According to Oxford Languages, the term “aura” is defined as “​​the distinctive atmosphere or quality that seems to surround and be generated by a person, thing, or place.” However, recently on TikTok and other social media platforms, it has developed a slightly different meaning. In this context, aura discusses the distinct, intangible impression that someone gives off. This includes their overall energy and presence, as well as how others perceive their personality and vibe. Someone’s aura can affect how people interpret and perceive their character.

At Academic Magnet, we have a wide selection of amazing teachers who all work hard to help set us up for success. All of them are extremely talented and universally appreciated. They also all have something about them that makes them special. When assessing a teacher’s aura, many different aspects can be taken into account. For example, a teacher could be seen as having a lot of aura for having a cool classroom. They might have interesting decorations, lots of plants, or bean bags in their classroom that grant them some aura points. Other teachers might gain aura from having a lenient and chill attitude. Lots of different variables can come into play when discussing the aura of different teachers at Magnet. So, we wanted to hear about the thoughts of the student body. According to the students at AMHS, which of these teachers have the most aura? We made it our mission to figure out the answer to this burning question.

Before we tested this question by sending out our survey, we decided to make a few of our predictions. Based on some of the criteria discussed above, along with our personal experiences, we composed a list of some teachers that we believe have the most aura. So, here are our predictions, in no particular order (Disclaimer: By no means is this article intended to offend anyone).

Mr. Percy: This talented math teacher radiates aura. Although he has a nonchalant demeanor, Mr. Percy is very personable and also the USC Gamecocks number one fan. His room also has some epic features like LED lights, a bean bag, and his very own ice machine. His aura is vibrant, especially when he wears his tie-dye shirts, even when teaching a class like Precalculus (and Unit Circles ugh).

Mr. Rush: Mr. Rush exemplifies aura through his hilarious jokes and never-ending knowledge about history. He always makes sure to ask how your weekend was and loves to learn about student-athletes. And if that isn’t enough, he also teaches two AP classes and coaches two sports (football and baseball)!

Señora Colón: We would argue that Señora Colón is one of the funniest teachers at Magnet, as she always says whatever is on her mind. In addition, she is one of the most knowledgeable, not only in Spanish, but she can drop a fun fact on anything from music, to ancient history, or sports. Her aura is especially evident when she talks lovingly about her sons and updates the class on their endeavors.

Ms. Smith: When you walk into Ms. Smith’s room, you are immediately hit with good vibes. From her plants, the DIY art on the walls, or her rocking linen outfits, you know you will be successful in her class. Ms. Smith values honesty and stays true to her grading standards, only accepting the highest degree of work and tolerating NO nonsense.

In order to figure out the answer to our question, we sent out a survey to the students at AMHS. We tallied up the 218 responses for each of the teachers and also looked at the reasons why they were voted for. So, at last, here are the results!

#5: Mr. Percy was voted as the teacher with the 5th most aura, aligning with our prediction.  When asked why they thought this math teacher had so much aura, many students said he was both “nonchalant” and “mysterious.” Mr. Percy was also described as having an unlimited aura due to the fact he is “working after retirement” and is “an amazing teacher”. We wholeheartedly agree with these comments as we also had Mr. Percy and we credit him with our success in Precalculus. This spectacular member of the math department definitely deserved this spot on the top five teachers with the most aura at AMHS.

#4: Mr. Rush managed to steal the number four spot for the teacher with the most aura. Mr. Rush is clearly loved by AMHS students, as he had many favorable comments. The most notable reason Mr. Rush was chosen as his triumph of teacher of the year for the 2023-24 school year, as one student said “Teacher of the year. Enough said”. Others mentioned that Mr. Rush is “effortlessly cool” and that “he always gives major chiller vibes only”. Mr. Rush is a very busy teacher at Magnet, considering he “teaches two AP classes and coaches two sports”. Students also described how much they enjoyed his teaching styles, referring to his lessons as “informative”, “bubbly”, and “engaging”.

#3: The number three spot was awarded to Mr. Stackhouse, only beating Mr. Rush by a very close margin. Many students agreed that Mr. Stackhouse was definitely in the top five teachers with the most aura at Magnet. One student had a lot to say, stating that “Mr. Stackhouse has an incredible amount of aura due to his sheer impact on everyone. He has an immense ability to teach which makes his power level just go so high. His potential is crazy and I HONESTLY don’t think there’s someone else that is even close in terms of power. That’s a fact:P he stands on business.” I think we can all admit that this spot in the ranking was meant for this talented social studies teacher.

#2: Mr. Garris received the second most votes out of all of the teachers at AMHS. Across all of the different responses, it was widely agreed that Mr. Garris gets a lot of aura points from the “unmatched style” of  a hat and cane. One student said that when Mr. Garris wears his hat and holds his cane, they felt “Chills bro. Literal chills.” Students said that Mr. Garris is frequently in a cheery mood and very optimistic, which brightens students’ days. Mr. Garris is also very passionate about the subject that he teaches, is a great storyteller, and incorporates fun activities like simulations into his lessons. Overall, Mr. Garris has “ revered eloquence,” “immaculate amounts of aura,” and is the “undisputed GOAT.”

#1: Mrs. Akery received the most votes for being the teacher with the most aura. Not only did she receive a lot of votes, but when asked about why they thought Mrs. Akery had the most aura, the students at AMHS offered lots of reasons to support their opinions. Overall, the student body thinks that Mrs. Akery is a very kind teacher who has a positive effect on her students, which “helps out on a hard day.” Mrs. Akery is also “charismatic” and is knowledgeable about pop culture and “current slang,” having an excellent sense of humor. Mrs. Akery is also very easy to relate to and personable, while still commanding respect from her class and having meaningful English lessons. A few people also called her “Sigma.” Here are a couple of notable quotes from our survey that speak for themselves:

“Mrs. Akery is so easy to relate to! She is fun, witty, and always has a pep in her step every day!”

“I mean just look at all her tattoos. +10000 aura, and she’s musically talented?? +1000000 aura. Also the best English teacher out there.”

“Mrs. Akery has a certain charisma that makes everyone listen to her jokes, and stay focused in class. Her humor + her charisma makes everyone smile, laugh, and have some interesting conversations in English.”

All in all, is it clear that Academic Magnet has an abundance of awesome teachers with immense aura. After learning about some of the student body’s opinions, how do you feel about these rankings? Drop your opinions in the comments!

Thanks for reading our article, peace out!