in the effort that it takes to get an “A” in a college course, then why did we take it?  It puts pressure on us to give our best shot in every position. This skill is important because it keeps us motivated and moving. While learning about migration patterns and demographic transition models, I also learned about how important it is to see through a person and appreciate them for their hard work.
I’ve never worked to earn a grade in my entire life as I did in her class. She grades your writing with absolute no mercy so that way you improve on being precise, not writing using passive verbs, and being concise while thoroughly answering the questions. I learned how to truly answer “how” and “why” questions, and I know this skill she passed on will help me greatly in my college essay. I can’t thank Ms.Steiker enough for all that she had done for me. Yes, she is a very intimidating lady, but she is someone who makes you feel like you have learned something when you step out of room 307. Sure, I ended her class with an 83.11, but I left her class being a more mature and responsible student. She is not only an educator of the year for me, she is the educator of life.
Thank you so much Ms.Steiker!