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It seems like it was almost yesterday. I was in second grade, seated in groups of four in the classroom. We were taking lessons on how to write in cursive. Writing the letter ‘z' over and over again, my hand became sore and I put the pencil down. Then, there she was – my second grade teacher Mrs Dominakos looking straight at me. I held the pencil tightly in my hand, hesitating, what should I do?
Mrs Dominakos, or as we used to call her, ‘Mrs D,' did not fit into the traditional stereotype of an elementary school teacher. She was tall, slightly overweight and when we misbehaved she always threatened to sit on you. I was afraid of that woman. One negative look from her could get me into tears. Students had a fond respect for her – and I never understood why. So on that day that my wrist was aching from the continuous cursive writing, and just as I thought I could no longer stare at the letter ‘z,' I picked up my pencil and continued.
It was too late, however. She saw me put my pencil down, and she started heading towards my desk. The floor creaking with every step she took, I could slowly feel my heart heavily pulsating and could see the pencil in my hand shaking. With every ‘z' I wrote, I took a deep breath, hoping that I would look up and she wouldn't be there.
But such was not my luck. Before I knew it, I could feel Mrs D's shadow hovering over me. I could already imagine the words she would say to me. "Are you tired Manal? Let's see how tired you get in detention!" As she leaned in, I felt like I could no longer breathe. I was sure she could see the fear in my face. She finally opened her mouth and whispered, "Good job Manal. Keep up the good work."
From that day, my whole perception of Mrs D changed. She was no longer a fear-instigating character in my life. She was a role model – one whom everyone respected and dared not upset, but also one that we admired.
And now, as I look back, I realise the impact of our teachers. These are the people who carve memories into our lives, shaping them into what they are today. And it was at this point I realised, teaching is truly an art.
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