Mr. Zang was my eighth-grade PE teacher at Newark Charter School. He was the best teacher I ever had. Mr. Zang had many good qualities that made him my favorite teacher. For example, he was nice, funny, and fun. I think that is everything you need in a good teacher. Mr. Zang planned many different activities that made me look forward to PE class. His sense of humor made the class fly by!

Mr. Zang was a really nice teacher. Every Friday, he would let his students vote on the games we played in class that day. Also, every year he would have a whole week when the kids would pick what we do in class each day. He knew my classmates and I liked certain games, so it made class fun when we got to choose them. I haven’t seen Mr. Zang in awhile, but when I saw him at a volleyball game, he still came up to me, said “hello”, and asked how I was. It was really nice to see him and tell him about high school at DMA.  

He was a really funny person. In class when we would play games, he had names for all of the equipment. For example, if there was a blue tennis racket he called it “double paint blue bomber”. Also, he would join in and play against us during the games. It was really fun to try to get him out or beat his team. When he got out in a game, Mr. Zang would pretend he was injured.  He was really sarcastic and would joke with my classmates like we were his best friends. If I got out in a game, he would say that I cost my team the game. It was really funny to hear him make fun of people over the microphone. He would make all my classmates laugh every day. 

Mr. Zang knew how to make class fun. He made up the best games that were so creative and fun to play. In one unit, everybody made their own game, then, we played them in class. They weren’t real games that we had learned. My classmates and I  mixed two games together to create one. It was fun to see people playing my game and also playing other people’s games. Mr. Zang made sure that there was a game for everyone. If someone liked soccer, he would make a game about soccer and exedra. Not everyone enjoys sports; however, Mr. Zang made everyone feel included and excited to come to class.

In conclusion, Mr. Zang was a great teacher. He was super nice, really funny, and he knew how to have fun. Mr. Zang wasn’t a traditional teacher.  I really liked how he incorporated everyone’s ideas and interests and made PE class fun for the whole class. I hope I have a teacher like him again someday! I’m thrilled to nominate him for this award; he deserves it.