The Teacher Who Changed My Life Essay -- Descriptive Essay Examples

The truism "To teach is to touch a life forever" is one that all of us have heard, but very few can identify with. Almost every student has had at least one teacher who he or she despises, or one who has left his or her positive impression upon the student. In my case, it was Mrs. Rudra, my sixth-grade homeroom and English teacher. Remember those first days of a new school year? You don't know who your teacher is going to be, or which of your friends you'll get to have in that class? It was just such a day for me. Our school had a new teacher who had transferred from a military school. Her husband had retired from the Army, and they had moved into our town. It was perfect for them. The town I grew up in was known as the Garden City of India, and it also had the sobriquet "Pensioner's Paradise." Since Mrs. Rudra was still a few years from retirement, she filled a vacancy at the best girls' school in town. The school could do with a teacher of her background. Discipline, especially of the military kind, can come in handy when dealing with twelve-year-olds. The buzz about this "Drill Sergeant" wasn't the best. Like a case of Chinese Whispers, the grapevine swung into action. "Do you know she smokes?" said one. "Have you heard she's one for detention?" said another. "I hope I'm not in her class," stated another. As we were all sending our silent prayers to the one above, the class lists were posted. A mad clamor ensued to find out where each one of us was headed. A sense of dread had taken hold of me. I was not particularly lucky w... ...rment. My grades improved remarkably. For my second term, I was elected Class Monitor. Other teachers also commented on how much I had changed-for better or worse, they did not say. When the school year came to an end, I was disappointed. Here I was, totally transformed, all due to the effort of one person. Academically, I was confident of my abilities. Socially, I was self-assured. The following years, whenever she passed me in the hallways, always erect in her posture, and strident in her gait, Mrs. Rudra would flash her nicotine-tainted smile at me. The most I could do was to return what I hope was an ever-grateful look, and then wonder who else's life was going to be touched by this teacher. I do suppose that "To teach is to touch a life forever," so the truism goes.