Sometimes I have trouble focusing in class and I'm not proud of it. But during autos class my junior and senior year, I never found myself daydreaming of snowy mountains or of a day on the beach--and that's because of one person: Mr. Varrelmann.

I have been surrounded by motors since I was five and Mr. Varrelmann makes me view being an auto mechanic as a possible career.  I never thought I would know how to use those giant scan tools and figure out what's wrong with a car, but now troubleshooting comes easily thanks to Mr. V.   

During class, I can see he loves what he does for his job. On my first day of autos class, there wasn't boring syllabus lecture, no safety contracts yet, and no getting to know each other games. Instead, Mr. Varrelmann got right to work and demonstrated what a motor needs to run. He told us, “These are the most important things you’ll need to know all year. A motor needs a fuel and air mixture, spark and compression.” And on that first day, he had a surprise. He loaded a ball into a cylinder tube, filled it with compressed air, and shot it high, so it hit the ceiling. BANG! After that, he aimed for a hood hanging on the wall. He missed, so he tried again. He smiled and laughed. After that first day, I knew I was in the right place. I learned right off the bat how a motor runs, and I knew I would have lots of fun in autos.

There is never a day when Mr. Varrelmann is not smiling. Mr. Varrelmann is always outgoing, energetic, and encouraging. Even on those dreaded Mondays, he is ready to go. Having a teacher who is always organized, engaging, and happy makes class fun and makes learning easier.

While he teaches, he cracks jokes and keeps the class alive. I have yet to hear crickets or a pin dropping to the floor. I never had a teacher who makes lectures interesting and looking at electrical diagrams fun. Mr. V. will never just ramble on and on; instead, he constantly asks for our opinions and experiences. One day Mr Varrelmann said, “Were coloring today in class, so don't eat the Crayons.” We all laughed. And if a student daydreams, he honks the horn. This makes the class jump out of their desks in shock--but then soon, everyone laughs and smiles. When a teacher makes students laugh, we have a better day.

But lab days are the best. He never just sits in his office with his feet up--instead, he encourages us to work harder. He even lets us work on teachers’ cars. That can sometimes be nerve-wracking. But Mr. Varrelmann has confidence in the students, reminding us, “We can fix it if you put your mind to it.” He also gives us the opportunity to work on our own cars and he gives us pointers along the way.

Mr. Varrelmann will drop anything he's doing to help a student jump a car on a cold winter day. He has an answer for everything. Mr. Varrelmann does not just teach autos, but he also teaches us life skills such as persevering, respecting others, and about having good work ethic.

Everyday during class, he makes sure we're following the Arrowhead Way, which requires us to be appropriate, be respectful, and be responsible. He not only wants us to pass the class, but he also wants to see us succeed at what we love to do. Mr. Varrelmann is not just my teacher, he is my friend.