A Teacher I Will Never Forget: Mrs. Slivka

For my Foundations of American Education course, we were asked to reflect on a teacher who made a lasting impact on our life and write a blog post about them. As soon as I read the assignment, one name came to mind: Mrs. Susan Slivka. Mrs. Slivka was my high school theatre director and teacher. I spent as much time in the theatre with her as I did at home with my family throughout my four years of high school. Unfortunately, Mrs. Slivka passed away last year from a long battle with cancer, and that loss left me (and all of her former students) devastated. I would be a completely different person today if I had never known her.

Mrs. Slivka and I after a performance of Hello, Dolly! my junior year of high school. 

Mrs. Slivka followed the InTASC Core Teaching Standards closely, whether she knew it or not. She particularly did well with InTASC Standards #2 and #3. Standard #2 says, "The teachers uses understanding of individual differences and diverse cultures and communities to ensure inclusive learning environments that enable each learner to meet high standards." Standard #3 says, "The teacher works with others to create environments that support individual and collaborative learning, and that encourage positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self-motivation." She made the theatre a welcoming and loving environment. For some high schoolers, finding an adult to lean on can often be difficult. However, Mrs. Slivka treated everyone in the theatre like her own children, no matter what. She built a supportive environment for all of her students, and we all knew she was available to us at any time for anything we may have needed. Mrs. Slivka believed in all of her students and set high expectations for each us because she knew we could meet them. She was never an "easy" teacher. Her high standards forced us to constantly work, but she taught us the importance of determination, hard work, and collaborating with our peers in those standards.

When looking at various philosophies of education, I believe Mrs. Slivka best followed the Existentialism and Progressivism philosophies. The Existentialism philosophy encourages individuality and finding a person's own truth through their growth and learning. Mrs. Slivka encouraged all of us to be ourselves. The Progressivism philosophy also encourages self-expression and a focus on the students over content. Mrs. Slivka gave all of us opportunities to explore theater in our own way, and many of her students (myself included) learned more about who they are and who they wanted to be in that theater. I am forever grateful for the time I spent learning from Mrs. Susan Slivka. When I have my own classroom, I hope that my students will feel welcomed and loved the way that I felt by Mrs. Slivka. I hope they feel like I am an advocate for their needs and wants and that I am always present for them if they need me.