Kim Klein

To whoever is reading this, my name is Emma Daly and I attend school at Highlands High school. I’m in the 9th grade. I am writing this nomination today for my past teacher Mrs. Klein. I had the privilege to have Mrs. Klein last year for the 2018-2019 school year. She was my 8th-grade science teacher. She is a hard-working, dedicated, and lovable teacher who deserves so much. Mrs. Klein has the ability to develop relationships with her students. She engages students in learning and her dedication to teaching is imaginable. She has such a loving personality to everyone. Mrs. Klein cares for her students, goes out of her way for people all the time, and never gives up on her students. She loves her students as if they were her own kids and I know this because Mrs. Klein said it multiple times to our class last year. I would walk into her class everyday and she would be standing at her door greeting each student in and out with a high five, smile, or sometimes even a hug. She made each student feel loved in her class by building a strong, trustworthy, relationship with us. She goes out of her way each day to make sure that her students feel loved and cared for. I went into eighth grade very shy, scared, and self-conscious. I came out of eighth grade as a confident, outgoing, and more knowledgeable person because of a very special teacher. Last year I was struggling at home with family problems. My dad walked out on me as a kid in the third grade and my mom was recovering from a hospital visit. So, I used the school as a safe place for me. I relied on it to help me through some of the toughest battles in my life and that’s because of my teachers. But, Mrs. Klein helped me through some of the darkest times in my life. On days where I felt so alone, unwanted, and unworthy Mrs. Klein made me feel loved and cared about. I would always go to her about my problems or my feelings, I still do. She formed a relationship where I trusted her enough to go to her about my thoughts and problems. When I would not be having a great day at school she would always pick me up by giving me a hug or letting me talk to her. Every day I walked out of her class feeling loved and cared for. At times I would come to school stressed because of things at home, but Mrs. Klein always made sure that myself and others felt good before they went home. I’d walk into her classroom everyday and she would always be standing at her door greeting each and every student. She’d say things to each student like “have a great day.” or “I hope you have a better day” that made every student feel important. She made sure that before every student walked out of her class they felt cared for and safe. As the months went on being in school, I enjoyed school more than I ever have because of her. I never have smiled more in someone’s class than hers. As the months started counting down in February of how long I had until graduation they were going to go by quickly, but not how anyone wanted them to. In February of 2019, my classmate passed away. One of the hardest things to ever go through is a person's death. Especially, someone, you saw every day you went to school or a class with. Someone you grew up with. Her name was Lilliana Schalck. During this difficult time of losing her, my 8th-grade class became closer to each other. All my teachers were a big part of the grief process with her death. I don’t know how Mrs. Klein did it. She carried her grief and 150 other students’ grief on her shoulders every day. That Monday after Lilliana’s passing, going into school was one of the worst Mondays of my life. Seeing everyone’s pain was difficult. Not only seeing your classmates, but your teachers struggle to even say a word in the classroom. Mrs. Klein was there for each of her students to be a shoulder to cry on. We were all broken inside together. Lilliana was such a perfect and bright girl and that brightness was gone in our grade. So through the months from February to May, it was a struggle to stay strong. But, the reason I was strong enough to make it through was because of Mrs. Klein. I remember when we were on our class D.C trip in April and the news came out of Lilliana’s cause of death. We frantically walked into the hotel room that night to watch the news of what the cause was. When we found out over the news everyone in my room started to cry. We couldn’t rely on our parents because they weren’t with us. Mrs. Klein knocked on our door to check on us. She ended up staying in the room for a little to comfort each of us. She acted like a mother figure when some of us couldn’t rely on ours. I remember sitting in that hotel room feeling very broken and numb, but she stayed and talked with me about my feelings. She gave me a big hug and she told me that she loved me. Throughout the year Mrs. Klein was like a mother figure, counselor, or a friend to a lot of students. She was that person that a lot of people counted on when they struggled. Mrs. Klein is more than just a teacher. The death of my classmate was one of the hardest things I ever had to go through as a kid. But, I will always remember who was my biggest advocate through it all and it was Mrs. Klein. After graduating middle school I left behind a really important person in my life. It was hard to leave the middle school and realizing that I wouldn’t have Mrs. Klein’s bright presence in my life as much. I realized though how big of an impact she has had on my life and still to this day. She was there for me when I felt as if I had no one. She loved and cared about me more than some of my own family. Following up to right now and not having Mrs. Klein as a teacher is hard because she is such an amazing teacher and person. I have been struggling, even more, this year than last. I went back to visit Mrs. Klein and talk to her about what was happening and she has been my rock through everything. Every time I have struggled, Mrs. Klein has been there for me even now when I don’t even have her as a teacher. There have been days where I’ve wanted to give up, but she always helped and reminded me that I can fight the battles that I face. One of the reasons why I haven’t given up is because of her. The reason I’m still strong and fighting to this day is because of her. When I