Amanda Isaacs was my Honors English 2 teacher my sophomore year of high school. I had heard that she was a fantastic teacher, but I didn’t know how much of an impact she would really have on my life.
Ms. Isaacs knew how to teach to everyone’s needs. I remember right before our exam she gave us a review packet. We would take notes every day in the packet little by little. But every day we would review the notes we had taken the day before and then continue into the new notes. It really helped to memorize all the information! She gave everyone a lot of encouragement and did everything she could to help us get good grades and pass the class. The impact she had on the class as a whole was incredible, but her personal impact on me was even more special.
On the first day of English we made notecards that had facts about ourselves. I love to write, so every chance I get, I notify my English teachers. This was my opportunity. After we turned in the cards, Ms. Isaacs read them and when she was about halfway through, she looked up at me and said, “Are you Makayla?” I nodded yes, and she replied with a warm smile, “We’ll have to chat.” This was the first time I felt a connection with Ms. Isaacs. And it definitely wasn’t the last.
There was a silent connection between us that we just knew was there. She loved all of her students, but there was something different between us, and I knew it was because of our similar love of reading and writing and grammar. We would discuss different books and elements of literature in the middle of class as if no one else was around. She would compliment me on my writing and give me suggestions for future projects. I finally felt like a teacher truly cared about me. And the icing on the cake was when she agreed to edit my novel for me.
I’m so appreciative of everything Ms. Isaacs did for me and for my class and every other student she’s taught. She was one of those teachers that just puts their whole heart into the job and you can see it in everything she does. The way she brought the class to life and made us think outside the box. The way she explained every grammar concept and helped us understand why were even learning all the crazy English rules. When we had to read Shakespeare, the way she brought us into the text, dramatically acting out the plays with us and then walking us through each section using modern terms. It was those little things that made third period the best time of the day! And it was those things that will forever keep Ms. Isaacs in a special place in my heart and the heart of thousands of other students.