Dewey Awards Archives

Since 2017, Charter School Capital has held an annual essay contest celebrating exceptional teachers. We call it the Dewey Awards, in celebration of Mr. Richard Dewey – a teacher who provided exceptional mentorship to our founder and CEO Stuart Ellis. Every year, we get a brilliant selection of stories written by students from charter schools all over the nation. This year’s winners are featured here. But each of these stories is worth sharing.

This week, we bring you a story written by Sejal Darsi that celebrates Ms. Brown of Queen City STEM School.

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Hello, My name is Sejal Darsi and I am in the 3rd grade at Queen City Stem School in Charlotte, North Carolina. I would like to tell about my teacher Ms. Brown.

I love having Ms. Brown as my teacher this year. This is because I can understand her teaching easily. My teacher answers all of my questions and she is patient. She has encouraged me to work hard to achieve my goals. She is very helpful to all the students who may not know something. She explains everything in detail so that I and all other students are motivated to complete all the tasks in the class. Now, I am going to tell how Ms. Brown changed me.

Mrs. Brown with her student, Sejal Darsi

Ms. Brown gave me a hard problem in math. I solved it fast and I checked after I submitted my answer, but it was incorrect. I learned from my teacher that I always have to check back and look over my work before I submit my final answer. We also have this “Fun Friday” concept in my class. Fun Friday is a reward for the students who participate and complete their homework and tasks on time. One Friday I did not complete my assignment and I missed the fun Friday. My teacher explained and asked me to complete the homework first. My teacher encourages me to complete my assignments on time because I am supposed but it is also nice to get rewarded.

From that day I make sure that I am checking daily and trying to complete all assignments on time. One more thing I learned from my teacher is that I have to share my knowledge with other students who need help in the class. I loved to be a leader in the class, so I participate actively.

My teacher’s words always motivate me to help my friends and family.

My family is from India and my parents used to tell me below Shloka (Poetic form used in Sanskrit language) about the teacher.

Guru Brahma (Teacher represents Lord Brahma – Lord Brahma is creator of the universe)
Guru Vishnu (Teacher represents Lord Vishnu – Lord Vishnu is preserver)
Guru Devo Maheswaraha (Teacher represents Lord Shiva – Lord Shiva is evil destroyer)
Guru Sakshaath para Brahma ( We have to see the Lord in our Teacher) Tasmaishri Guravenamaha (I bow to that true teacher)

Sloka Meaning: The Teacher is the living representative of the supreme being. He/she gives me knowledge and destroys ignorance.
I salute such a true teacher. I would like to thank her for teaching me in 3rd grade.

I really want Ms. Brown to be my teacher for upcoming grades and because I want to learn more things from her. I love her so much. I am really happy for getting this opportunity and grateful for submitting my story about my teacher.

Since 2017, Charter School Capital has held an annual essay contest celebrating exceptional teachers. We call it the Dewey Awards, in celebration of Mr. Richard Dewey – a teacher who provided exceptional mentorship to our founder and CEO Stuart Ellis. Every year, we get a brilliant selection of stories written by students from charter schools all over the nation. This year’s winners are featured here. But each of these stories is worth sharing.

This week we bring you a story written by Christopher Harley about Ms. Ashleigh Lanzone of Monroe Charter Academy in Monroe, NC.

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Pamela Smith: Hi, my name is Pamela Smith and this is my grandson, Christopher Harley. Christopher, can you give us a little background about you?
Christopher Harley: Yeah, so like she said, I’m Christopher Harley. I’m nine years old. I like to be called Chris and I go to Monroe Charter Academy in Monroe, North Carolina.

PS: Well, Christopher goes to Monroe Charter in North Carolina, and there was a teacher that he is smitten with, fond of, takes a lot of liking to. Her name is Ms. Lanzone. And we have decided to break Ms. Lanzone’s name down and give an example for each letter. Ms. Lanzone’s name is spelled L-A-N-Z-O-N-E. The first letter of her name is loving. The second letter is attention. The third letter is nice. The fourth letter is Zelle . The fifth is outgoing. The six is noble and the seventh is excellent. Christopher, I now leave it up to you.
CH: Okay. So L is loving. She is loving and loyal because she shows up every day to help teach me, even if she is sick, sad, or has a meeting.

