Math is a subject kids find difficult and draining, I thought as I walked into my Algebra class freshman year.

With a big smile, Mr. Fechter whipped around to greet his class. Upon seeing him I thought to myself, Another teacher to bore me to death. That thought was about to come back around and slap me across the face.

There is no man that can make math class as enjoyable, loud, and exciting as Thomas Fechter can. That’s why I believe he should be the teacher to receive this award.

It’s slowly moving toward my third year without him as my teacher and everyday I resent he’s not my teacher. In his class, he was more than my teacher, he was my friend. He was my friend when he sat in the desk next to mine to help, he was my friend when he pushed me beyond my limits, and he was my friend when I would spend the end of the school day with him and my other friends.

Each day in class was something new with Mr. Fechter. He would stop the class and say “ADHD moment!” and everyone, especially me, would sit quietly and listen so intently you could hear the high frequencies of a dog whistle. When he said that, we knew it was storytime! I enjoyed those moments. It pulled me in. The stories made me feel as I were there experiencing it with him. And sometimes he would just act in an outrageous, amazingly enjoyable way! To this day I can’t get over his enthusiasm.