As a 7th grader, I’ve had lots of teachers. Some have known me well and others not so much. Some teachers make learning fun and others don’t. I recently talked to my friends about why Ms. Kaiser, my World Studies teacher, is so good – why do we like her, why are we learning so much and why do kids who don’t normally participate in class pay attention during this class?
My friend Will said that Ms. Kaiser is funny and makes lessons really interesting.
Amanda Kaiser, NBCT
Ethan told me that she relates to her students.
From the very first day this year, I knew that Ms. Kaiser was going to be a great teacher. She just seemed good, not just compared to other teachers, but because I just knew that we were going to have a good year. She was nice to all of us in the class and she had an attitude that made me want to get to know her. According to my parents, she has gotten to know me, too. They said that she sees changes in how I act, how I learn and how I participate in class. With 100 students, it’s pretty cool that she notices those things about me.
Ms. Kaiser teaches us by sharing stories. In a lesson about South American cultures, she shared her personal pictures on a trip to Machu Picchu. It was way more interesting than seeing pictures in a text book.
She gives all the kids in our class an opportunity to speak up and answer questions in ways that make sense to all of us and shows that she’s really listening. She really knows about the topics we study and makes it pretty fun to be in class – and that’s not easy because it’s really tough sitting in a desk from 8:30 until 3:00! Seriously, you should try it!
I’ve noticed that Ms. Kaiser is really good at not letting any one kid talk too much and she makes sure that those kids who are usually quiet speak up every once in a while. I still get silly sometimes but even that’s okay because Ms. Kaiser doesn’t yell. She lets us have fun and then stops us in a way that feels respectful. It makes me feel good.
She has taught this class for a few years and Ms. Kaiser has talked to us about things she is doing differently this year so a lesson can be more effective. I like knowing that she keeps thinking about how to be a better teacher because she tells me and my classmates that we need to be better students!
It doesn’t hurt that there is almost never homework in the class. “You’ll have plenty of homework when you’re older,” she told me. But class isn’t easy. I have to learn things through activities we do in school, so it’s hard but the work isn’t done alone at home when I’d rather be doing something with my friends.
Teachers work hard and they try their best. But some help me and my classmates learn more than others. If all teachers were more like Ms. Kaiser, school would be way more interesting and I know that I’d learn more. I bet my classmates would, too.