felt as if I didn’t have a lot of people to fall back on, I always knew I had her. Every time she was smiling every day in classes, she’d always have bright energy to let off to us, and she never once griped or complained about her job. Now that right there is a teacher who is so hardworking. She deserves so much credit for being such an amazing teacher to us students every day. She simply does her job and loves her job with all her heart. Teachers deserve so much more than what they’re given. She does her job with pride and never asks for credit for what she does. This amazing teacher deserves credit for what she brings to students each day. Mrs. Klein has been one of the biggest advocates for me and many other classmates. She helped others and me out through the hardest time of our lives when we lost our classmate. She knew it was rough for us, she guided us through the tough times, and was always there for us no matter what type of day she was having. She always puts her students first. After the passing of our friend, she made sure every day that before we walked out of that door that we smiled and had fun in class. I’ll always remember a teacher who cared, loved, and showed affection to her students and that was Mrs. Klein. She made sure that she created relationships with ALL her students. Whether they were hard to handle or the best in the class. But, Mrs. Klein doesn't just help us achieve our dreams, she's a role model to all her students, so many people look up to this wonderful educator. She has helped me through the darkest times in my life. Even though Mrs. Klein is not my teacher anymore, I still visit her almost every week because she has left such an amazing impact on me and my future. She makes sure to check up on me and other students from previous years because she still cares about all of us. She counts each of her students as one of her own kids. She put herself last and her students first because she has such a generous and kind heart. This teacher will never know how much she means to me and so many other students. Sometimes when I thought no one cared she was always there to remind me that I mattered and that it's okay not to be okay. When I couldn’t rely on my own mom to talk to she was there to fill in. There have been times where I felt as if my problems were taking over, but Mrs. Klein always was there to help me out when I felt alone. She never once complained about being there for her students. She never once complained about me approaching her on things. She made sure she had a relationship with every kid in the class and made sure they felt loved and cared for. The effort she puts into her job you can see it every day. She comes to school with a smile on her face. She has impacted me so much that I aspire to be like her one day in the school system affecting other students’ lives like she did for mine and so many others. She inspires, impacts, and brightens everyone’s lives around her. I can say that I have become a better person in life because of Mrs. Klein. I am so honored to know her and to have had her as my science teacher. She keeps impacting others with her bright and positive personality. I plan to impact others with a bright and positive personality that I have gained from her. I am nominating Mrs. Klein today because she deserves to be recognized for her hard work. She deserves to get credit for what she has done for us students. Mrs. Klein deserves to be honored for everything she has been through and has done for us students on a day to day basis. Mrs. Klein was inspired to teach from her past teachers and she has inspired me and many others to teach someday like her. To spread positivity and brightness. To never give up no matter the hardship. She has helped me become who I am today because of the impact she has left on me and so many others. She formed strong relationships with her students and showed that she cared about them as people. She is a warm, accessible, enthusiastic and caring teacher. She has such a strong work ethic that you can see it, in and outside of the classroom. She has such a deep commitment to making teaching better. Mrs. Klein has such a big commitment to her job and you can see that with the way she teaches her students. I’ve never met a teacher this dedicated and hardworking to her job. She deserves to be noticed because she has an extraordinary ability to lead students from all backgrounds to academic excellence in caring classroom communities. She has a sharp understanding of academic content and effective instructional practice and an ability to teach it clearly. She truly is the best teacher I’ve ever had and will ever have. She brought brightness in the classroom every day by greeting us at the door every day no matter what. She would never sit at her desk she would be up greeting students in and out of her room. Always smiling. Always uplifting her students and colleagues around her. Always making you feel worthy of love and kindness. Mrs. Klein helped me grow as a person, she helped me academically, and she inspires me so much still to this day. She truly is a special teacher impacting our future on a day to day basis. Inspiring others to chase your dreams. I hope someday I can inspire and impact others at Highlands Middle school as she did for me. Mrs. Klein has done so much for all her former and present students making them feel loved and cared for that it's time she finally feels the love from us. Her story as a teacher deserves to be heard loud and clear. Thank you for your time reading about how my teacher has impacted and helped me and so many other students. I hope you consider picking her, she truly is amazing. I was blessed to have her last year as a teacher and am blessed to still have her around in my life. I know everyone came out of Mrs. Klein’s classroom feeling loved and cared for. It’s crazy how one teacher can make an everlasting impact and difference in a student's life. Mrs. Klein has been making an impact on students’ lives for 10 years and many more years to come. The futures of others will be so much brighter because of her impact. I know mine was for sure. “In years to come your students may forget what you taught them, but they will always remember how you made them feel.”

Emma Daly