How much fun could reading and learning how to use punctuation be? As I approached Mr. Andrews’ room freshman year, I thought the answer to this question was simply, it can’t be fun—but I couldn’t have been more wrong.

Mr. Andrews used his personality to make the class interesting. He used jokes to make sure his students were engaged in the class. He would connect the topic to something we have all experienced to make it more understandable. His class taught me subjects I don’t enjoy can still be fun to learn.

Some days, I would walk into his room and sit down, waiting for class to start. Mr. Andrews would walk into the classroom and show off some new trick or dance move that he learned. For example, there was one trick that he called “jumping through his leg” where he would lift up one of his feet, make a loop with his leg, and jump up and bring his other foot through the loop. This would make his students laugh; it also showed them school can be entertaining. 

Once I was done with my work, I would go up and talk to him about sports events from the previous night. This showed me I can still have fun while learning, and it doesn’t have to be super serious.

Going to a small middle school with a graduating class of 17, the transition to having 500 classmates was tough. I didn’t know any teachers and I only knew a couple of people from my middle school. I didn’t know anyone in any of my classes freshman year. Yet, when I was in Mr. Andrews’ room, I felt like I knew everyone, as he made sure that no one was left out.

As I walk up the stairs and round the corner, I see Mr. Andrews standing by his door, waiting to greet you. I could be having the worst day ever, but when I see Mr. Andrews’ smile, I forget about what had happened earlier in the day. This would help me get through my day, as I knew I could look forward to this class. 

Besides being my English teacher, he was also my freshman golf coach. Just like in the classroom, he would bring great energy to practice and not take it too seriously, which was important for a freshman like myself. When needed, he would give advice to make sure that I made good decisions on the course. With his many years of experience, he would know what to do if there was any confusion.

Mr. Andrews showed me that fun can still be had while doing something that you don’t necessarily enjoy. Having a bright and positive attitude can lighten up people’s day, and he inspired me to want to make a change in other’s lives.