I nominate Tennyson Wellman for Educator of the Year. Mr. Wellman was our substitute in English at Brandywine Springs Middle School, for half a year in eighth grade. While his time with us may seem be short, Mr. Wellman impacted us all in many different ways. He is intelligent, funny, and empathetic.

Mr. Wellman is very intelligent. Before Mr. Wellman was a substitute teacher, he was a college professor; he told us many stories about that. Since he was a college professor, he held us to higher standards which made us better. 8th grade was the first year my essays had to be double-spaced, 12-point Arial font. He also knew our material better than most full-time teachers, so he could deliver many lessons in ways to understand.

Mr. Wellman is very funny. Many days of eighth grade were tough but going to English was something to look forward to. Mr. Wellman could make many jokes while still engaging the class in the lesson; he made us find the line between joking and going completely off task. Not one day you could walk out of that class without a smile on your face.

Mr. Wellman cared deeply about us all. He understood, if we had trouble in the class or at home he was there to talk. He allowed you to make up work and even present projects in his planning block, so we could feel comfortable. One time I couldn’t do the homework at my house, so Mr. Wellman pulled me aside to make sure everything was ok.

In conclusion, Mr. Wellman deserves my nomination for Educator of the Year. I will never forget him or the times we had. People from my eighth-grade class see him everywhere and make sure to say hello. Tennyson Wellman impacted our class he came to the eighth-grade graduation even after he was not teaching there and shook everyone’s hands. He’s the perfect choice for Teen Ink’s for Educator of the Year.