PS: The next letter.
CH: A, she shows me attention when I need extra help with my homework.

PS: The next one.
CH: The next one is nice. She is nice because she never raises her voice at me.

PS: The next one is Zelle.
CH: She encourages me when I need help.

PS: Next one is outgoing.
CH: She is friendly. She makes learning fun.

PS: The next one is noble.
CH: She is one of a kind.

PS: And last but not least…
CH: She listens well to everything.

PS: I say. And that one is excellent. And she is, she is an excellent teacher. Ms. Lanzone could have done anything else, but she chose to teach children. And that says a lot about her. I mean, she is beautiful inside and out. And for her to decide to become an educator and not pursue any other career because it’s very obvious she could have, but we are just so thankful and grateful that she is a teacher. And that she is Christopher’s teacher.

Thank you, Ms. Lanzone, from the bottom of our hearts. May God bless you.

Since 2017, Charter School Capital has held an annual essay contest celebrating exceptional teachers. We call it the Dewey Awards, in celebration of Mr. Richard Dewey – a teacher who provided exceptional mentorship to Stuart Ellis, our founder and CEO. Every year we get a brilliant selection of stories written by students from charter schools all over the nation. We chose three stories as winners of this year’s context. But each of these stories is worth sharing.

This week we bring you a story sent in by Aida Reynoso, celebrating Ms. Harpal of Maria L. Varisco Rogers Charter School.

Growing up, I have always been a student that did not enjoy reading at all because I feel like books have too many words and pages in them. I would often find books I thought I was interested in just by reading the summary on the back, but then I would see that the book had 400 pages in it. I would feel anxious because of the number of words on each page, and I still feel like this as a college student but it does not worry me as much anymore.

Aida Reynoso

My 5th-6th grade English, writing, and history teacher, Ms. Harpal, changed the way I felt about reading long books by using audiobooks in her class, making it easier for me to be able to read and enjoy books without feeling overwhelmed because the book had 400 pages. Ms. Harpal was one of my favorite teachers growing up and the first English teacher I had that really had such a positive impact on me. She would often reward her students with food for their great work, and one time I remember writing a parody to Oh Captain, My Captain by Walt Whitman and renaming it Oh Cookie, My Cookie. It was a poem about me eating a cookie and it traveling down my digestive system.

From that point on, Ms. Harpal noticed that there was something special about the way I wrote, and she never let my hard work go unnoticed. She was the first teacher who really noticed my writing abilities, and I am thankful for her commitment and hard work. I know she may have had more downs than ups in her role as a teacher, but if she hadn’t stuck with it, I would have never had the opportunity to be her student and receive significant enjoyment and knowledge from everything that she has educated me on.

The experience in HER classroom became one of the key reasons I really enjoyed going to school. She would make learning fun with music every day, and she always had an interesting story to tell in class. Ms. Harpal has been there for me and other students in a way that parents, family, and friends could not have been, and she has encouraged me to become the best student I can be, even now. I still use audiobooks till this day, and without them, I would never be able to read a 400-page book.

Ms. Harpal showed me not only how to become a better writer, but also how to succeed in life. Not only did she give me the right guidance to do well in the classes she has taught, but she prepared me to learn about Phillis Wheatley, Nikki Giovanni, Walt Whitman, Langston Hughes, and all of these other famous poets I remember learning about in her class when I was 10-12 years old, that I am now relearning as a college student in my English classes. She has had such a significant impact on my entire life, and I could not have been more appreciative of knowing her. I hope I can also have the same effect on my students one day when I am an English teacher myself.

Since 2017, Charter School Capital has held an annual essay contest celebrating exceptional teachers. We call it the Dewey Awards, in celebration of Mr. Richard Dewey – a teacher who provided exceptional mentorship to Stuart Ellis, our founder and CEO. Every year we get a brilliant selection of stories written by students from charter schools all over the nation. We chose three stories as winners of this year’s context. But each of these stories is worth sharing.

This week we bring you a story sent in by Kimberly Aguilar, celebrating Mrs. Grimes of Compass Charter Schools.

