First of all, let me start off by saying teachers are a rare breed of humans.

During this Teacher Appreciation Week, I'd like to tell you about the one teacher that really had an influence on me and I'm so glad I was able to have her as a teacher for two years in a row.

Mrs. Buttrick was both my 3rd and 4th grade teacher. I was lucky enough to have this woman for two of my six years in elementary school. Why does Mrs. Buttrick stand out from all the rest, you ask? Well, she encouraged me to write. I've always love to write stories, poems and songs and she encouraged me to do just that. As a matter of fact, she let our class put on a play for Easter that I wrote!

Not only that, but when I was sick with pneumonia during the holiday season one year, Mrs. Buttrick brought my homework to my house, sat with my mother and had a cup of tea and even brought some of my classmates to sing Christmas carols to me becuase I couldn't get out of bed.

That's a teacher (and classmates) going above and beyond. Luckily, my house was less than a five-minute walk to the school so there was no trudging through mounds of snow uphill both ways!

Believe it or not, Mrs. Buttrick and I still, to this day, exchange Christmas cards every single year. I don't think she really knows the impact she's had on my life, so I would like to take this opportunity to thank her.

My sincere hope is that kids today are able to find a teacher like Mrs. Buttrick. Someone who takes them under their wing and encourages them in whatever it is they're passionate about.

Thank you, Mrs. Buttrick.

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