Third grade was a troubling time for me. I was dealing with the passing of my dad, and so it was hard to focus on school. My two older brothers and my younger sister all struggled. That’s where Mr. Rheineck, my eighth grade science teacher, came in. He was helpful, caring, and understanding. He helped in so many ways. Academically, to personally, Mr. Rheineck was an asset to my family.

Eighth grade year started, and right from the beginning, he was in my corner helping in every way possible. Mr. Rheineck was not only a good friend to me, but he was also a great teacher.

No one taught science quite like Mr. Rheineck. He didn’t make it work, or a struggle to walk into his classroom. Everyone one who has ever had Mr. Rheineck that I have talked to would agree: He makes you want to come to his class everyday to learn new things about weather, and the effects of chemicals.
Mr. Rheineck is not only the best science teacher, but he is also a husband to a loving wife, and a father to a loving son.

He goes beyond the regular teacher student relationship to get to know all of his students on a more personal level. This is what separates him from a common teacher. It had been three years since I had last seen him, but when he saw me just a week ago walk into his class that he was substituting for, there was no hesitation. He knew who I was right away.

If I could pick three words to describe Mr. Rheineck, it would be friendly, fair, and fun. He is nice to everyone. He makes everything in his class as fair as possible, giving students plenty of time to get work done,. And no one compares to how fun Mr. Rheineck is--he jokes around with his students, and can make even the most boring of tasks fun for everyone.

One cold day in December, Mr. Rheineck walked into the classroom and said, “Who's ready to blow some stuff up?” Without much pause, everyone rose their hands. We filled up a balloon with a flammable gas, and put it on a stick so no one would get hurt. Mr. Rheineck taped a match to a meter stick, lit the match, and all of a sudden--boom--a huge ball of fire appeared. From that moment, I knew, Mr. Rheineck was like the North star, guiding and inspiring students. No one could compare to his enthusiasm, creativity, and generosity.

Mr. Rheineck is (and always will be) my favorite teacher. He makes class fun, and he doesn't hesitate to get to know everyone of his students. I will never forget what he has done for my family, or how he has enriched my learning experience.