When you do a quick Google search of “traditional math teacher,” one of the first sites to appear is a study by a research company outlining findings regarding the typical perception of math educators. Entering “traditional science teacher” yielded similar results. Something interesting to note is that when the same thing is done for English, there’s no study or journal publication to refer to.

I have a theory about that: English teachers simply cannot be placed in a box, which certainly applies to the staff at West Forsyth. This, among many other things, unquestionably cements their place as the school’s best department.

Let me preface this by saying I am very biased–English is my favorite subject and always has been. However, looking back at the past several years, lots of English teachers have been named “Teacher of the Year.” For example, Tavia Gilmore, who teaches English I Honors and English II, was named this year’s honoree.

Think about walking into the 1000 building (or just “the English building”): it’s lively, and there are usually teachers hustling back and forth between one another’s classrooms or locked in conversation with their “neighbor.” This camaraderie seems unique to the department, whose staff regularly spends time together outside of work settings. It’s refreshing for students to spend such valuable instructional time around adults who genuinely like and enjoy each other’s company, which just enhances their job performance. Most educators within the department are veteran teachers; a select few teachers have decades of experience.

The key element of why the department is the best lies in their kindness. While educators at West are remarkably friendly and good-natured, English teachers radiate an incredible sense of compassion, patience and humor, evident through their everyday interactions with their pupils. Mrs. Theresa Bryant of Room 1015 is a great example of this; I was lucky enough to have formed a connection with her my freshman year when she told me about her drawer of items such as gum, menstrual products and other necessities–all available to students if they ask. Mr. Andrew Serang, whom I had AP Lang with last year, gathers a group of students, a majority of them having recently moved to the United States and lacking English fluency, bi-weekly after school to “mentor” them on the next steps they can take to help their college prospects. Such unprompted generosity is not seen not only across West Forsyth but at any high school in today’s culture.

Most of my opinions are drawn from lots of time spent with English teachers during class, after the bell rung or in clubs like Key Club, Speech and Debate or SGA, and the love they’ve shown me is fully reciprocated–they’ve made me feel at home and completely supported in my endeavors. My assertions absolutely do not negate the brilliance of the other departments, whom I’ve admittedly had less interaction with as a whole. But the English Department is a cohort of extraordinary educators who consistently go above and beyond in the day-to-day implementation of their respective curriculums and have the effervescence and reliability to back it up when not teaching.

I’ll miss the 1000 building when I head off to college, and I can only hope to encounter professors that can even compare to these teachers that shaped my high school experience.