I nominate my son’s fifth-grade teacher Monique Grimes for the 2020 Dewey Award. She is an excellent teacher. She is warm, accessible, enthusiastic, and caring. Mrs. Grimes possesses great listening skills and takes time out of her busy schedule for anyone who needs her. She is an effective teacher, demonstrating a deep understanding of the curriculum. She plans, teaches, and assesses to promote mastery for all scholars. She provides high-quality instruction and increases student achievement by delivering researched-based instruction with technology integrated.

Mrs. Grimes has not only been a teacher for my son; she also has provided additional time and support for his special needs. He has autism, along with being below his grade level. He has a hard time adapting to new people, changes, and does not like being in loud places. She has been very understanding and patient. Mrs. Grimes has helped instill my child’s desire to learn and achieve. She has gone beyond her duties to help Jacob to be successful in a general education class. She has taken the time to understand his individual needs. She encourages him as a scholar, encouraging his unique talents.

Whenever I have a question, she immediately responds to my emails and phone calls with the answers I need regarding my son’s services, support, accommodations, and modification. Her organizational skills are excellent. I strongly believe that all of her efforts should be rewarded and appreciated. Teachers like her don’t come along very often, in my opinion. Compass Charter Schools is very blessed to have such an incredible teacher, and all the scholars who go through her classroom will only benefit from the love and learning that she provides.

She is a shining star.

Since 2017, Charter School Capital has held an annual essay contest celebrating exceptional teachers. We call it the Dewey Awards, in celebration of Mr. Richard Dewey – a teacher who provided exceptional mentorship to our founder and CEO Stuart Ellis. Every year, we get a brilliant selection of stories written by students from charter schools all over the nation. This year’s winners are featured here. But each of these stories is worth sharing.

This week we bring you a story written by Kiele Marquez, celebrating Kumu Consuelo Gouveia of Hālau Kū Māna Public Charter School.

Aloha my name is Teani Beverly Kieleliʻi Marquez. I was born and raised on the island of Oʻahu in a place known as Maunalua (Hawaiʻi Kai) on the eastside of Oʻahu. I am sixteen years old and a Junior at Hālau Kū Māna Public Charter School.

I have attended HKM from the fourth grade. We are the first fourth-grade class at HKM. I was born prematurely with a condition called TEF. This stands for Trachea Esophageal Fistula. TEF is a condition resulting from abnormal development before birth of the tube that carries food from mouth to stomach. This condition carries many correlations such as asthma, severe acid reflux and a weakened immune system. I was always known as “the sick kid” because I was absent a lot due to my illness. From newborn to three years old. I was helped by the Easter Seals program for my developmental delays. At age three I was in a special education preschool and from kindergarten to third grade I was in the Special Education program with the Department of Education. In the fourth grade I was accepted into Hālau Kū Māna Public Charter School.

My Kumu (teacher) was Consuelo Gouveia. She was my teacher from fourth through sixth grade. She set my foundation at HKM. I was a nervous, timid, fragile and introverted kid. I did not like speaking up in class and I stayed in my own quiet bubble. I observed everything around me. Kumu Consuelo helped me to blossom and come out of my shell. She encouraged me to go at my own pace socially and academically.

I’ve always struggled with math and I’ve had an IEP since preschool. Hālau Kū Māna is a smaller school with approximately 120 students. I find this smaller setting helpful since I don’t thrive well in a bigger environment. It provides many learning opportunities outside of the classroom. We are definitely a hands-on type of school which I appreciate and adapt better in this smaller school setting. Kumu Consuelo is from the island of Lanaʻi. Our class got to visit her island and learn about Lanaʻi. It was a great opportunity for kids who do not have any traveling experience.

Kumu Consuelo goes above and beyond an expectation of a teacher. She treats all of her students as if they were her own children. Through this type of family-oriented teaching/learning I, along with others give her and other teachers the respect they deserve. During these difficult online learning times, Kumu Consuelo is the backbone to the online technology that we are all learning to get used to.

They say it takes a village to raise a child our school is definitely my village. Kumu Consuelo is the foundation of who I am today. My teachers have mentioned that I have “blossomed”. Now that I am older, I am definitely more comfortable with my class. I have tried to help my classmates as much as possible and although I am still the observer I definitely speak my mind. These qualities could not have been achieved on my own without Kumu Consuelo. Because of her, believing in me, I truly believe all things are possible.

