“When I first saw my sophomore schedule and realized that I had Ms. Crew for math, I was extremely anxious. According to everyone I know, she was a stern and difficult teacher. Math was already a subject I wasn’t confident in, so I didn’t know how I was going to survive the class. As the school year progressed, my views on Ms. Crew changed drastically. She quickly became one of my favorite teachers due to her approachable personality. I really didn’t see her as the stern teacher many people claimed she was. Whenever I had any problems about math, I could always go to her after class and she would be willing to help.I learned a lot from the class and could always count on the notes from class to help me study. Ms. Crew always makes sure that the students understand the important parts of the lecture and helps whenever anyone is lost or confused. I was never scared to address any questions I had.

Ms. Crew is always really energetic, which creates a fun learning environment. The students could joke with her and sometimes she would joke with us as well. My friends and I would always stay in her classroom during lunch, whether to ask for help or just chat with her. I felt comfortable sharing my own stories and Ms. Crew would always be there to listen. Ms. Crew is also really caring and would help when her students need help in things other than math. There was one time when rain started pouring really suddenly and some students didn’t have any umbrellas. To help them stay dry, Ms. Crew gave out big plastic bags to make raincoats out of. I appreciate how she shows that she cares about her students a lot. This encouraged me to learn and work more diligently because I didn’t want to let her down.

I’m really glad that I had Ms. Crew as my teacher last year because I became really motivated to do well. It was the class I could look forward to each day. There were a lot of busy and rigorous days, but there were also many relaxing and fun days. The class was balanced and organized, and nothing important is left behind. The class was never the easiest and I didn’t breeze through it, but it was the most rewarding when I did do well. Through this class, I realized that gaining control of my knowledge is more important and long-lasting that a grade. I still find it quite unbelievable that my hardest class was my favorite class, but it all credits to a sincere teacher. I’m really thankful that I learned so much last year and gained a teacher that I would never forget.”   —Tracy Xia, Pow Wow, Writer