I am frequently asked the question: who was a teacher that impacted your life? Who helped shape who you are today? I always found this question very difficult; I had many teachers, all whom have taught me countless life lessons and how to become a better person. Yet, it was hard to narrow it down to just one person who taught me something that made me what I am today. When asked who impacted my life, I often think of teachers from the middle school level and above. They teach you the more complex lessons, right? So shouldn’t that have more of an impact on you? I found it difficult to look before the sixth grade when trying to find a specific teacher that made me who I am today. Elementary school is black and white. You learn the simple things, how to add, subtract, read and write. Lessons weren’t as open ended as they are now in high school.
Looking back however, while those questions were simpler, and just taught you the basics, what I thought was the very reason that my elementary school teachers couldn’t have shaped my life, is exactly what did. While in elementary school, more specifically primary school, you’re young, still learning the basics of life. The teachers at that age are also doing more than just teaching math, they’re teaching you the importance of values, helping you discover your interests. Most extracurricular activities like sports and art were started at a young age. Which is why, looking back, it isn’t a teacher from middle or high school that really made me who I am today, it was one from the first grade.
When I was in first grade I was 6 years old. At such a young, impressionable age, my teacher held a very important job. It was her that helped teach me the difference of right and wrong. However, it wasn’t those lessons that impacted me the most. My first grader teacher’s name was Mrs. Folks. She was sweet, kind, and introduced me into one of the most important fields in my life: art. Mrs. Folks took art above and beyond. She gave us more than just our forty-five minutes each week in the art room. Every month, we would gather on the carpet once or twice a week and study an artist. From Van Gogh to Monet, Picasso to Warhol. We learned about different styles of art, like realism and abstract. Although they were on such a basic level, the lessons opened my eyes to the world of art and art history. I was fascinated by it. The different mediums used by the artists, their subjects, the styles. Mrs. Folks and her lessons created a whole new world of excitement with art.
Those first grade lessons were seeds, and every year they would grow more and more. I constantly excelled in art, using my prior knowledge and interest to really work hard on everything I did, striving to create masterpieces on such the levels of Georgia O’Keefe and Degas. Although, being at such a young age, they were far from it. When I got to the middle school level I looked forward each day to my art period, and learning new ways to improve in my art. Now, in high school I hope to take as many art classes as possible, furthering my knowledge and skills as an artist. I even hope to one-day use art in my career.
This interest was all thanks to those lessons on the rug, with Pablo Picasso’s face and art taped onto the wall. Most importantly though, this was thanks to Mrs. Folks. It was her that made my interest in art blossom. If it wasn’t more Mrs. Folks, I could never have discovered what is now a driving force in my life. I would not be the person I am today.