My first impression of Mrs. Schiellack was, 'WOW!' with her large black hair in a halo around her head, and she had really long nails then. But despite my first impression, she was one of the best teachers I had.
She was really nice, funny, and well, cool. We were allowed to choose our own seat the first day of fifth grade (a major shocker, things such as this never happened), we played Silent Speedball if the class was behaving, and we got a Friday Treat if the week went well. This really helped us behave enough so that she could actually teach us. We learned a lot about the Colonial Ages in her Social Studies class, tons of confusing math work, and loads of facts on Ancient Egypt; unlike other teachers, she made this fun to learn.
When we went on a school trip to a camp later in the year she was up there with the other teachers and started to mimic out brushing their hair and teeth. The rest of fifth grade the class and I made interesting memories, including the time another teacher drew a face on Mrs.Schiellack’s inflatable globe. At the end of the year, we all had the choice to be in Mrs.Schiellack's class again or to leave. Needless to say, everyone stayed with Mrs.Schiellack, only to have even more fun in sixth grade than in fifth.
Mrs.Schiellack started to trust us after we behaved and listened to her. Later she let us do different subjects than the ones she had planned at times, and saved us from dissecting a worm by allowing us to dissect a Gummy Worm and using a poster to show us what the inside of a worm does look like. When one student was struggling with their work, Mrs.Schiellack helped them out right away, then as I struggled enormously with math, she allowed me to come in early on Thursday mornings to check the homework from the previous night, study for a test later in the day, and even let me re-do some of the more shameful pieces of homework.
Mrs.Schiellack taught me to never be timid to ask a question or ask for help, and to be myself. At the end of the two years together, we had a tearful last day with good byes and presents for her. As we walked out the classroom door and even now we are still known as the Shiellack Gang, and The Schiellack Family. Oh, and if you are reading this Mrs.Schiellack I promise the next time I visit you I will bring the pictures from fifth grade.