The teacher that i have nominated for the Teen Ink Educator of the Year contest is Rebecca Sims. Ms. Sims is the eleventh and twelfth grade English teacher and does more for us outside of her actual job. Ms. Sims has done so much for the high school students that she teaches. Anyone who is being or has been taught by Ms. Sims naturally calls her "Sims". Sims has a very different style of teaching, is involved in school activities in many ways, and helps students in various ways.

Sims was in the Marines before she started teaching, so she is a really tough teacher. She is the type of teacher who will not give you really hard work, but she will give you a lot of easier work. Every week she assigns some kind of essay for us to do. The essays could be anything from a topic she wants us to debate on, a contest like this one, or even applying for a scholarship. Sims will assign certain classes a story to read from our Literature books. In the past there have been plays. For example when we read Hamlet; we all had different characters and had to dress up like each character. We read the story as a class. My eleventh grade year Sims told us to make a power point of fifteen vocabulary words. We had to define them, show an example, and add character to each slidwshow. Sims giving us all the work shows that she truly cares. Sims not only is a great teacher, but she is also a tremendous help with things we need help with outside of just English classes.

Ms. Sims has her teaching job, colleges and scholarships, runs clubs like Future Teachers of America and National English Honor Society, and have school spirit by participating in games or pep rallies. Ms. Sims will call a students' parents in a heartbeat if they are doing bad in her class. She also is very strict on dress code which is the right thing. If a student's grades are getting abnormally low she would pull them aside and talk about it, then see how it could be brought up. Ms. Sims is a strict teacher, but her pushing us is what we need. She is the best teacher I have ever had.

The counselor of our school has decided she is "too busy" to take care of senior things (which are like very important) such as scholarships and college admissions. Kind heartedly, Sims has pretty much taken things out of the counselor's hands and taken matters into her own hands. Coming up, Sims is making the seniors apply to three colleges of their choice for a grade. Sims is one of the few teachers who actually cares that we have what we need for college. Students at Highland Home are lucky to have had a chance with her.

If I had to choose two teachers to nominate for this contest I probably would not be able to participate. Sims is a very busy teacher and mother and still volunteers to push us students. Sims cares so much about her students, even though she will probably never admit it. I am so happy that I have gotten to experience a teacher like Ms. Sims who pushes for better, took over senior scholarships and college applications, participates in school activities, and believes in us. Sims always has and always will want nothing but the best for every one of her students.