Everyone has that one teacher that has impacted their life the most. For me that teacher was my 7th grade English teacher, Mrs. Fernald, now known as Mrs. Stephens. She really helped me improve my English skills by making learning fun and allowing us to work at our own pace. Also, she helped me outside of the classroom. She was my 8th grade basketball coach. She impacted my life in the best way possible, and that's why I nominate Mrs.Stephens for the award of Educator of the Year.
    

I never really enjoyed English. It was one of my least favorite subjects and I dreaded that part of the day. I was also nervous because I heard we were getting a new English teacher. But, once she started teaching, I learned she makes learning a lot more fun. She would always make games and let us watch videos based on the things we were learning. She also made project and essay topics on things we would like researching and enjoy presenting. One time we had a big unit test coming up. She split the class into two teams as we went head to head in a jeopardy game. It was very fun, and I learned everything I needed to know for that test.
     

I also didn't enjoy English because the pace was way too fast for my liking. Just when I thought I got something, the teacher would introduce a new topic and spend one day on it and expect us to know it. But, with Mrs. Stephens she would break down the work and explain the important details. She also let us pick our own due dates, but they had to be reasonable. For example, if we had an essay, she'd give us a time frame to choose the due date, usually a week. This helped us because it gave us time to edit and make everything right. Also she would go over homeworks most of the class didn't understand. She reviewed it with us then let us try again that night. Most of the time everyone did it correctly after she further explained it.
     

Outside of the classroom I play basketball. Mrs. Stephens was one of the best basketball coaches a girl could ask for. She would explain the plays and defensive positions clearly so that everyone knew where to go. She really believed in all of us and pressured us to take risks. Especially with me, she told me she saw a lot of potential in me. She would tell me to get out of my comfort zone and shoot 3 pointers, steal the ball, and drive to the basket. Because of her I made over 100 points that season! She believed in me and all the team, even when we were losing by 30, and that's one of the most important characteristics a coach needs.
    

In conclusion, Mrs. Stephens is the best candidate for this award. She's fun, hard working and a great coach. She teaches at a good pace and would still help me if I needed it, even though I'm in high school now. Mrs. Stephens also cares for her students success in and out of the classroom.  These are the reasons why I wouldn't choose anyone else to fill the spot as Educator of the Year.