Ode to Teachers

There comes a time when you find an amazing teacher who not only is a great educator but you can relate to them as a person. I'm lucky enough to have 2: My 4th grade teacher and my 7th grade English teacher.

Mr. Krueger was my 4th grade teacher. He played the guitar, and he would sing us songs to help us study for tests, and sometimes just for fun. He was the most compassionate, wonderful teacher you could ever have. He made school a wonderful place, even on the worst of days.
One of his traditions was that every Thursday we would have creative writing day, where we all got to read what we wrote. It's because of him that I started writing, and he was the most encouraging person ever.

Mrs. Gribben was my 7th grade English teacher, and she was much the same way. So compassionate, a great educator and so encouraging. She pushed me to keep going, keep writing because she believed I had the talent. She taught with kindness and made every day so exciting. It's because of her that I want to continue writing my whole life long. She was an inspiration. They both were.

I owe so much to these teachers. Nobody will ever match them. And at the end of each year with them, they both asked me one thing: To dedicate my first book to them. So when that comes out, the dedication will be to them.