Tribute to teachers

Graduated seniors aren't the only people who won't be gracing IU with their presence next year. Two wonderful teachers recently packed up their offices for the last time. I know they were great because I had them both. They were both associate instructors and they were both phenomenal. \nW200 was my first class in the school of education, and I didn't know what to expect. I knew two things: The class lasted one hour and 15 minutes and there were computers with Instant Messager when I got bored. \nI'll never forget when Joanne Beriswill entered class that day. Her head was high and she greeted every student she passed. Her enthusiasm was catching and she immediately created a comfortable atmosphere for 25 strangers. \nBeriswill explained the class was going to consist of a lot of work, but the tone of her voice got me pumped to tackle all the projects she had in store for us. Although she granted each of us one "free day," I never missed her class. This is quite an accomplishment for me. Beriswill made me excited to learn new secrets about computers. \nEveryday, her class was well worth my tuition dollars. Beriswill taught me that good teachers encourage as much as they educate. I'm not the only student who appreciated Joanne's teaching methods. She just completed her Ph.D. in Instructional Systems Technology and received Associate Instructor of the Year in her final year at IU.\n"Joanne is patient in her teaching and shows us all, by example, how to motivate students," sophomore Sarah Echols said. "The way she teaches the concepts makes it easily applicable to the real world and for our future classrooms."\nBeriswill wasn't my only motivation for Tuesdays and Thursdays. Immediately following her class, I had 10 minutes to speedwalk to a poetry class. It was there where I met Kim Miller. Miller is the type of person who can turn a football player into a ballerina. She has a way of making everyone feel comfortable no matter how limited their writing skills are. \nI'll never forget when she walked in the room carrying large bags of food. She passed out strawberries and told us to sit on the floor. The hour that followed consisted of examining each strawberry until we felt compelled to write about it. The exercise was both delicious and thought-provoking. Miller taught me to keep my creativity on all hours of the day and chase my dreams no matter how long it takes. \n"What's great about Kim is the fact that her number one priority in our class was to make us feel like a family, with that came our willingness to openly share our writing and our ideas with one another," sophomore Lucy Jackson said.\n"Kim puts herself at our level, which is that of a student. She sits in a desk with us during class. She doesn't hide behind a podium," Jessica McCain said.\nMiller has packed up her bags after completing graduate school and plans on working on her dissertation at home. She plans to continue her poetry-writing while she decides what her next teaching step is.\nTeachers like Beriswill and Miller are the reason I chose to extend my education. They remind me why I'm working so hard to obtain a degree, and when I feel like sleeping in, they are the reason I get out of bed. They deserve to be thanked everyday for their efforts and dedication. I am so grateful that I randomly chose Beriswill and Miller as my associate instructors. They are both amazing educators and it is because of them I am a computer pro and poet.