“What is this boat made out of?” Mr Tschanz asked.

One classmate replied,”Is it made out of metal?”
“No it’s a ‘rho’ boat” (?, the greek letter “rho” , which stands for density).

In a class like physics, where the laws of nature are irrefutable and constant, class work could be taxing and boring. But, in my seventh hour general physics class there lies a distinction that ultimately helps capture my attention--and that distinction isn’t the class materials nor the busy work, but the teacher.

Originally, I wasn’t an attentive student. I never preferred to stand up and voice my opinions--instead, I liked to be out of the limelight.

Throughout middle school, I never liked to answer questions when called upon and it was a source of shame. It wasn’t until September 1st, 2014, in physics class, when this started to change. Throughout physics my teacher, Mr. Tschanz, changed my shame into my pride.

With a course curriculum that includes learning how to properly measure distance, inspiring students could become a rarity--but through cheesy, and quirky jokes--Mr. Tschanz inspired me. Mr. Tschanz kept the class interested by assigning labs and using outside examples to help us learn. For example, he used a digital song as an example of a massive collaboration of sound waves. This helped me and other students grasp the laws of physics.

In addition to making us laugh and energizing the course curriculum, Mr. Tschanz made every topic, lesson, and lecture relatable to the class by including questions about  songs, sports, and spaceships. Mr. Tschanz sees the best of everyone, whether they are disrespectful students, or distracted teenagers. Mr. Tschanz isn’t unreasonable, often when it comes to in class lab experiments if a calculated answer is less than ten percent off he’ll still award students points. 

In his physics class, he’ll help all of his students. Some teachers boringly teach their subject, but for Mr. Tschanz, it’s the exact opposite. With every lesson, topic, and assignment his passion for teaching and physics is evident in the work he puts in.

Another distinction is how Mr. Tschanz never dismisses an idea before hearing it to fruition. This may not seem like an important quality, but often students get discouraged from seeing other people's best attempts getting shot down and are less likely to try and answer themselves.

Finally, Mr. Tschanz’s enthusiasm combined with his other attributes previously mentioned has inspired me and other students to do what we enjoy with passion and excitement. He is like a mad scientist without the labcoat. His passion transforms a dull subject into a subject of excitement. He has transformed this school's physics program from that of a boring mathematical science course to that of an exciting real-world problem solving class. Because of this, I believe Mr Tschanz should receive this award because the impact he has.