For the Educator of the Year I had many options because I have great teachers, and all of them are amazing. But to me Mr. Townsend stands out because he’s different. He’s caring and considerate and also very helpful. Mr. Townsend isn’t only a teacher to me; he is my coach.

     Mr. Townsend is the math league coach at Delaware Military Academy, and I enjoy participating in the Math League under his direction. He is friendly with everyone and treats all students the same. He’s always saying jokes that put a smile on students faces even when they’re having a bad day.  Most importantly, students can always go to him with their personal problems or if you’re stressed out, and he will try his best to help you resolve the issue, and feel better. Not many teachers spend their free time on students when it’s their lunch time; they clock out because it’s their break time. Mr. Townsend has Math League practices for us every day in his classroom during his planning period.  During practice he even buys us snacks with his own money. He doesn’t only help you feel better, but he goes out of his way to do it. He makes math enjoyable.

    Mr. Townsend makes the effort to ensure that all students in his class understand how to solve the problems in his class. Mr. Townsend goes over the same slide in the lesson and explains it in more than one way so everyone understands the material. As a great teacher he understands that everyone learns in a different way. After most tests he gives the opportunity to retake the test if you scored less than an 80%. Students can retake the test but cannot earn more than 80% for their final grade on the test. All quizzes taken in class are open note; therefore, students can use any of their notes from the lesson and any homework that’s been completed. Two points can be earned for every homework assignment that is completed. A little bit of effort earns the student a one. Once all homework points are added up and 20 points are accumulated, he cancels out the lowest quiz score in exchange for those points. Every math teacher that I’ve ever had before has never allowed open quizzes; they have required the students to remember formulas that are taught in class. Mr. Townsend understands that math concepts take time to fully learn.  He also understands that sometimes students aren’t having a good day and this is reflected in their test score. He gives students a second chance whether it’s a retake or test corrections that you can get all the summative points back once you explain why you got the problem wrong, and show full understanding in the corrections.

     Mr. Townsend offers extra help at the Panera Bread on Kirkwood Highway from one to three PM, every weekend before assessments. Also, every day after school he offers extra help unless he has a meeting or a prior commitment. I am in Algebra 2; we use a graphing calculator for all of the concepts and lessons. The calculators are very expensive, and not all of the students can afford them. Mr. Townsend lets any student borrow one of his calculators if they don’t have one to use or if their calculator is charging.

     Not only is Mr. Townsend my math teacher, he’s my coach. Mr. Townsend is extremely caring and dedicated to his student’s success. He is also considerate, and he is very helpful. In my opinion, he is an extremely worthy and deserving candidate for Educator of the Year.