I met my teacher, Mrs. Foster, on the first day of elementary school. "Everyone, this is Edwige Charles. She is new at our school and I expect everyone to treat her like family here." Those were the first words I heard her say. As I look back, my classmates did seem like family and my teacher was the mother.
Standing up there where I didn't know anyone felt like being an alien in a foreign place. My heart was pounding like an African drum, and I was breathing faster than a humming bird as I stood there staring into faces I'd never seen before.
Looking for some kind of relief from my nervousness, I stared into the face of the person whose hand was resting on my shoulder, and saw spirit and determination. Right then, something about her made my fears and worries melt away as if they were snow on a hot summer day. Even as a little girl, I realized that I would never forget Mrs. Foster, or the things that she stood for.
My teacher had numerous qualities that I think are more than enough for her to qualify as a spectacular teacher. They include determination, fairness, strictness, patience, mercy, humor, and kindness to others—even to those who are undeserving.
One reason why I say my teacher had more determination than anyone else I know is because I've witnessed acts of it for many years. Dealing with many stubborn and disrespectful students for more than nine hours a day can be hard on anyone.
I've seen teachers and substitutes come and go, but Mrs. Foster stayed on for many years. She could even be as sick as a dog, but would refuse to call in sick and stay away from the school that she loved. Many days after school, when other teachers were going home, I saw her stay on tutoring children no matter how long it would take, or she would stay and wait for the children who stayed after school to be picked up. Nothing would keep Mrs. Foster away from the school and the students that she dearly loved.
Another quality that always touched my heart was her fairness to her students. She wouldn’t punish you unless you really deserved it. She always gave everyone a second chance to admit their mistakes before punishing anyone. For instance, if you were late to class for three times in a row, you could expect a detention with any teacher. But it’s different with my teacher because if you had a very good reason for being late, like being sick, or going through traffic, then she would excuse the punishment. She wasn’t an ogre waiting for children to mess up so she could punish them. She was the kind of person who helped students avoid the problems and watch them succeed.
Strictness was another quality that Mrs. Foster had. She was the kind of teacher who would never accept lazy work from anyone. Mrs. Foster taught us the importance of education and always wanted us to try our hardest with our schoolwork. If I received a B on my report card or a test, and she knew I could do better, you could expect her to encourage you to do better next time. You could never get away with looking sloppy in your school uniform, or behaving poorly in the classroom. She was very strict with appearance and how to behave. Because of her, many children (including me) can now behave well in class.
Mrs. Foster’s patience was extraordinary. Since both of my parents worked, I stayed after school very often waiting for one of them to pick me up. Mrs. Foster put away her paperwork to talk to me about many things, like school and life. Sometimes she would even drive me home. Once I didn’t complete an assignment because I didn’t understand it. She worked with me on that assignment until I could do it backwards! She didn’t care if you turned in assignments late if you needed help, or a little more time to finish it, as long as you understood the lessons, and you turned in quality work.
Her kindness was known everywhere. When students forgot their lunches, she would drive to Jewel or McDonalds or even give up her own lunch. On one occasion I forgot my lunch at home, and she gave me all of her homemade bread so I wouldn’t be hungry. Another act of kindness is the time she arranged for the whole class to call me when I was in the hospital.
Mrs. Foster never gave anyone F's in her class. If you did badly on a test, of course she would help you and let you take the test over until your grades were better. She was known as everyone’s grandma because she was sweet and caring, and cared with a passion about someone’s school work.
Merciful would be another way of describing my spectacular teacher. Children make mistakes and do stupid things. Mrs. Foster understood that. She wouldn’t punish you over little things if you had a good reason. My teacher was never a punishing person unless you absolutely deserved the punishment.
Lastly, her humor was one of my favorite qualities. Sometimes school can seem very boring. On days like that my teacher would make you forget all of the bad things in your life just by making you laugh. She made learning fun instead of a routine. On gloomy days, she’d make us forget the weather or troubles just by making friendly jokes so we weren’t in a bad mood to learn.
Mrs. Foster’s goal was to educate children to see them flourish in the world. On my first day of school, I was nervous about change. Mrs. Foster opened up a new world of learning for me since that day. I learned a lot of things from her. She taught me how changes can be learning experiences that help you grow. She helped me to prepare for the many hardships of life. She introduced Jesus and His many blessings in my life. Mrs. Foster taught me how to bring my problems to God by praying. Most of all, Mrs. Foster taught me how to be a good person and a daughter of Christ.
Edwige Charles attended Beverly Hills School in Chicago, Illinois, for elementary school. She just finished her freshman year at Seton Academy, where she received an award for this tribute essay.
