My Favorite Teacher

As an introduction exercise for SED 405 at RIC, the class must write a short paragraph on a favorite teacher:

My favorite teacher, who I choose to keep anonymous on the web, demonstrated three key characteristics as a teacher. The first and most imperative characteristic that she had was her mind state regarding bell-curve grading. Her aim as a teacher was to only grant a select amount of A's for the class; yet, she did not have an equivalent number of F's to match the A's. Coincidently, her bell-curve grading system, she argued, accounted for a plethora of variables. Her grading curve eliminated the miniscule percentage of failing grades. The second characteristic that my preferred teacher had was her ability to listen to what students had to say. By being able to intensely and patiently listen to her students, she helped generate a respectful atmosphere among her students, who kept a similar attitude towards listening in her classrooms. Thus, there were many deep, revitalizing conversations in her class, which revolved around her curricula. Her third characteristic was that she was warm. Her warmth comprised her temperament, her dress style, and, most importantly, her classroom's atmosphere. She was a teacher students wanted to be around, because of her cordiality and patient demeanor. Thus, she easily heightened teenage interest, particularly mine, in complex subjects.