My name is Jacob Greenwood, and I’m going into my sophomore year in high school at the Delaware Military Academy (DMA).  Since middle school, there have been teachers that have made more of an impact than others for various reasons.  Often the ones that make an impact, whether positive or negative, teach us life lessons that will stick for years to come.  That said, I would say my favorite educator is Mrs. Dick at DMA.  Mrs. Dick teaches 9th grade English Composition and should be considered for Educator of the Year.  She is known to be a tough teacher at the school; however, she is just extremely passionate about literature.  I have been fortunate to spend the last half of my freshman year in her class.  There are many reasons that Mrs. Dick is such a great teacher. Some that come to mind are her dedication to the success of her students, the clear and efficient way she manages all our assignments, and her positive spin on learning and recognition.  

First, Mrs. Dick truly cares about her students.  She cares for each of her students like they are her own children and genuinely wants everyone to succeed.  Mrs. Dick will always do whatever it takes to help a student succeed.  She always makes herself available for extra help after school, offers study sessions, and gives opportunities for extra credit to boost grades throughout the marking period.  If she sees a student is struggling to understand, she will talk with them privately to explain the lesson more in depth and answer any questions.  Mrs. Dick always seems to know our potential and pushes us to do the best that we can in her class.

The second reason why Mrs. Dick is my favorite educator is because of the way she manages our assignments.  For example, when we take a test, our scores are inputted into HAC that very same day!  Knowing your score right away is helpful so you can stay up to date on your class average; plus, everyone always wants to know if they did well on a test.  Mrs. Dick also has her lesson plans available for everyone to see on her blog page for several weeks into the marking period.  This helps students, like me, that are athletes manage schoolwork and after school activities.  Mrs. Dick always makes it a point to review tests and quizzes, so everyone understands where corrections are needed.  After all, we may see it again on the final exam!

Lastly, Mrs. Dick always puts a positive spin on learning.  She relates many of her lessons to things the class is interested in, like sports or music.  When you’re learning classic literature novels like The Odyssey and Romeo and Juliet, this puts the material in perspective and helps us to understand things better.  Another positive thing about Mrs. Dick is she always gives credit where it should be given.  For example, she’ll leave positive notes like “nice job” or “keep working hard” in HAC when we have a good score.  She also sent a nice unprompted note home that made me shine in the eyes of my parents!  Mrs. Dick also incorporates previous students into assignments.  I realized her compassion when she asked us to write letters to a former student who was battling cancer, just to let him know that the Seahawk Family was still behind him even though he no longer attended the school.  Simply put, Mrs. Dick always goes the extra mile to make her students feel good about themselves and their hard work.

In summary, these are all reasons why Mrs. Dick is a great candidate for Educator of the Year.  Overall, Mrs. Dick teaches and communicates in a clear and efficient way that works for all types of students.  She always remains positive and looks for any way in her power to benefit her students.  I would consider Mrs. Dick someone I can count on for my remaining years at Delaware Military Academy as a mentor for many things to come such as term papers and college application essays.  In addition to being a great teacher, she is a friend that will always be willing to help.