Mahalo to Hālau Ku Mana for being that “village” and Mahalo to Kumu Consuelo for helping me to build confidence and believing in me, IEP and all!

Since 2017, Charter School Capital has held an annual essay contest celebrating exceptional teachers. We call it the Dewey Awards, in celebration of Mr. Richard Dewey – a teacher who provided exceptional mentorship to our founder and CEO Stuart Ellis. Every year, we get a brilliant selection of stories written by students from charter schools all over the nation. This year’s winners are featured here. But each of these stories is worth sharing.

This week, we bring you a story written by Acacia Wilson about Mrs. Gatz of Freeman Elementary. in Woodland, California.

Honestly, I could write about several different teachers but of course, I’m not going to. The teacher I chose to write about is my old 6th-grade teacher Mrs. Gatz.

The year before 6th grade I was a very difficult child to deal with. I was very stubborn and very hard-headed. All of that ended once I was a part of Mrs. Gatz’s class.

Whenever I called myself catching an attitude or trying to be disrespectful to my teachers Mrs. Gatz would always stop me, she would sometimes even raise her voice at me. When I was younger, I hated her for it I thought she was just picking at me because she didn’t like me. After getting yelled at a couple of times and being talked to instead of talked at I realized she was just trying to help me.

After 6th grade whenever I would get in trouble or almost get in trouble, I would think about what my 6th-grade teacher would say. We did rotate classes but the only teacher that I think actually tried to help me or make sure I stayed on task was Mrs. Gatz.

When I became a 6th grader in Mrs. Gatz’s homeroom I was no longer a little kid I then became a young leader and a role model for the younger kids in the school So, for my entire 6th-grade year I don’t have 1 referral thanks to Mrs. Gatz. My senior year is the year that she will retire and I feel like I should pay her a visit to thank her for helping to mold me into the young woman that I am today. Anyone who has had her as a teacher is a very lucky person.

Mrs. Gatz is the teacher who made the biggest difference in my life.

Each year, Charter School Capital hosts the Dewey Awards to honor teachers who have significantly impacted students’ lives. Two Genesee STEM Academy students wrote the following stories about their homeroom instructor, Mrs. Brasseur. It is a testament to Mrs. Brasseur’s positive influence in her young charges that two separate students wrote us to tell us about her.

From Myracle Hunter:

Hello, I am Myracle Hunter a junior at Genesee STEM Academy. In this essay I will be writing about my homeroom teacher Mrs. Brasseur.

I choose to write about Mrs. Brasseur because she has had the biggest impact on my life. She helped me when I was going through a bad time in my life. She helped me stay positive and motivated to keep going. She’s always there when you need advice. In this paragraph. I will be telling you how she had the biggest impact in my life.

I say she has had the biggest impact on my life as a teacher because when it felt like no one else understood where I was coming from. Mrs. Brasseur sat down with me and let me explain myself and the situation and even thought it was complicated she understood it and helped me throughout it. She guided me to see my purpose in life and encouraged me to help others. Next, I would like to tell you why I believe she tells you the best advice.

I remember one time me and some other LGBT+ students were kind of lost about others that shared the same interest as us. So, Mrs. Brasseur threw a little pride get together where all the ones who didn’t know about pride or felt like there wasn’t anyone else like the could come together and meet other students like them and shared the same believes and interest. Of course, there was requirements to attend the gathering. You didn’t just have to be part of the LGBT+ community you could’ve just been a supporter. It was an in-school event, so you had to meet the school requirements to. After the pride event it started some bonds with people and showed others there not by their selves and its others going through the same thing. I think there’s a lot of student that need a Mrs. Brasseur in their lives.

When I say” there’s a lot of student that need a Mrs. Brasseur in their lives” I mean someone who is caring and loving but isn’t scared to show you tuff love kind of like a mom but your teacher. This is why I think Mrs. Brausseur is the best teacher with the biggest impact on me she taught me how to not to be selfish and care for others. She also taught me how to communicate and get my point across without arguing.

