J2.) My favorite Teacher (K-12)

It's difficult to remember back to grades K-5, but Fourth Grade sticks out in my mind over all the others.  I had Mrs. Hartman as my teacher, and she was fantastic.  I was able to learn a lot while still having a lot of fun.  I loved going to school in the morning, and was sad to see the year end.  Mrs. Hartman was able to make learning a fun experience.  I remember reading a lot of books together as a group, which really sparked my love for reading.  We read Where the Red Fern Grows together, which I was able to take a lot from.  Without her, I probably wouldn't have loved to read as much as I did.  She taught in a way where we weren't just copying material for the board, but allowed us to really experience it.  For example, when we were learning about the geography and people of New York State, we made colored salt maps to show where different land marks were and where the different Native American tribes were located.  When we were learning about world geography, we each made our own globes out of paper mache.  If we had trouble remembering something that we learned, she would help us come up with a way to remember it.  One of my favorite parts of being in her class was that she rewarded our good behavior.  If we all did our homework or were well-behaved, she would add marbles to a jar.  Once the whole jar was filled up with marbles, she would throw us a party.  She would organize food and drinks, and would let us bring in some toys from home.  When looking back on Fourth Grade, there was never a dull moment.  Mrs. Hartman made that year the best year between grades K-5, and I'll always remember the positive impact she had on me.