I've had a few teachers that I remember from my years of schooling who helped me become the person I am today. My Kindergarten teacher helped me learn the importance of a smile and being kind. I had a 6th Grade Math teacher who taught me the importance of thinking outside the box and never giving up. My class advisor in high school, Mrs. B, showed me the importance of giving back and how one person can truly make an impact on a community (and how grading in purple pen is much better than seeing a sea of red pen on your paper!) I had a Chemistry Teacher who showed me the importance of taking time out of your day to talk to someone and make them smile. My drama director taught me how you can love anyone and to truly be proud of your uniqueness and individuality.

I've learned a lot from my past teachers and I couldn't be more thankful for all they did for me and all they had taught me. They are the reason I wanted to become a teacher, they are the reason I felt I could make a difference in a child's life. They taught me important life lessons. They helped me become a better person.

But after finishing my second year of teaching, I have realized that in my journey of helping my students become better people, my students have helped ME become a better person. They have taught me important life skills and life lessons. They are the reason I continue to try and become a better person.

Here are some of the life lessons I've learned from my students while teaching that I believe have made me a better person.

1.) How the saying, "Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words can never hurt me" is incredibly false.

Unfortunately, middle school students have a reputation of speaking harsh words and being very judgmental of one another. Middle schoolers have it rough and never would I wish to go back to the days of junior high. Your body is changing, your friends that you went to elementary with may not be your friends anymore, you are trying to fit in, and you are trying to understand who you are... It's a nearly impossible time and sometimes that frustration leads to harsh words and hurtful comments. As a teacher, I've unfortunately watched first hand how a single hurtful comment can truly impact a student and it's so upsetting. But it's made me understand even more that the words we speak about one another truly do matter; So we need to choose our words wisely.

2.) The Importance of a Professional Appearance.

I'm 5'6, 24 years old, and sometimes blend into the hallways all too well. On jean days, my students and even other staff members have a hard time finding me if I'm sitting at a table working with my students. That's why I've really realized the importance of dressing professionally. How I represent myself and how I appear to my students matters.

I've also realized the importance of being a role model based on my appearance, especially with young girls. The media, unfortunately, molds the mind of the youth that low cut tops and short dresses are a way to be fashionable for teenagers. I've made it my mission to dress respectfully, in order to show those young girls how it's important to be classy. I never thought twice about what an outfit said about me before being a teacher. Although appearances aren't everything, my teaching career and my students have made me understand how you present yourself can say a lot about you.

3.) Your tone of voice really can make a difference.

A professor once told me, "A teacher's tone of voice needs to be effective." I need to be audible, so the students can hear the directions clearly. I need to be gentle, so the students can accept critiques and want to strive to be better. I need to be stern, so that students can respect authority. I need to use levels, so I can tell an exciting historical story.. rather than be monotone and see my students slowly fall asleep.

As adults, I feel a lot of times we are unaware of our tones of voices. Maybe we send a text message that can be misconstrued. Maybe we tend to be overly sarcastic, so we seem rude and stand-offish. Maybe we are being monotone and seem uninterested and bored when someone else is talking. Thanks to my students, I have acknowledge the importance of the tone of my voice.

4.) A little positivity goes a long way.

If I can start my students day with a smile and a laugh, it goes a long way. Those days where I feel a lot of positive energy in my classroom are the best days of my teaching and their learning. When a student leaves my class and enjoyed themselves, that's when I know that learning was taking place. It's important to just be positive and light-hearted for my students to feel comfortable and safe within my room. If I can give a student a compliment in the midst of a long day, I know their day has improved. Even if I am grading a paper or a project that may not be proficient, it's important for me to point out at least one thing a student did well to keep their confidence up. We all need compliments and a little bit of sunshine in our day and I'm so glad my students have helped me learn the power of an optimistic attitude.

5.) Smiles are contagious and are sometimes a necessity.

I always have believed I'm a smiley person, but sometimes a cup of coffee just won't do it and I may not be in just a funk. I'm only human, sometimes I just have an off day. On one of those off days this year, I struggled putting on a smile to greet my students in the morning with. By the time the first period class had ended and my mood hadn't improved, one of my students came up to me and said, "Miss Shreeve, I really missed your smile this morning. It helps make my day better." After that, I've truly realized how important it is to smile. Smiles are contagious and maybe, just maybe, you can make someone else smile by flashing a single smile their way.

6.) The importance of a random act of kindness.

There have been days where I was walking through the hall and I see a student spill their pencils and papers all over the hallway. Before I can ever reach that student, another student has bent down to help pick up the pieces of this embarrassing moment. The students get up from picking all the pieces up with big smiles. There are times where I feel like I'm running behind, I've forgotten to make copies, and have to run to the bathroom in the three minutes in between a class and a student fills up my water bottle because they notice it was empty on my desk. There have been times where I've come back to my desk and a sweet little note is on my desk saying, "Miss Shreeve is the best." On a day where I was home sick in bed, I'll check my e-mail and see a student has e-mailed me with wishes to get better. Little things do truly mean the most and my students have made me realize the importance of those random acts of kindness.

7.) Organization, the miracle of a calendar, and the god-send of an item known as post-it notes.

I never understood the importance of organization until I became a teacher. There are so many meetings to remember, a growing to do list, more copies to make, so many papers on your desk...... But it is important for the success of my classroom that I am organized and ready to go! My students count on me to be organized, so thanks for giving me the push to make sure I am on top of it!

8.) Patience is key.

In my first year of teaching, this is something I struggled with. I tend to be an incredibly impatient person. I want to see results quick and I want to move on to the next step as quick as I can. However, I learned that patience is key to being a successful teacher. I need to be able to be patient when a student may be taking a little bit longer to perfect their project. I need to be patient when a student needs to be reminded just one more time about a fact or concept we've learned. I need to be patient when a student is just having a bad day and is having a hard time focusing. In a classroom, I need to be patient. Since teaching, I've found myself more patient and more willing to just take a breath and slow down.

9.) Everyone deserves a second chance.

Sometimes a student just has an off day in my class, maybe causes a disturbance, maybe speaks a few harsh words about me or my class, or maybe lashes out in frustration while I am trying to help them. Whatever frustrating incident may occur, I can't hold onto that grudge. That student deserves a second, maybe third, or even fourth chance to be a better version of themselves. So thank you, students, for proving to me that sometimes people make mistakes and deserve a second chance.