Teachers are the backbone of schools, and quite frankly, don’t get enough credit it for it; especially in their paycheck! Many teachers aren’t appreciated enough for their good qualities due to numerous teacher stereotypes and students’ unwillingness to treat them like normal people. I’ll admit, I’ve had some bad teachers before… ones who seem to hate kids even though their job is to be with them. Those kinds of teachers can be hard to get along with, but hey, more than not, there are some great teachers out there! I’ve managed to develop great, long-lasting relationships with some of my teachers.

Research shows that having good student-teacher relationships has many benefits. One article said, “students are more motivated to attend classes if they know their teacher cares about them and will help them succeed. And by improving school engagement, these relationships can also improve academic achievement.” One teacher working at West Seattle High School fits this description perfectly: Angela Ferda.

I could go up to every student in this school, every staff member, and I could bet someone $100 that not one person would have a bad thing to say about Ms. Ferda. And guess what? I did just that, and lost no money in the process. Here’s what some people had to say:

When asking Naomi Witt, a junior at West Seattle, on her opinion and feelings about Ms. Ferda, Naomi said, “She’s probably one of the most down to earth and friendly teachers I’ve ever had. She feels more like a friend than a teacher with her energy.”

Anhelina Hutsu, another junior, also had something to share: “I love Ms. Ferda and everything she does for us. I feel like she’s always taking that extra step for her students to make them feel welcome and supported, and I love her so much for that.”

Due to Ms. Ferda being so loved and good at her job, you’d think she always knew she wanted to be a teacher. But in reality, she was still conflicted on deciding a career as college graduation was quickly approaching. At a seminar at the end of her senior year in college, she realized that teaching was her passion. That seminar kickstarted her career, shaping her into one of West Seattle High School’s best teachers.

Following these revelations, I wanted to know what Ms. Ferda’s favorite part is about teaching. She said she really values her “interactions with students, watching students develop over the four years in high school, and then staying connected with them and seeing them go out into the real world, accomplish major goals, start new jobs and companies, and kind of just seeing them develop into ‘human’ humans”. This truly shows how interested she is in her students, and how supportive she is in wishing for their success.

Another thing that makes Ms. Ferda a great teacher is prioritization on connection rather than the learning. She teaches more fun classes, which makes it a bit easier for her to connect with her kids. I really think that’s something all teachers should start focusing on, no matter the subject they teach. The connection matters most, because as Ms. Ferda said, “kids don’t learn from people they don’t like.” I think the world would be a better place if more people were like Ms. Ferda.