Hey Mom…
SMACK! The ruler crashed down on my desk. The entire class jumped, and further immersed into the book. Mrs. Beattie continued reading Chocolate Fever to my fourth grade class. She portrayed each character with high enthusiasm, each unique with their own traits and voices. She made a simple children’s book dramatic and compelling. Every twist she made turn. Every shock she made us awe. Each striking moment she struck her yard stick on the nearest desk. One time, she was so excited she accidently snapped her yard stick in half.
Class discussions were full of opinions and excitement. Everyone had something to say about the book because she made everyone want to say something. She made reading fun. Besides being an enthusiastic reader and teacher, Mrs. Beattie was also a role model, a mother, a person you could trust and talk to. Mrs. Beattie was the teacher that changed my life.
I was primarily shy and silent in school. I never felt comfortable with confrontation or even voicing my opinion during class. I dreaded participating in class discussions, but Mrs. Beattie changed all that. She was the first teacher I felt comfortable with. Granted she was my fourth grade teacher, but none-the-less she was the most important one of my life.

Mrs. Beattie is a kind soul. She was always there when I needed to talk. She was welcoming and warm. I even ate lunch with her a few times during the year. I remember goofing around her classroom after school. I would play “Hide-N-Seek” with her and my best friend Meryl. More or less, it was Meryl and me hiding under her desk until she was close enough to jump out and surprise.

During class I had a question about the assignment. Instead of sitting silently in confusion, I slowly walked to her desk. She was grading a paper and didn’t notice me, so I stood for a moment not wanting to disrupt. I soon realized she was deeply focused and I would need to get her attention on my own. I figured saying, “Hey, Mrs. Beattie…” would do the trick, but that’s not what came out of my mouth. I said, “Hey, Mom…”

She looked at me with the biggest of grins and replied, “What can I help with dear?!” I didn’t feel embarrassed about accidently calling her mom because I thought of her as a mother. To this day, I stay in touch with her through the occasional e-mail and lunch meeting. She is my favorite teacher because she was more than an educator. She was a mother, a friend, a person to talk to. She was warm, welcoming, and upbeat.

There will always be stories of why teachers are “the best.” There will always be explanations as to what makes a good teacher and how one teacher fills those requirements. I’ve had many good, and even great, teachers in my life, but what sets Mrs. Beattie apart from the ordinary great teacher is that she fills more than the teacher role.
I am selecting Elisa Beattie as the best teacher not because she taught me to love learning, to step out of my comfort zone, and to always try my hardest. Instead, I am selecting her because she is the one that will never be forgotten. She has a laugh that fills the room, a smile that is unforgettable, and a doodle face permanently engraved in my memory. Mrs. Beattie… a friend, a mother, an educator.