Michelle Verkler

Mrs. Verkler brought a real and “true to yourself” atmosphere into the room each time she entered her english class at Arrowhead Union High school. The way she carried herself and strived to help carry her students to learn made me discover writing habits which I was previously unaware of. She is the only teacher that has helped me improve my public speaking skills. Additionally, Mrs. Verkler helped me discover I am capable of speaking in front of others which has helped me in the classroom setting, and in everyday life by increasing my confidence in areas of communication and developing connections. By creating this atmosphere in her classroom, she successfully made each student feel like they are talking to friends and sharing ideas with people who genuinely care about them. Mrs. Verkler’s support is unique because her care and support is always unbiased and unconditional. She interacts with her students in a way which helps them accomplish their goals and enables them to succeed. This not only helped me in her English class, but her uplifting attitude and understanding character always carried me through the school day. An additional thing I admire about Mrs. Verkler is that she is not afraid to show her true self and open up to the class about more personal topics, which is something I have found many teachers refrain from doing. Her balance and blend of professionalism and jokes made her classroom productive and positive. Teachers like Mrs .Verkler are not afraid to be vulnerable, and it makes everyone in the class feel a lot more human. One example of these more genuine moments was when one class she came in and I believe my classmates could tell she was off. She had maintained a calm demeanor but ended up explaining to the class while her emotions took over about her dog passing away. Her personal stories, oftentimes with funny and true morals to them, always taught me more about life than I have learned from many other teachers. Her personal touch to her lectures helped me learn how to enjoy literature and the benefits of staying engaged. Mrs.Verkler is the first educator that comes to mind whenever I think about who helped me progress and succeed in a way that helps me stay true to myself. She helps her students by creating an environment where everyone has the same support and opportunities for success. In conclusion, Mrs. Verkler is the teacher I think of first when I look back on the educators I have had thus far in my life. Her teaching style and modeling of being vulnerable and genuine will continue to have an impact on me, and I am grateful for everything I learned from her.

Shayla Gray