I am 17 and have attention deficit hyperactive disorder(ADHD). As a child, it was very hard to concentrate and I had problems reading.Teachers ignorant of this disorder made it even harder. Because they didn'tunderstand why I would act up in class, they labeled me a problemchild.

In grade school, I was often ignored - sometimes even belittled -by my teachers. When my peers saw this, they thought it was okay for them to dothe same. After a few years, I sort of got used to it and stopped caring aboutschool work, but all that changed my freshman year.

That year started likeany other, with me rebelling against all authority figures, including my Englishteacher, Mrs. Tippett. I didn't give her a chance because I thought she was justlike my other teachers. We argued on a regular basis, and one day I said somethings that were really out of line. That night, I thought about it, and the nextday, wrote an apology at the bottom of my worksheet. We talked and sortedeverything out.

She was the first teacher who saw past the problem child.I would receive my papers with little encouraging notes on them, and that made mewant to do better in her class. I finally had someone who believed in me.

Mrs. Tippett was also my sophomore English teacher. I loved her class not justfor the work, but because I finally felt someone was trying to help, not just letme pass because they didn't want to deal with me the next year. She recommendedme for a summer program sponsored by the University of Delaware, which helpedwith my classes for junior year. I had never before been recommended for anythingpositive in all my years of school.

I am a junior now, and even though Idon't have Mrs. Tippett as a teacher anymore, she will remain a true friend andmentor for the rest of my life.