Mrs. Risch 

By Makayla Hopwood, grade 12

Walking down the stairs then turn a sharp right at lake country middle school, my feet were dragging and my head was hanging down, as I walked through the halls on the first day back after the best summer break ever. My heart was screaming and my eyes were teary as I walked into the classroom. 

School had become a chore for me, the kind of chore you want to put off until last minute. My mental health was getting bad, my head was not in the right place. My one good friend tried to help me out and say “you'll get through this I promise” or “everything is going to be ok” some of the same things that I hear from not only her but everyone else I tell my secrets to. I walk into my home room and there she is, Mrs.Risch. The biggest smile on her face as I walked over to her and asked where my seat was. “Where do I sit?” I asked, “Right over there, in the back row all the way to the left sugar cube” she said. She called me a sugar cube, sweetie, and hunny. 

The smallest things could always make the biggest impact. Mrs. Risch was my 4th grade teacher. At this level we didnt transfer from room to room, so I sat in Mrs. Risch’s room for 6 hours a day. It was the best 6 hours of my life because of how sweet she was to all of her kids. She was my teacher for everything, and she was the best teacher ever.

 We had morning meeting were we would gather in the nicely made reading corner and play games to get our day started. We would play this game were one kid would go out in the hall and change the way that they were wearing something and the kids in the class would have to guess what they changed. I looked forward to that every day, I wanted to be there, I wanted to be in school because of Mrs.Risch.

I still remember the smell of her room, it was sweet and warm. It smelled like a fresh tray of cookies that she just got out of the oven. I will forever remember the smell, the smile, and the kindness that was floating around that room all the time. She was the teacher that turned around my experience of going back to school after the summer break. After struggling for so long with mental health it was so nice to be able to see her smiling face every day. Her smile brightened my day, and the calm and meaningful tone in her voice gave me some sort of satisfaction I didn't know I could feel. She made me feel at home and I love her still to this day for making my 4th-grade year so special. 

Thank you Mrs.Risch you saved me