From Mariyah:

Today we are going to be talking about one of the teachers that made and impact in my life and her name is Megan Brassuer but as her student I call her Mrs. Brassuer. Now, Mrs. Brassuer was my homeroom teacher from last year which was the 8th grade and she’s been helping me since day one I went to her a lot when there was something on my mind and she listened. Mrs. Brassuer was not only a great teacher and still is a great teacher she also listened to her students’ problems and always checked to see if they were ok mentally.

She is one of the teachers that have helped me though good and bad times rather it had been about school or my mental health , I will say I’ve had my days and her and a few of my other teacher would ask me how I’m doing but she always gave the advice that I needed to hear. It wasn’t just for me either I wasn’t the only student she had cared for she cared for all her students. I really took in her advice because a lot of stuff I was going through she had went through to for example struggling with weight gain, so she gave me a lot of good advice on that.

At the time I wasn’t really self-motivated, and she was one of my teachers that pushed me other than my math teacher. Mrs. Brassuer also brought me out of my shell I wasn’t as talkative as everybody else she kind of told me like hey its ok to ask for help and talk to your peers so really her and my other teachers helped and still are helping me become who I am today and they’re helping me get to where I need and want to be. She is still my teacher this year as well and she still keeps us motivated and checks on us even though school is virtual. She helps me a lot this year too like I was struggling at the beginning of the year and she basically told me and the class that we can get it together and pick our grades up before the time is up and she also checked up on me when I was sick and she does this with the other students too. Even when talking to my mom she addressed everything I was going through mentally and she also told them when I was struggling in school. She talked to her about my progress, and about everything.

So, she really made a difference in my life and I appreciate her for looking out for me.

Each year, we highlight the work of outstanding charter school educators and celebrate the impact they have on their students via The Dewey Awards. Named after the teacher who inspired one of our founders, the awards are easily one of our favorite initiatives every year. While our selection panel is charged with picking three winners, all of the stories are inspiring and worthy of sharing.

Here’s a story sent to us by Madeline Reiff, a student at Options Charter Middle School, about Mrs. Kimberly Massaud.

I want to tell you a little bit about myself and why I think Kimberly Massaud should be recognized for this honor.

In the last week of 5th grade, there was a school shooting in my local district. I was so afraid that I didn’t ever want to go back to school. I had depression and post-traumatic stress and refused to go back to public school.

I started attending Options Charter Middle School in the second semester of sixth grade for an hour a day. It was hard to just be in a school but by the end of the semester, I was going every single day. Then in seventh grade, Kimberly became a teacher there!

When I first met her, I was very happy because she was very kind and happy to have a new student! She made me feel safe because when I am upset or another student is upset, we talk and tell her our problems. Then she helps us stop getting angry or sad with each other and we can go back to class.

Every time we have a fire or active shooter drill, Kimberly tells me right away before it starts because I still get shocked and frightened. This helps me because when the school shooting happened, alarms were going off and I felt helpless. Now Kimberly helps me get ready for the drills. School is feeling safer all the time.

The most important thing that Kimberly helped me find was my passion which is art, animation and how to create your own art style. I have dyslexia, so school is hard for me. But art and animation allow me to feel smart, confident, free and joyful. Kimberly is encouraging and fun. When Kimberly says, “drawing time” I feel excited because my brain can finally relax!

Kimberly says, “As long as it is “school appropriate” you can “art it”. Kimberly is a big fan of telling students that “your art skills should not affect your creativity”. No matter what you say about your art like, “It sucks”, Kimberly loves to say “even though you think your art is bad, you are still being creative in your own way!”

In art class, Kimberly plays calming music in the background. We can sometimes play our music (but only appropriately). It’s my favorite time of the whole day because it is peaceful. Kimberly also teaches history and English. She helped improve my reading because she read the books out loud. I was able to follow along and understand better. This made me feel more confident and that I am not dumb.

Kimberly is helping me realize that I am smart, but I just learn differently. So every day for a year and a half, I wake up happy knowing that i am smart and creative.

This past year, I wrote a book about George Floyd using art and animation because Kimberly helped me find my passion. His death was the most shocking and horrific thing I have ever seen and it happened on live TV on May 25, 2020.

I was heart-broken, very sad and a little bit terrified. I wanted to show my feelings and understand what happened and that his life mattered. I was trying to not get so overwhelmed and upset and crying. I couldn’t get the images out of my head. I started to imagine what I would have done if I had been there and could have saved his life. So, I put the book together from animation slides to show the world what it is like being black, brown and light brown.

