I was scared on the first day of middle school. I had math in the morning and heard the teacher, Mr. Mierow, trained German Sheppard dogs when he was a cop. I hadn’t been to class yet and I was already was anxious. His voice carried loud in the classroom, while I struggled with a first day of school review. I panicked when he asked me a question. Before I broke down, he walked to his desk and opened the lower left hand drawer. Out came a Tootsie Pop. He amicably handed it to me and we moved on. My worries were alleviated and the doubts I had dissolved. Mr. Mierow was compassionate.

As the year progressed, a new face showed up in the classroom. It was a student teacher. Together they taught and everyone learned. The student teacher was a former student and respected Mr. Mierow so much that she insisted on learning from him. He became dedicated to teaching her and our class. And we all succeeded from his lessons.
Before school, he worked with children and their parents. During the school day, he patiently taught. After school, you could find him in his classroom helping former students. He came because he had the drive to help the people around him.
I have been out of Mr. Mierow’s class for four years, but I have stayed in touch. My younger sister is one of his students. He teaches her in the classroom and on the basketball court. He is the same compassionate person. He coaches like he teaches. Every opportunity is a chance to learn. He has the natural drive to support people and their goals. He helped me with my first job and college acceptance. He coached my sister’s team for two years with their 64-13 record. He helped improve the school by cleaning and doing regular maintenance on the building when it was in need of aid.
Mr. Mierow deserves to be recognized for his devotion. He puts his heart in every task. Mr. Mierow is a great teacher for the passion he has and the knowledge he passes on.