FOSTER LAMPLIGHTER Mrs. Jhass is a superhero to her students

By Jasmine Wright

Eighth Grade, Foster

Who is Mrs. Jhass? While some know her as just Mrs. Jhass, her students know her as the teacher who won their hearts. Mrs. Jhass is a superhero. She not only brings out the best in people, but she also brings out the best in me. I still remember being in her class. How could I forget? Lazy students who never wanted to do their work were suddenly determined to complete their assignments. If that is not a superpower, I do not know what is. She is the first teacher whom I have seen take the time to make connections with each of her students and influence her students to put effort into their work. She has made an impact on my life beyond school.

Mrs. Jhass’s fun-loving nature is what I think first captured my eye. Other students had told me that her class would be hard, so naturally I was dreading it before even walking through the door. After spending only an hour in her class, however, I realized just how wrong I was. Mrs. Jhass’s high-spirited character and personality made her class one of my favorites. Speaking of superpowers, somehow Mrs. Jhass’s jokes managed to make smiles magically appear on the faces of the most negative students. No matter how annoying my class became, she never became upset. In fact, she never could keep a straight face and eventually cracked a smile. Mrs. Jhass connected with us more than as her students. She knew about our hobbies and what we like to do outside of school. Mrs. Jhass had a knack, or perhaps another superpower, for helping students open up by asking, “What did you do this weekend?” or “Did anything interesting happen?” Her questions made me feel comfortable around her, which I believe is especially important. It is always easier for me to approach teachers with questions when I feel comfortable around them.

Mrs. Jhass expected our best in her class. She did not expect a perfect one hundred from each of us, but her expectation was that we always put effort into our work. An example is my brother! He is not someone who cares much for doing schoolwork, but he’s often leaving the dinner table early to start typing away on Mrs. Jhass’s assignments. She had the same effect on me. I was doing the work because I had to, but she also showed me the importance of trying and how trying can make such a difference. I realized how far hard work can take me when Mrs. Jhass told the class how she stayed up into the late hours of the night grading our work. Then I realized that she was working just as hard as she was pushing her students. Mrs. Jhass is a highly effective teacher because she inspires not just me but all her students to aim for their best.

Throughout the year, Mrs. Jhass sets high standards for all her students because she knows we have the potential of reaching it. With her putting a bad grade on a low effort paper and a one hundred on a paper that I worked hard on showed me that I cannot expect life to be easy when I am not putting my all into it. She showed our class that we have to do our best in school because later in life, we might not get a second chance to redo work or get forgiveness. She was strict about turning papers in on time, teaching us preparedness and promptness, which are life skills we must learn. She applied pressure to us because she wanted to make sure we knew that in the real world, we will face pressure and must live with it. She dedicated herself to our growth like a superhero on a mission and continued to go out of her way to help us achieve our goals. She often asked me questions such as “Was this helpful?” or “Do you understand now?” because she wanted to make sure I understood the lesson she taught. Mrs. Jhass did not just teach me knowledge from a book; she also taught me about collaboration, responsibility, and creative thinking. I learned much more from her than any other teacher could have taught. I will carry the skills she taught me throughout the rest of my life.

I honestly think Mrs. Jhass is the perfect teacher because anyone can learn, grow, listen, and laugh with Mrs. Jhass. I appreciate how open she was and how she pushed her students.

Mrs. Jhass, thank you for taking the time to really know your students, especially me. I will never forget the impact you made on me, the support you gave me, and, most importantly, for being my everyday superhero!