Freshman year is a particularly daunting time, seeing as it is the transition from middle school to high school. No doubt I felt nervous, as someone who was anxious, on whether or not I would get along well with my new teachers. 

History class had always been a bore for me during my middle school days; I had no interest in the subject, and it was hard for me to retain information without forgetting it after a test. I worked hard simply to keep my grade up, not investing any interest in what I was studying. My only motivation was the fact that I needed to graduate from middle school with at least an A in the class. 

However, my perception of the subject changed within the first few months of my Modern World History class. My teacher, Ms. Park, started off the unit by asking us what we thought of history. Did we like it? Did we hate it? Or were we neutral to it? I had picked the last option, since it was true to my mindset from eighth grade: I just had no interest in history. 

Ms. Park changed the way history was usually taught to me, making me invested in her class and wanting to know more. She presented everything neatly on a slide presentation, delivered lectures in an engaging and interesting manner, and had us engage in class discussions. This was a completely different teaching method than what I was used to. Back then, I would find it hard to recall what I learned the previous day in a typical eighth grade history class, in comparison to how I now remember events more clearly such as the French Revolution due to the amount of time we spend going over it.  

Although tests are still graded pretty harshly in that class (essay questions are still the bane of my existence), I want to say thank you, Ms. Park, for being one of my favorite teachers! She is so supportive and always did a community building activity that I really feel connected the class together and helped students take a mental break. Even if we’re still told that we’re not specific enough on essay questions, Ms. Park would always help us when the class needed it and transform boring history lessons into an incredible learning experience. Truly, thank you!!