Have you ever had an English teacher that you thought was just great and knew everything?  Well, Mrs. Dapkus was not only a great English teacher but an even better math teacher! She was also my religion teacher in sixth grade and was one of the most relatable teachers I have ever met.  This goes to show how not only versatile she is, but also talented and experienced. When I think about the expression “a glass half full”, Mrs. Dapkus’ name pops into my head. She is the definition of someone who always sees the glass half full.  Her wise and optimistic mind contributes to her teaching-style, as well as her lifestyle. I would like to nominate her for Educator of the Year for countless reasons.

One specifically redeeming quality about Mrs. Dapkus is her versatility.  Mrs. Dapkus was my sixth grade English teacher. She also taught me religion in sixth grade.  I remember she always told us what book she was reading and recommended interesting books to us.  She always encouraged us and motivated us with contests to read more often. The way she taught English made it seem as though she knew everything about grammar.  As well as being an English wiz, Mrs. Dapkus was a great religion teacher. She was able to relate the lessons to everyday experiences and stories. She made it easy to tie lessons into everyday life occurrences.  In seventh grade, Mrs. Dapkus was my math teacher. Her amazing abilities in the religion and English fields is what lead me to be super surprised that Mrs. Dapkus could be such great math teacher in addition. She came up with songs and acronyms that really helped us and stuck.  When I am trying to remember a formula, I sometimes still catch myself singing the song in my head that I learned in sixth and seventh grade. Mrs. Dapkus’ versatility is what makes her such a great, talented teacher.

Mrs. Dapkus’ positive and bubbly personality also contributes as a large role in how great of a teacher she is.  Not many people I know can immediately laugh at their own mistakes. But, Mrs. Dapkus, on the other hand, can. Her honesty and upfront personality is a specific attribute that I love about her.  It makes her class interesting and easy to sit through. She is always asking us questions about us personally, and she really shows how much she cares for us. I even sometimes saw her eating her lunch with the students in the cafeteria, instead of with the other teachers in the in teachers’ lounge.  This showed us that she was committed to her job and enjoyed it. Mrs. Dapkus is also a competitive person and into sports. She could always hold a conversation about sports and even made bets with some students. Mrs. Dapkus showed in her personality that she does not teach because she has to, but because she enjoys helping kids become better.

Mrs. Dapkus always knows how to make the class interesting.  Her goofy side is a big attribute to her teaching style. She tells stories that help us relate our lessons to life scenarios.  I remember that in many of her stories, her hatred for sheep came up. She simply hated them because they are dumb. This may seem simple and irrelevant to why she is a great teacher, but these simple stories are what stand out in my mind.  I remember these stories because they helped me understand simple concepts. When someone made a mistake, Mrs. Dapkus would compare us to her cat Ralph. She would say, “Come on, even my cat Ralph could do it”. These simple comments made the class laugh and our day a little brighter.  Mrs. Dapkus’ witty personality made it easier for us to remember lessons because we would associate them with her jokes.

I had three classes with Mrs. Dapkus in sixth grade, and one in seventh grade.  In eighth grade, she did not teach me any classes, but I still learned so much from her.  I still had a conversation with her everyday, whether it be in the hallways, parking lot, in between classes, or even sometimes I ate my lunch in her classroom.  This shows how engaged with her students Mrs. Dapkus is, and how much she cares. She is a positive role model for everyone that she teaches and meets. I am lucky to have had Mrs. Dapkus as a teacher, and anyone who is fortunate enough to meet her is lucky!  Even when I am not technically one of her students anymore, I will always be one of Mrs. Dapkus’ students! For these ongoing reasons, Mrs. Dapkus is a fit candidate for Educator of the Year, and I hope that she is considered!