My Teacher, my Love

of unfinished assignments, unclear lectures, and the gnawing sense of inadequacy bore down on her shoulders. She had always

usually so formal, so detached, but something about his demeanor today seemed different. His posture was more r

e herself mentally for another hour of struggling to follow along. The chatter

f ambition and morality in Macbeth." His voice was calm, st

erself actually understanding his words. He was explaining the play in a way that r

across the room. "He was exploring the consequences of unchecked ambition. Macbeth is

wice already, but she had never considered it from this angle before. Mr. Parker's expl

rush out like she always did, escaping the frustration of feeling lost. But today was

om to clear. Mr. Parker was gathering his things, sliding papers i

?" she aske

efore offering her a small, genuine sm

hing teachers like this. She had always felt

, shifting from foot to foot. "I think I understand the them

e aside. "That's a great question. Let'

ng to her scribbled observations. Mr. Parker leaned in sl

ey to structuring your argument is to start with a strong thesis

That ambition alone isn't evil, but when it's fueled by

ake. Now, you can use three key moments from the p

line, helping her refine her thesis and strengthen her points

ver felt thi

t realized she was holding. "That actually makes s

at in this class, Emily. Don't be afraid to ask questions. I can see tha

th spread through her chest. She wasn't use

," she said, offering a

ingered. It was more than just academic clarity-it w

a quiet sense of hope settle inside her. M

-

lass. She no longer hesitated to raise her hand, and each time she di

onfidence didn

r friend Jessica teased as they walked to lunch one

rstand the way Mr. Parker explains things. It's like he's actually mak

r eyebrows. "Maybe

er cheeks heat up. "He's just a

ling that something had shifted. The way Mr. Parker spoke to her fel

irst time in a long time, she

was enoug