Mrs. Simon. She was the first name that popped into my head when we were told about this writing contest for Educator of the Year. In my opinion, she should get this award everyday of every year, but that’s just me. Mrs. Vicki Simon was my 8th grade ELA teacher and probably the most influential teacher I have ever had. She was also my volleyball coach for 2 years. By the end of my 8th grade year, I realized that Mrs. Simon is not just a teacher to me anymore; she is one of the most trusted adults in my life.


It all started at the end of my seventh grade year when I was elected into the National Junior Honor Society. She’s the head of the NJHS, and I was super excited because everyone always talked about ‘The Mrs. Simon’ and how great she is. We got to know each other by the end of that year, but I just thought she was a really cool teacher. At the beginning of my eighth grade year, I started getting to know her more, but she was still, in my mind, just an awesome teacher. But, that October, she invited me and a couple of her friends over to bake cookies, brownies, cupcakes, and all kinds of sweets for a bake sale fundraiser at school that would go to help find a cure for Breast Cancer. It was so ironic how that happened because that same exact month my grandmother was diagnosed with breast cancer and was going through surgeries and chemo treatments. That rainy Sunday in October changed my view and my relationship with Mrs. Simon forever. We talked about everything from boys to school, from uniforms to sports, and from food to our deepest secrets. After I left that day, I realized a whole new world had opened where I could go to her for anything I needed to talk about at any time. It also helped that Mrs. Simon always gave me snacks and other goodies whenever I forgot to eat breakfast or lunch.


These bake sales became a regular thing with us and our little baking group. I went over her house to bake at least 3 times that year. Every time it just got better and better. But it’s not only the baking and the conversations that made me grow to have the biggest girl crush on Mrs. Simon, but she made me love and understand English and reading. Her class was always fun, even the boring subjects. Mrs. Simon would get so into anything she talked about, and it made every ear listen with intent and want to learn more about that topic as much as possible. I think the whole Holocaust unit we did was the best because, since Mrs. Simon is Jewish, she understands and has a passion for wanting the younger generations to understand what happened, to have an understanding and appreciation for the struggles that the Jewish went through, and just to not forget this event so that nothing like it will ever happen again. I learned so much about the Holocaust that year, and visiting the Holocaust museum really put into perspective what really happened during that time.


Another thing about Mrs. Simon that makes her the Educator of the Year was that she helped all of her students get ready for the future and on making smart decisions. I would never have been ready to move on to high school and the 9th grade if it weren’t for Mrs. Simon preparing us with English, but also the social and personal side of moving on and maturing. She would make us really reflect and think about what we want our future to be like and how to make it the best it could be. If at any time, I or any other student, wanted to talk about high school or problems at home or ANYTHING, she would drop what she was doing to help us feel better to the best of her abilities. That was one thing that stuck with me on how much she really cares about her students and their success. I know that it helped me a lot, because by the end of the year, Mrs. Simon probably knew more about me than I did myself. It made me feel confident and like everything will be okay after I talked with Mrs. Simon. Even just the little things.


I still talk to Mrs. Simon as much as I can and she is currently one of my sister’s teachers so I am always hearing about her. Mrs. Simon deserves Educator of the Year because she is more than an Educator. She is a friend, guide, and someone that will be there for me and any of her students wherever and whenever. She has made one of the biggest impacts on my life even if she only did teach me for a year. I think that any one of her students would agree with me in saying that there is no doubt in their minds that Mrs. Simon deserves this title of Educator of the Year.