In your typical high school scenery, you would see teens running around the hallways, students snoozing in classrooms, and the occasional couples getting busted for making out in the courtyard.

Here at Inlet Grove you witness all of these things but you also witness kids who are studying and getting their work done before they reach their classes.

“Get your ducks in a row,” is a regularly-used quote by U.S History teacher, Ms. Bonner. She says this phrase every day to all her classes, and eventually, her students even took up the saying and put it into use.

The day or week of a test you would often catch kids from her class annotating a large packet or reviewing their worksheets in their free time, including during both breakfast and lunch. Some kids would even study for her class while they are in another period.

“This is the one class that I actually worked very hard in.” said former student Christela Baptiste, Senior in the Medical Academy. Christela would even study for Ms. Bonner’s class during basketball practice.

Ms. Bonner knows just how to get her students to put in the work and go the extra mile.

I asked a few students why they put so much effort into Ms. Bonners class besides the obvious reason of graduating. Karina Saint- Cyr, a Senior in the LPN said that, “Ms. Bonner is very motivating and is always on top of all her students to make sure they do their best.”

Furthermore, “She always makes sure that you leave her class learning something new, whether it is something academic or life related,” stated by Morgans Oliver, Senior in the Web Design.

“The passion that she shows alone when teaching encourages me,” Carty Alcenat, Senior in the LPN said.

During lunch, Ms. Bonners classroom is never empty. She always has kids in there and she is always willing to do “one-on-ones” with students who are willing.

“She makes herself available to you.” says Rahdreema Thomas in the Medical program.

Ms. Bonner does not spend her lunch break as most teachers do, she chooses to invest in her students personally during this time.

She is very dedicated to her students because she remembers there were times in her life where she did not have teachers that looked like her nor students. Therefore, now that she is around students that look like her she tries her best to be a “positive representation of society.”

Ms. Bonner’s goals as a teacher is to not only educate her students but “to be a good mentor and push them to their greatest capabilities every day.”

She has strong beliefs in her students and “doesn’t want them to fail in life feeling as though they are inferior.” Ms. Bonner has never been the one to encourage talking down on others or people talking down on themselves. She will pull you to the side and let you know that you are what you make of yourself.

As some kids know I refer to Ms. Bonner as my mom. She is someone who I truly look up to and I hope to have as much ambition and passion as her. She has impacted me in ways that she does not even know.

Ms. Bonner has taught me that not everything in life will come easy, there will always be sacrifices that are made for decisions that you make. With that being said when I was her student every chance that I had I would always have studied for her class. I would sacrifice my lunch with friends just to get her work done.

With sacrifice comes success. Last year which was Ms. Bonners first year of teaching she had one of the highest passing rates on the U.S History EOC. One of her student even got the perfect score.

“Structure and discipline equates to greatness” Not only does she state this but she lives by it, which make a difference in the lives of her students.

Editor’s note: This article is part of the “A Day in the Life” project by advanced students in the Journalism class.