I wanted George Floyd’s family to know that I was sorry for their loss and it should not have happened. It was important for me because as a beautiful brown girl, it is hard to make people understand that we are not bad people and we don’t deserve this hate. I want other young people to know that even though we have different colored skin, that we are people, too. We are not mean or harmful. We are kind, lovable, and even though we have different colors doesn’t mean we are different. We are just the same as you. I want people to treat each other with kindness, compassion and empathy.

Working on this book helped me to cope with my feelings of sadness and fear. When you see injustice in this world, pick one thing that you can change. Be brave and be strong and find a way to kind to one another. Here is a link to this project.

Kimberly has taught me to stand up, to use my voice and to speak up through art and animation and sometimes just my voice. This year I used my voice for George Floyd.Kimberly is so deserving of this incredible honor.

Thank you for the opportunity to share all of the good things about my wonderful teacher, Kimberly! She impacts the middle school students every single day by helping us find our way. She works really hard to make me and others feel safe. Art is my passion and Kimberly helped me discover it!

Art & story by Tim Smith 3
Submitted by Susan Bakst

For the past four years, Charter School Capital has held the Dewey Awards essay contest. The awards aim to highlight the outstanding impact charter school educators have on their students.

Selecting the three winners is a challenge – all of these stories are inspiring. While our panel chose three winning entries for 2020, we felt this entry needed to be shared.

Here’s Tim Smith 3’s story about William Jones, a math teacher and advisor at Brooklyn Urban Garden Charter School.

Mr. William Jones, Real-Life Hero – by Tim Smith 3

Teachers don’t get the credit they deserve. That’s why today I’m celebrating my friend William Jones, who is a math teacher. And I’m drawing him the Marvel way.

My name is Tim Smith 3. I’m an artist and a storyteller. I also manage the Comics Department at Marvel. Today I’m drawing my friend William Jones, a brilliant math teacher and advisor, to recognize him as a brilliant teacher and a real hero.

Mr. Jones teaches at Brooklyn Urban Garden Charter School. It takes skill, patience, and understanding to teach hundreds of kids daily. Mr. Jones does that, and more. Not only does he help teach math – an essential skill for every person on the planet – but he’s also an advisor to the kids, helping them understand complex algebraic equations and at the same time helping them cope with real-world problems.

The continuing struggle for equality and inclusion has hit an Apex lately with the Black Lives Matter movement. Mr. Jones has shown empathy and understanding on the highest level. He has been and continues to be a pillar of support for the kids he teaches.

COVID-19 has forever affected our lives. Kids need all the support they can get, and Mr. Jones has been there for them every step of the way.

I admire the way Mr. Jones keeps his cool under such extreme conditions. His power is his ability to shape the next world leaders with courage, wisdom, and confidence.

I can draw traditionally and digitally. For this piece, I chose to do it digitally. The computer has kept us all connected. It’s a digital age where online learning has helped continue the lessons teachers started before the pandemic. I thought it would be fitting to keep that idea going.

Mr. Jones is an inspiration to others, especially his students, and I wanted the look & feel of my drawing to show that. On his chest is the mathematical symbol, an upside-down A. It’s a universal qualifier that means “for all.” And I’m using bright colors – in his suit and even in the sky, to show hope as he looks towards the future with a smile.

Mr. Jones, you’re amazing. A part of me will forever be attached to every child you helped. Continue to be the hero you already are.

Every year for the past four years, Charter School Capital has held the Dewey Awards essay contest. This contest highlights the wonderful impact charter school educators have on their students. Selecting the three.winners is a challenge – all of these stories are inspiring. While our panel has chosen the three winning entries for 2020, we felt this entry needed to be shared.

Here’s a story by Jaci Chuaunsu, student at Kihei Charter.
Jaci writes about Mr. Jake Hamman, engineering teacher and Jaci’s advisor.

How my teacher has impacted my life – by Jaci Chuansu

I was still new to the island of Maui when I first enrolled in Kihei Charter. It was the first time I went to an American school, and I had no idea what to expect. I kept to myself for the most part, but what I didn’t expect was how nice and friendly people were, even if I was just “the quiet kid.”

