My 8th grade sticks out in mind and it was not a fun year. The students were brutal!  My peers were anything but nice me. They said things like “You can’t sit here if you don’t talk” or “They’re not going to like you!” No matter how hard I tried to ignore their comments, they continued to fire at me like a machine gun loaded with ammunition. One time a girl told me I should come over. I was so happy and thought to myself that maybe I finally had a friend! But sadly, later she said she was just kidding. This constant teasing and not being included in anything,made my life harder because I believed no one liked me. My self-confidence was at an all time low and I was always so shocked whenever anyone smiled at me or included me.

Then there was 8th grade math . . . not a strength of mine.  Math has always been a challenge for me. Mean peers and the subject of math, equals a formula for disaster.  However, there was one person who always gave me something to look forward to and he was a hero who came to save the day! He was there when I needed someone. He was like the sun--always made everything brighter.

This person was my 8th grade math teacher. He spent time out of his day to tutor me after school. He was a friend to me in middle school. He had a very fun personality and made me laugh by teasing me. One time he ran into a desk, “Teasing me when I get hurt.”  His sense of humor made math easier to understand. Sometimes after school we would even play board games! He also knew my whole family and tutored my older brother. Because of that, I felt like he was family. I could imagine him as the fun uncle everyone wants to be around during the holiday dinner! Fun, caring and encouraging . . . Mr. Burn  was someone who supported not only me, but all students.  My self-confidence began to rise and I actually enjoyed math (as much as I could).  I have Mr. Burn to thank for this and this is why I am nominating him as my Teacher of the Year