On the first day of school last year, I walked into Portable 15 with my heart beating and my palms sweating. I was a freshman, unsure of what high school teachers would really be like, and out of all the things that I was expecting a high school teacher to be, French teacher Mrs. Deatherage-Larsen was not one of them. This year, even on the first day, I walked into room 5136 with my hands in my pockets and a smile on my face because I was so happy that I had the privilege to have Madame DL as a teacher again.

Madame DL greets each of her students with a welcoming “Bonjour!” or “Salut!” every time we walk into her classroom, and creates a relaxed environment that encourages students to feel comfortable to participate and ask questions when they don’t understand what’s happening. As someone who is always scared to be that one kid that everyone rolls their eyes at when asking a question, the sort of environment that Madame DL nurtures is a tremendous help for me, and I assume, many other students. She’s basically always available after school and before school on Wednesdays for students to come in for help, and encourages us to do so if we’re ever having any troubles.

One of the biggest reasons as to why I’m so thankful to have Madame DL as a teacher here at Liberty High School is because of how she lets all of her students be themselves. She never laughs or quirks her eyebrows when someone expresses their honest interests or hobbies that most would make a weird face at, even complimenting it with a genuine, “C’est cool.” As a student who frequently has to explain what a hobby of blogging consists of exactly, and wears her Hobbit and Lord of the Rings t-shirts too often, it’s refreshing to have a teacher who smiles without needing to force one.

This Thanksgiving, I’m thankful for a teacher who has made her class a place for students to feel at home. Thanks for all that you’ve done for your students, Madame DL!