Theresa Miller - Going Above and Beyond

It seems that most people have a certain teacher that they remember from high school.  For some, it’s the teacher that guided them through rough waters and helped them discover a little bit more about themself.  For others, it’s the teacher that they picked-on and challenged and pushed to the limit.  For me, it was a woman by the name of Theresa Miller.

Theresa Miller (or Ms. Miller as she was referred to) was my 12th grade English teacher.  I had always enjoyed English when I started her class, but rumors around the school were that she was really tough to please.  Being that I was in my final semester of high school, I really wasn’t looking forward to having a teacher who would be tough to please when all I wanted was to coast my way out of high school and into college.  I found out that it didn’t really matter what I wanted, however, when I sat down for her opening day of class.

She wasn’t physically intimidating, in fact she couldn’t have weighed more than a slim 120 pounds, but she had a certain something in her attitude that let every student know who was in charge.  Some of her first words on that day were, “...and for you seniors in the class, don’t plan on coasting through because it’s not going to happen.” It was my first introduction to Ms. Miller’s high expectations of every student, whether they were the best or the worst writer in the school. 

The semester focused mainly on creative writing, and as the days passed I could see why she was called “tough to please”.  It seemed like every assignment our class did included re-write after re-write and endless review sessions.  I remember our class groaning every time she pulled out her package of colored chalk, because it meant that we were going to have a grammar review on the blackboard.  It took me awhile to realize that it was her way of preaching the importance of “mastering the basics” when becoming proficient at any skill.

Towards the end of the semester, Ms. Miller allowed us a little extra freetime when working on our writing.  She would assign something to work on then allow us to freely research the library or work on the computers during our class period.  There was more than one occasion where I spent the class period lounging instead of working, and there was also more than one occasion when I would be caught and scolded by Ms. Miller.  At the time I hated it, but I now realize it was her way of saying that the best work is accomplished by constantly chipping away at it whether you’re in the mood for it or not.

Ms. Miller taught me a lot through her dedication to hard work and through her teaching style.  She might not be the type of teacher that “changed my life”, but she did have a very large impact on it.  And the part of her teaching that really makes me appreciate her is the fact that she was dedicated to her profession.  She didn’t try to be every student’s best friend, she didn’t try to “negotiate” good behavior out of anybody, and she wouldn’t allow bad attitudes to enter her classroom.  I think it takes a good person to be that committed to the success of her students.  Thanks Ms. Miller.