Written by MORGAN NELSON

Graphics by ISABELLA HANDEL

//If you have ever been a student, you have probably had one or two teachers you can remember disliking. Although, if you try to look back and find the cause of this dislike, I would bet nine times out of ten it was just a wrong time, wrong place and wrong type of situation. While this dislike of teachers may seem like an insignificant part of your education, I challenge you to think about the teacher that everybody loved. Now, what is it that sets these two teachers apart? This is the question I intend to answer.

It is no secret that every teacher has their own way of teaching their students, but what is it that makes a good teacher good and a bad teacher bad? Impact. It is all about the amount of effort they put into positively impacting each and every student. When I think about all of the teachers I have been fond of throughout my academic career, one thing that they all have in common is their want to make a difference in their students lives and their willingness to put in the work to make a genuine connection with each and every one of them. 

In most cases, for teachers of this nature, they are successful in reaching this goal, however, just like with everything, your point of view can either limit or amplify everything you experience. So for those who are open to the idea of learning the life lessons being taught to them, teachers that are willing to do so can have a strikingly personal influence on students. In my own experience, I have found that those who are willing to keep an open mind will find that a certain type of teacher can have a lasting effect on your outlook on life itself.

As I am writing this article, I have to admit that I have a specific teacher in mind, an English teacher right here at Las Lomas known as Mrs. Rigisich. If you have ever heard someone talk about her teaching style, you would know that she weaves exigent topics into whatever topic she is covering, and by the end of the year she has opened up a whole new perspective for those who have listened. She is a strong, intelligent, incomparably talented woman whose methods of teaching are what can only be described as an opportunity to become someone new. She is truly the definition of a teacher that can and has influenced hundreds of her students into becoming the people they are today.

While I am lucky enough to have had the opportunity to have someone like Mrs. Rigisich as a teacher, I am well aware that many are not so lucky. Even though school can get pretty monotonous, I have a suggestion that I know has helped me break up the monotony, which is simply to keep your eyes open. Keep looking for that person, whether it be a teacher, a student or even a stranger that could change your perception. Though this may sound like a waste of time, the truth of the matter is that the more you refuse to comprehend, the more opportunities you let slip by. Don’t let the present turn into your biggest regret.