People in Maui were very open, welcoming, and nice to everyone around them, showing their aloha spirit. I was in middle school when I first came to Kihei Charter, and I tried to adjust as much and as quickly as I could by familiarizing myself with the place and the people around me. My classmates were all cool, and they were friendly enough to me, a newcomer, to make me comfortable while in class. I became closer to some of them as the school year dragged on. The teachers were also nice, though some were stricter, and I learned a lot from them.

My advisor that year, Mr. Jake Hamman, was my engineering teacher. From what I understand, he was part of the school staff the year before, and this was his first time to be a teacher at Kihei Charter. Regardless of how much experience he had, and the little amount of time I was able to spend with him as a teacher, I would say that he was a nice, cool, chill teacher who always had a smile on his face. As an engineering teacher, we did more hands-on activities, rather than papers, and some computer lessons as well. Mr. Jake always made sure that the activities he planned for us had something new we could learn or improve on, all in the most interesting and fun ways!

You see, I was always the type of student with a mindset that there was a given answer to the problem, just like how math problems have a formula to find a solution for every problem. In his class, however, I had to think out of the box to solve all sorts of problems and be creative in our projects. But I also learned to be somewhat resourceful and to simply enjoy all the fun activities set out for us. It was comforting for me, as I was nervous due to not having an engineering class before (because I was homeschooled).

For some activities, especially the messy ones, he would almost always be the one to clean up everything (as it was his room) after a class even if it was supposed to be our (students’) mess to clean up. Although he was a little annoyed about it, I always just saw him brush it off, grab the broom and dustpan, and clean up the mess, ever so patiently. Of course, he would always tell students to clean up after themselves. There were those times where they didn’t, and I felt bad for him every time I saw him cleaning up after students’ messes. I became more conscious of making sure to clean up after myself from then on. At least I hope I wasn’t messy!

There was one activity where my class was divided into groups to assemble a robot. In another activity, we made a bridge (e.g. suspension, truss, arch, cable, beam) using only the given materials such as bamboo skewers, tooth floss, rubber bands, popsicle sticks, tape, and a glue gun. During the bridge project, the whole process of building the bridge was really fun. We used up a few lunch breaks and advisory time, but it was worth the sacrifice! It was also convenient for my group since he was both our engineering teacher and advisor, allowing us to work on it during those times. The fact that he let us use his classroom to work on the bridge during his lunch break (a.k.a. supposed free time from kids), is something I was thankful for and one of the things I admired about him – his love and sacrifice for his students.

Whenever we worked on the bridge during breaks or even in class, Mr. Jake would give us some words of encouragement here and there, sometimes even gave us some beats to listen to while we were working, which really brought up the mood. Later on, I found out that my group and I were the ones whose bridge withstood the most weight. Mr. Jake even had to use something to push onto the bridge until one of the legs of our bridge finally gave in and broke! That made my day, where all our efforts paid off with Mr. Jake’s supporting us.

Remember how I said that he was also my advisor? Well, he was literally the best advisor I could ask for! During engineering class, we had an activity that had to do with vibrations – sound. This was when he showed us how he made a homemade, one-string guitar. He even let us use the strings from his own guitars for this activity. Mr. Jake loved music and he wanted to incorporate something related to it into our class, hence the one-string guitars. When he found out that I liked playing guitar, literally playing with the guitar, since I only knew a couple of chords then, he let me borrow his guitar whenever I wanted during advisory. Throughout the entire school year, during advisory, I would always borrow his guitar as I did not have one at the time. A couple of months later, online school started and I couldn’t play anymore since we could no longer go to school (physically anyway), but I missed having class in person with him and the other teachers even more! Although we no longer met physically, we still had classes online, and it was cool my teachers adjusted fairly easily from what I could see. Because of this, Mr. Jake also had us do a bunch of research and design. We even tinkered around folding a paper airplane that could go further than just a couple of feet. It was a fun school year, and despite some unexpected events.

I’m really glad to have had Mr. Jake as my advisor and engineering teacher. He is a cool guy and a great teacher! He is one of the best teachers I know and has always been there to support his students. To me, there will never be another Mr. Jake.