For this year’s contest I nominated Gunny, short for Gunnery Sergeant Lemke. Gunny was a former drill instructor in the Marines. He is now a Naval Science Instructor at the Delaware Military Academy. Gunny is very funny, loves PT, and teaches us cadets so much. So far, Gunny is my favorite teacher.

Gunny is such a lovable person. He likes to have fun and joke around. At times when we’re not behaving, his favorite two letters pop out of his mouth: PT. By doing this he teaches us discipline, something a lot of the cadets lacked when they first started out at DMA. A lot of cadets have already changed and matured. Even though he can be strict at times, he’s still like a giant teddy bear. It’s hard not to like him.

Being a drill instructor Gunny has a very loud voice. Even though he makes the class interesting, there’s always that one day where you’re so tired. By going to his class I guarantee you won’t fall asleep. His voice is like getting water splashed in your face. His classes are very fun, and you learn a lot. Along with that he makes sure everyone participates. He’ll pick on you randomly to answer a question, so you always have to be ready! He makes class fun, and there’s always something going on his classroom.

I've had many good teachers throughout my life, but I think Gunny is a phenomenal teacher. His various techniques really help you. He always pushes us to strive and do our best because he knows we have the potential. He’s always tough on us but, we all know it’s for the good of us. Teachers do better when they have a way to connect with their students, and Gunny is a teacher that is able to do that.

I will admit during the beginning of the year, I used to be scared of him ; I thought he’d make us do push-ups everyday. As days passed, I realized he’s not as bad as you think. Once you get to know him, he’s very kind. I realized he is only stern because he wants us to do better. Not many teachers have that quality, but he does, and that’s why I chose Gunny for TeenInk’s Educator of the Year.