Page 12 - Amarrilo Senior Link Magazine Spring 2019- Online Magazine

HONORING SENIORS
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Senior Senior

Mary Wands

An Educator

of Life

by Gabriell Papp

n my life, school has been generally her see our faces, so that she knew however, Mrs. Wands always had
positive. I adore the subjects of whether we were understanding the a way of soothing the situation. A
Ilanguage arts, social studies, and concept she was presenting. Because particular favorite of mine was her
anything that avoids numbers. Math of that extra level of interest in our answer to almost any complaint. She
has always been a rather daunting participation, I found her classes to would simply look at me with a smile
subject for me. The memorization have a uniquely personal feel to them. and, in her sweetest tone, say, “I’m
skills required in other subjects are She didn’t really care what we did sorry you feel that way.” That little
much easier for me to tackle than the as long as we were learning. This led dose of optimistic humor lightened the
problem-solving ability math requires. to extravagant towers and copious load of obstacles enough to make them
Because of this, I find it ironic that the amounts of falling dominos. If we manageable. Despite our numerous
person whom I have chosen to honor were particularly rambunctious, we complaints, Mrs. Wands was always
is none other than my sophomore and were made to write essays about there to answer questions and give an
junior year math teacher, Mrs. Mary various astronomical subjects. I encouraging word of prayer before
Wands. distinctly remember being assigned each test and quiz. She worked my
two pages discussing whether Pluto classmates and me through geometry,
I first met Mrs. Wands in my was a planet. She was by far the most pre-calculus, and physics, filling in
freshmen study-hall class at San interesting study-hall monitor and the the gaps of previously unmastered
Jacinto Christian Academy. She was smartest tutor I had ever seen. concepts as she went. Even though
the legendary “mathmagician” who at times it seemed impossible, I can
oversaw all upper class, advanced Mrs. Wands gave the hardest quizzes tell you with confidence that I am
math courses. Even though she wasn’t I have seen in high school. It was the thoroughly prepared for anything
my math teacher at the time, it didn’t first time that my class had faced a college will throw at me.
take long to figure out that she could teacher who expected us to be able
solve almost any problem. She served to utilize the material versus just It’s obvious Mrs. Wands was meant
as a private tutor to many of us memorizing it. My junior year, I was for teaching. When I asked her why
struggling with our Algebra II course faced with back-to-back pre-calculus she became a teacher, she said that
that year. I found it engaging that she and physics. Tests were even harder she had always been one. Because of
preferred to use an overhead projector and more frequent. The attitude of the her academic skills, she was a tutor
instead of the large white board in whole class grew worse and worse. throughout most of her schooling,
the class room. When asked why, she My own pessimism was legendary. adding even more experience to her
answered that using the overhead let No matter how bad it seemed to be, thirty-four years in the school system.

12 Amarillo Senior Link