Have you ever had a teacher that stays in your memory for years to come? For example: one that comes to mind whenever someone asks you about your favorite teacher? Well I can say that I have one of those teachers, and I’m glad that I had him. He was my 8th grade English teacher at Newark Charter School, Mr. Newcott. Mr. Newcott was by far my favorite teacher I’ve ever had, and that is why I want to nominate him for Educator of the Year. He made English fun for me even though English has been one of my least favorite subjects. Mr. Newcott was able to teach us a lesson while making class enjoyable. He was extremely nice which made it easier to talk to him and to listen to what he had to say. He also had a good sense of humor that made him relatable to us.

Mr. Newcott was different from other teachers. He was able to teach us about a certain topic and get a point across, but at the same time, he made it enjoyable and appealing to learn. Most of the work he made us do was along the lines of work we had to do in previous years, but he made it seem better and easier without us realizing it. Other teachers took things seriously and were very straightforward with their curriculum, and I know that’s what a teacher is supposed to do, but at some point their students aren’t going to enjoy going to their class, and that’s not what you want. When a student doesn’t want to go to a class, they will stop paying attention and trying their hardest to learn. I’ve never been a fan of English; I’ve always thought it was boring and monotonous until Mr. Newcott came along. He made me want to go to his class, and when I was in his class, I enjoyed it.

Secondly, he was a very nice guy. He understood and respected the opinions of us, the students, and that made us respect him for who he is. He would occasionally engage in a friendly conversation with us all and would let us talk with him about anything. By doing this, it made him seem friendlier and less strict, even though he still stuck to the curriculum. Not once last year did I think he was a mean guy. He may joke around with us at some times, but we all know it’s just fun and games and that makes him even better. One thing that I liked about Mr. Newcott was how I could talk to him without feeling “afraid”. You know, that feeling you get when you’re talking to your teacher, that scared and inferior feeling? Well he’s different. I could talk to him without feeling afraid or scared; he was such a cool guy. I could talk to him about anything because of his friendly personality.

Lastly, Mr. Newcott was a relatable person. To all of us, the students, he was more of a friend than a teacher. Technically he was our teacher, but I would rather refer to him as a good friend since that’s what he was. When we talked to him, he would talk to us as if he was another student, like he wasn’t any more powerful than us. Other teachers make it seem like they are above us all and more powerful, even though they are. That’s the thing though, Mr. Newcott is more “powerful” than us, but he made it seem like he was an equal. He also had a good sense of humor that improves our conversations and makes him stand out from other teachers.

Mr. Newcott is overall the best teacher you can have. During the year you think that you’re not learning anything because the class is actually enjoyable, but when you finish that school year with him, you’ll be surprised at how much you have learned. He’s a good teacher, cool guy, and someone that you’ll never forget. Chances are I won’t find another teacher like him, which is sad to think about. If there is one teacher that should win Educator of the Year, it has to be Mr. Newcott. He is everything you could ask for and more. I’ll never forget him and I hope to keep in touch with him as I continue through my high school years.