It was day one of Mepham High School my freshman year, and I was so nervous. I was told over and over again by multiple Mepham students, “Don’t worry, you can’t get lost. The school is a square.” Everytime I thought that, I wondered what that had to do with anything? The shape of the school does not correlate to whether or not I will get lost. Regardless, on my first day, I was overwhelmed. I wanted to make sure that I got to class on time, so I walked to my first period classroom very early. As soon as I walked into the room, I was greeted with a warm welcome, and a friendly smile. I felt more at ease. The bell rang, and Ms. Ackerman began to speak. She started by welcoming us, and sharing that just like the students, the teachers are a little nervous the first day of school, too. It was easy to feel the tension leaving the room. The class as a whole was feeling much more comfortable. After that one period in Ms. Ackerman’s class, I knew that she was going to be an excellent teacher and that Mepham was going to be a very special four years.

Ms. Ackerman is an English teacher at Mepham High School who is retiring this year. She dedicated her time to teaching students, helping them grow as readers and writers, and aiding them in developing their public speaking skills. She challenged her students to push themselves out of their comfort zones whether it was reading Romeo and Juliet or presenting in front of the class for Poetry Out Loud. Ms. Ackerman was always supportive and made her students feel proud of their accomplishments and progress. Additionally, her class was always something to look forward to because she made her lessons fun and interactive. I remember acting out the scenes of Romeo and Juliet and holding a Socratic Seminar in which the class sat in a circle and had a discussion about what we were reading. Everybody was able to share their opinions and thoughts, and it was always fascinating to hear what everybody had to say. I enjoyed having a class in which everybody could have a conversation and learn not only through lessons, but also through hearing what each other had to say. Ms. Ackerman’s classroom was a welcoming environment, with lots of laughs, lessons both academic and in general for life, and memories that her students will hold with them. Everybody at Mepham wants to thank Ms. Ackerman for dedication, hard work, passion for teaching, and how she cared for her students. We will miss her, and we hope that she has a wonderful retirement.