Dr. Powells Impact On Education

Improved Essays
"I don't need any more furniture, so you can either work or get out!"(Powell). This statement was often exclaimed by Dr. Powell when a student was not actively participating in her class. Her distinctive comments embodied her no-nonsense style of teaching. Dr. Powell was my English teacher during my sophomore year. She was a rigorous teacher whose dedication empowered her students. From the very first day of class, I realized that she was going to be a demanding teacher who would keep us on our toes. However, what I did not realize was what a profound impact she would have on my life.
Dr. Powell’s class was unlike any class I had ever encountered. She never gave us any type of busy-work as she believed it was degrading to our capabilities.

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    Sue Chastain's The Wave

    • 1529 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Teachers use many methods to teach their students, it’s a way to enable students learning, but these particular teachers have a unique way to educate their students. In the book “The Wave” by Todd Strasser, the readers meet a placid history teacher named Mr. Ross. In the article “ Freedom Writers: Truly no child left behind” by Joanne Lourier, the readers encounter a teacher named Erin Gruwell who works with the “unteachable”. In the last article, “Ex-Marine” by Sue Chastain, the readers, come upon a teacher named LouAnne Johnson who works with neurotic students. By comparing and contrasting Mr. Ross, Ms. Johnson, and Ms. Gruwell teaching style, we can evaluate the effectiveness in terms of the student interest and motivation.…

    • 1529 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    “I think most schools have a resident idiot” (Elliot 32). At Robinson Secondary school, there is an English teacher named Cynthia Yost. She prides herself as being one of the most valuable teachers in her subject. Although she provides opportunities for students to learn English skills that are valuable, Cindy is an inadequate teacher because of her disregard for her students' other work from other classes, and her constant over-assigning of useless materials with absurd due dates.…

    • 77 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Passion, respect, enthusiasm, professionalism, sensitivity, humor and heart are qualities in which principals seek to find in potential teachers. In an article by Gary Hopkins, What Qualities Do Principals Look for in a New Teacher, principals identified the most important qualities they seek in potential teachers. Gary Cardwell, a principal from Crocket Elementary School, stated, “It’s impossible to select one characteristic that sets a teacher candidate apart from others. I would never use a single characteristic to employ a teacher, rather I consider many characteristics as part of a mosaic that makes up an entire principal” (Hopkins, 2016). When principals hire teachers, it is critical that they identify a candidates strengths and weaknesses.…

    • 705 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Bruce Ballenger argue in his essay that students focus mostly on the conventions than the writing itself. The author effectively persuades the audience to recognize the conventions through emotions and credibility. Bruce Ballenger, is a college professor who teaches english at a university. He explains an experience about his eighth teacher, Mrs. O’Neill, who hammered into her students the importance of good grade. This strengthens his reputation by the use of his own experience in writing ,as well as, mentions his own experiences with harsh english teachers.…

    • 817 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Susan Mim Spaet Biography

    • 863 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Before she got her job in Middlebury, she did a year long intensive program at Harvard Graduate School of Education in 1996, which she ended up hating. This program included student teaching and from the classrooms she was in, she learned some helpful tips about how to keep your classroom engaging. Susan loves to make bad puns and corny jokes, but that is something that her students enjoy. She strives to show students how important history is and how we essentially cannot live without it. She is pleased to find that the students at Middlebury are much nicer than at her high school.…

    • 863 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In Peg Tyre’s article, The Writing Revolution, Tyre analyzes the quality of education in a New York high school and discovers the problem with education in today’s society. New Dorp High School on Staten Island was known for their reputation for poor education, low graduation rate, and high drop out rate. In spring of 2007 four of every ten students starting as a freshmen dropped out from New Dorp (Tyre, 1; 2012). After discussion between the principal and the faculty the staff concluded that the reason for the crisis was that the students were simply bad writers. Starting in 2009, New Dorp put their primary focus into writing, not only in English, but also in all core subjects.…

    • 918 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Mrs. Hoover's Analysis

    • 672 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Mrs. Hoover became a teacher because she enjoys working with people. She believes that you must creative, flexible, part actor, part lawyer, and have a great sense of humor to be an effective teacher. Her philosophy centers around providing the avenue her students need to learn, as well as teaching her students how to think. She believes that memorization is limiting, but that teaching students how to critically think provides her students with unlimited opportunities in life. Her goal for her students is for them to gain understanding of the concepts and how to apply those concepts.…

    • 672 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    During my early childhood, I was exuberant to attend Bert H Fulton Elementary School. I wanted to meet new friends and teachers and make learning an endless opportunity. On my first day of school, I saw teachers greeting me and other kids, I saw enormous gymnasiums and libraries, and I envisioned my growth and development in this school. However, one of my teachers, Ms. Chobot, would be my biggest obstacle towards growth, success, and happiness. Ms. Chobot was my English remediation teacher during my five years in elementary school.…

    • 662 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    English 4

    • 510 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The senior grade at Tupelo Christian Preparatory School had managed to split up into two sections. The 4.0 National Honor society students travelled the high road and took a collegiate level English composition course, however, the athletes and educationally challenged were thrown into the melting pot of English 4. The course, led by Mrs. Elaine Bunn, turned out to be the favorite class of the majority of students. English 4 had sky-scraping highs, rock bottom lows, and a valuable strength branded into the young students.…

    • 510 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    I was used to high school classes, so would I transition into college smoothly? Little did I know, as soon as I sat down in my tiny college desk, I was about to be relieved. My teacher, Gale, changed my entire viewpoint on English 1102 but also college. Gale was excited from the beginning, and soon this infected me to be excited about the class, writing, and college. It was not until later weeks that I could make a personal connection with the writing process that Gale…

    • 1565 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Her book also helps to inform students that professors are only humans too and talking to them helps. Although she could not fully use stories, words, or names that she heard as a full-time student at AnyU, she made it easier for people to be less ignorant about college life pertaining not only to students but to teachers as well. She educated the readers of the book that there is more to college than what the common eye recognizes and it is important to have an open mind about a variety cultures and subcultures within the…

    • 1845 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    “I luboo ameega!” Translation: I love you, Amanda! That was probably the most eloquently pronounced phrase my brother Matthew could articulate at age three. No one could ever understand what Matthew was trying to say.…

    • 840 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Many of their students have achieved many educational goals, some of them have become in lawyers, and architects. All what they have accomplished would not be possible without all the support given by this extraordinary teacher who was more than their English instructor. The lives of these…

    • 1211 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Everyone hates English class is what I thought before taking English 102. However, that may have been the case before I entered Dr. Byrd’s domain, but after finishing the class I have come to the realization that English class can be greatly resourceful. English 102 this year has had its ups and downs, and I must admit the ups outweigh the downs. Meaning, this year, I have learned that I am not a student who wants to read or write, but through reading and writing my mind and skill sets concerning English have grown. During English 102 this year, reading and writing in class helped me expand my writing skills, improved my will to comprehend, and most importantly helped expand my knowledge.…

    • 752 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Along with learning from failures, the taking knowledge from professor’s ideals will follow me into the next semester. Each professor is different and coming in as a freshman from a small private high…

    • 1005 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays