What qualities do good educators have? They tend to be encouraging, motivational, inspiring, hardworking, and so much more. Throughout my academic career, I have had many teachers that exhibit these qualities. However, only one teacher comes to mind when thinking about what it takes to be Educator of The Year. Mr. Seymour, my eighth-grade science teacher, always went above and beyond when he was teaching. He should be Educator of the Year because he is enthusiastic about teaching, he motivates students to work hard, and he always challenges students academically. 

    Mr. Seymour was always enthusiastic about what he was teaching, and he would use that enthusiasm to find fun ways to teach lessons. He would always come up with fun labs that the majority of the class would enjoy. For example, we once made a cloud in a jar using water, ice, and dust. Another time we used special glasses to help us understand the visible light spectrum. His enthusiasm and approach to teaching ignited a desire to learn in his students. A study conducted by students at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development showed that teachers with higher enthusiasm levels gave higher quality instructions. It is important for teachers to be enthusiastic so that students have a desire to learn and so that teachers perform better when teaching. If teachers perform badly (or have little enthusiasm), then it can make it harder for a student to learn.

    Not only did Mr. Seymour make class fun, but he was also extremely motivational. He always encouraged students to get work done on time. Most educators encourage students to work hard, but never to the extent that Mr. Seymour did. He would use a metaphor about a bus to explain that life won’t wait for you. If you miss a deadline or due date, then the only person responsible for that is you. Educators need to encourage working hard and getting work done on time so that students can get good grades and be prepared for tests. Whenever Mr. Seymour would talk about “the bus of life”, I always felt like I had someone who cared about my grades as much as I did. It was refreshing to know that all my hard work wasn’t going unnoticed. When teachers motivate students, it helps them feel more accomplished when they meet or exceed standards because students feel like they truly accomplished something. 

    However, our grades were not the only thing that Mr. Seymour cared about. He also cared about our ability to solve problems and think for ourselves. On a daily basis, Mr. Seymour would talk about real-world problems like climate change and natural disasters. This would inspire his students to come up with real-world solutions. Encouraging problem-solving and deep thinking is important because students will need to be able to problem-solve throughout their life. An article written by Kevin Warburton from the University of Queensland claims that “Because of the range and interconnectedness of environmental, social, and economic issues, and the importance of interdisciplinary thinking and holistic insight, deep learning is particularly relevant in the context of education sustainability.” Encouraging deep thinking and problem solving will help students not only in school but also in their adult life. 

    Mr. Seymour demonstrates all the amazing qualities of a good educator.  He is enthusiastic and makes science enjoyable for everyone. He motivates his students in ways that other educators do not. He keeps his students informed about ongoing problems and encourages them to solve them. Mr. Seymour goes above and beyond with everything that he does. Educator of the Year is a title that he truly deserves.