I am now starting my first year of high school, and you can imagine that I have had plenty of teachers even more than I could count on both of my hands. Since it is my first big year of high school, having a great teacher would go a long way to help me start off my amazing school career. The teacher that helps me get through the day is Master Sergeant Howie. Master Sergeant is my Naval Science Instructor for Delaware Military Academy. He allows me to get through that part of the day stress-free. Not everything to him is, getting stuff in on time or making sure this is done in time; he doesn’t grind us into the dirt. There’s always something new that we talk about, he has a big impact on everyone in the room, and he makes sure everybody is involved and happy. There are plenty of reasons and examples I can give you so make sure you pay attention to the very end.

Most classes we will talk about our unit and we will go through the normal procedure and we go through the material, but Howie he teaches differently. He plays videos about the subject. Whether it’s first aid or something else there’s always something he can find. He also talks to us like “what do you think about this.” or “has this ever happened to any of you?”. The whole classroom turns into a group discussion; this helps us get to know each other as well as get to know him. We’re always active in that class; there are very few moments in class where we weren’t doing anything, and even though we are having so much fun with him, we get everything done that needs to be. On Fridays it’s PT; if we aren’t doing something for the unit, we will be playing games. Either way, it’s a win-win scenario. One unit we did carries which were one of my favorites. What I’m trying to say is that there is never a dull moment in Master Sergeant’s class.

When I first came to school and walked into class, I wanted to pack my bags and get on the first train north; Master Sergeant was very intimidating. I soon learned that he wasn’t to be feared but to be respected, and as his students, we all follow that willingly. I remember one time he came into class and yelled as loud as he could and scared everyone half to death; we all laughed afterward of course. This shows how strict and stern he can get if he needs to. Earlier in the school year, one student wasn’t seeing the picture clearly enough, and he made him do push-ups. Howie tries to maintain the classroom expectations; he wants our class to function as the platoon we have today, like respectful JROTC students.

In the Naval science class, we have a participation grade; this is why he tries to get everyone up and involved in every class activity, everything from questions about the students themselves to physical activities. Master Sergeant works hard to make sure we are successful, he is always trying to get us our ranks and our ribbons that we have earned, and I can speak from experience. If you deserve it, he will make it happen. Master Sergeant will answer any questions that are asked; he wants everyone to learn and know. He also proved to us that he knows how we act. He pointed out that a few students have different body language when they feel bad. This show how much he is interested in our well being and how we are feeling.

Master Sergeant Howie is an awesome teacher. He makes classes so much better than what they could be, and he is someone all students can trust with anything they say. Every time I walk out of class, I feel refreshed like I just had a hard laugh that was way overdue. We are always laughing, having fun, and informed when in class. He doesn’t stress us out either. It just feels like a free period, but he understands that it isn’t just about the work; it’s the memories too. Howie has all the skills to be a good teacher. I nominate Master Sergeant Howie for the Educator of the Year.