When asked, “What teacher makes your day better?” most students can answer without hesitation, immediately recognizing the teacher who stands out. Teachers do a lot for students, teaching them new concepts and answering countless emails and questions, but some teachers go the extra mile, and students recognize it. According to curriculum provider Studies Weekly, 83% of people say a teacher had a significant positive impact on their life. Here are the teachers who make our campus shine!
Senior William Hendriksen walks into his 5th-period English class ready for action. If it were any other class during fth period, he would be watching the clock, waiting for lunch. But in Steve Krueger’s English class, he is greeted with a warm, enthusiastic welcome.
“(His personality) makes class interesting,” Hendriksen said. “He’s always making jokes or talking about birds.”
The connection that Krueger makes with his students really makes him shine.
“Mr. Krueger is the best because he keeps everything lighthearted and is super funny in English,” Hendriksen said.
As seventh graders, students can have a hard time finding their way. With mid-semester exams coming up for the first time, it takes some getting used to the new harshness of classes. Seventh grader Greyson Grider says the teacher who shines the most is history teacher Kevin. When Grider found himself struggling with tests, assignments or quizzes, he found himself looking to Keith, who made sure he understood the material and never left him with a bad grade.
“Mr. Keith always treats us right and cares about our feelings,” Grider said. “He always finds a way to make sure that we’re doing OK and that we do better.”
As eighth grader Madeleine Nikodem has her English class, she nds herself looking forward to it because of her teacher, Ann Skippers. When she enters the class, she is welcomed with a positive mood by a caring teacher. A positive mood always makes Nikodem’s day, if she’s feeling down. According to website We Are Teachers, 54% of students say that a teacher has helped them out of difcult times. Skippers carries herself with warmth, and as you enter her classroom, it radiates from her.
“She always brings a good mood to the classroom and is super nice,” Nikodem said.
Physics teacher Elmarie Mortimer greets all her students with a simple “good morning” and genuinely seeks to connect with her students on a deeper level. When teachers put effort into knowing more about their students’ life, it makes it known that they care about them outside of being a student.
“Since she’s my advisor, she greets me and puts me in a nice mood to start to my day,” junior Ilaria Balli said. Mortimer’s invested personality and greetings set the stage for a great day.
“She always interacts with us and asks us about our day, what we are doing after school and our plans for the weekend,” Balli said. “She just interacts with us more than typical teachers do and genuinely has a care for our lives.”
