Compassion

     When I think of compassion, the first teacher that came to my mind was Mr. Riley.  Mr. Riley was my ninth grade social studies teacher at Decorah High School.  Social Studies was always a tough subject for me, and every year during a social studies class I would always be so bored or stressed over memorizing historical data and facts.  However in ninth grade, all these attitudes changed. The compassion that Mr. Riley displayed towards his students and the subject he was teaching made me excited to go to class every day.  Each day, I would walk into class and Mr. Riley would have a big smile on his face and say, "Hey Wiggs! How's it goin?" this instant appreciation of my presence in his class brightened up my day.  Throughout class, Mr. Riley would continue to teach with an encouraging tone, making usually boring facts fun to learn.  On nice days, he would take us outside to do activities and he would always encourage class participation, group activities, and collaboration.  These diverse teaching techniques stimulated my learning.  Usually in classes throughout middle and high school, I was always the shy girl who was scared to talk in fear of getting something wrong and having the teacher make fun of me in front of the entire class.  In Mr. Riley's class, I was different, I enjoyed speaking up because no matter if I got the answer right or wrong, Mr. Riley always made me feel good about it!
     A year later, Mr. Riley got the Assistant Principal and Athletic Director position at the high school.  Even though he was higher up in authority and very busy, he still made the effort to show his compassion towards all students and teachers by checking on classrooms and walking around the halls.  Even when Mr. Riley seemed to be in a hurry, he would still acknowledge others.
     Since Mr. Riley was the Athletic Director, I spent a lot of time in his office planning events for football games, pep rally's, and other activities.  It was wonderful to talk to him because he always made sure that the other cheerleaders and I had time to share our ideas and then he would give great constructive criticism on how to make things even better.  Mr. Riley always made sure that before we left, we knew that we could always come and talk to him again if we needed anything.
     During high school, I knew I wanted to be a teacher.  Mr. Riley was a wonderful role model for the kind of teacher I want to be someday: compassionate, motivating, and inspiring.  Today, I continue to see Mr. Riley around the community and at sporting events.  Every time I see him, he always notices me, says, "Hey Wiggs!", and starts up a conversation.  As a teacher, it is vital to show compassion for your students and the subject you teach inside and outside of the classroom, no matter how busy you are.  The compassion a teacher shows will reflect on the students and the attitudes they have towards school and others.