“She’s always happy and nice. I feel really comfortable in her classroom,” said Ni Pham (11). “[She’s] welcoming,” said Andrew Teller (11).  “She was fantastic… one of the nicest teachers I had that year,” said Alex Kramer (11).  Who is this wonderful person, one might ask. It’s none other than Amy Meyer, Portage Northern’s Business Department Chair. She spends her days feeding the minds of students by teaching some of the most useful classes Northern has to offer, such as Accounting and Desktop Publishing. While this mother and teacher of four different subjects may seem overworked, she is unfailingly optimistic. She makes balancing a checkbook seem like an adventure and learning how to use Excel as action packed as a Tom Cruise movie. She walks up and down the rows of computers gesturing and inflecting as she speaks, engaging the classes with her outgoing personality. “She interacts with students really well,” said Childers.

When it comes to computer-related classes, the immediate response is to think, ‘Oh, that’s for nerds, that’s so lame.’ This is totally not the case in Meyer’s classroom. “If you ever have a chance to take one of her classes, I would definitely recommend it,” said a student. Meyer doesn’t go a day without telling a real-life story (usually accompanied by a quip or clever comment) that relates the lesson to an actual event in life, unlike so many other classes. She also provides a lot of freedom within her classroom, without being chaotic or devoid of order. “She’s a lot more relaxed than other teachers,” said Childers.  Meyer has many talents, the most prevalent being her natural affinity for public speaking. “Her way of teaching makes you want to learn more,” said Pham. This is true in every sense. Students can easily learn in her welcoming atmosphere and are genuinely curious to see what lesson will come next, as they garner useful skills for adulthood.

Meyer’s passion for teaching is obvious and has not gone without recognition. She was honored as the Wells Cook Master Teacher of Business Education in 2009 and received an Excellence in Education award in 2012. These achievements certainly prove that her qualifications as an educator are vast, but those certificates cannot even begin to paint an image of how wonderful the atmosphere is in her classroom. Meyer has the ability to make students with all different personalities and from varying walks of life feel at home. “She likes to have the class go at a pace that is good for everyone,” said Kramer. No one feels left behind in Meyer’s class. She also deals with her students on a personal level, understanding and helping them without condescension. By the time one leaves her class for the day, it’s impossible not to feel as though the day has changed for the better. “She was almost like a second mom,” commented another student.  All in all, Meyer is a shining star in the sky of Portage Northern. She balances home and school perfectly and always has a smile on her face. Student and staff alike are truly fortunate to have a teacher and human being as wonderful as her in their midst. “[She’s] like the best teacher ever,” said Pham. “Tell her I love her.”