Throughout my eleven years of learning and having more teachers than I can remember, I never connected with that “controlled” environment. Being an independent and self managing person, I never enjoyed being scolded to do multiple tasks a specific way. Initially school was like that for me, preschool, elementary school, and then middle school… I was beyond worried for high school. In the same light, all my teachers before high school continuously made me feel that whatever I was operating on had to be done in a certain way, in order for it to be correct, as if my brain was just a running glue factory. So, as high school approached I prepared myself rapidly for the utterly complaints and concerns that would be made about and for me. Soon enough, first day of school came, and I kid you not, five minutes in I thought my life couldn’t have been worse. Throughout the day whatever could’ve gone wrong, went wrong without hesitation. First, my locker combo was wrong, so I had no where to place my belongings for the morning, then I was probably late to every single one of my classes from getting lost in this maze of a school, teachers just gave me that hilarious look as if I was a blind mouse. The day just wasn’t having me, and I wasn’t having it, until 9th grade English peaked around the corner.
Before walking into the room I wasn’t excited, I had always struggled with reading comprehension and grammar rules, and on top of it all, I happened to distaste most books. As I glide into the classroom, the first thing I see are posters plastered on the walls as confidence boosters. Afterwards, I make myself comfortable in a somewhat stable desk, looking up, I see a young lady with medium length brown hair, big eyes, and dressed to impress. I think the most impactful thing I remember from that first day is this heart warming, enormous smile that was darted across Ms. Singletary’s face, as she got to meet all her new students. Ms. Singletary is this free spirited, quirky person that desires to see others benefit and apply knowledge in their own light, I couldn’t have respected her more already.
As an independent learner, she explained how she rarely enjoyed being told how to write, and how to read, that all she wanted was to share different strategies that could help and encourage us to do as well as she claimed she knew we could do. This marvelous women never made us read what every other english class was reading, we only read her favorite books, and let me tell you, those books are now some of my favorite… and I don’t even enjoy reading that much. This was clearly not an average, everyday english class, there was laughter, and silliness in every activity that took place in that bright room; therefore, throughout that english year I believe I gained more that just the basic reading and writing skills, I learned how to guide myself and take pride in the work I created. Everyday there was something new that she wanted to tell us about, sometimes it was about school, a new book she just discovered, a project she was jumpy about. Other times it was just little things, a funny trip to the grocery store, or her times as a college student. It really didn’t seem to matter what she was talking about, I just loved listening to whatever she had to say, for it was always something positive. 
Not only was the remarkable teacher a great leader, she was a listener as well. All she wanted for her students was to love learning and to do well. Whenever I was struggling with school, she was there, relationships, she was there, and I admire her so much for that. As a person that didn’t have many people that I could look up to, it was nice to have someone as extraordinary, and understanding as Ms. Singletary. I see her as my role model, the way she talks, always soft and peaceful like a whispering wind, the way she listens, always giving a smile to brighten the day, and just the way she is, her welcoming and zippy personality makes her this beautifully unique human being. I only hope I can be as intelligent, and successful as her one day, for I know that if I could just be a speck of how she is, I can go far.
English, what used to be something I would choke on the thought of, now something I can barely sit still thinking about. 9th grade English class helped me grow as not only a learner, but as a person in general. This shy and scared girl seemed to vanish, replaced with a talented, sophisticated, happy, and bold women still yearning for learning. I only have Ms. Singletary to thank for that. Therefore, I nominate Ms. Singletary for the best teacher of the year award, for only she changed me as a learner and a person.