Mr. Starett was my eighth grade homeroom and math teacher at Brandywine Springs School, he was also the boys’ volleyball coach. I learned a lot from Mr. Starett that year. He helped me with my math studies and also showed me what it was like to be treated like an adult. Math has always been the most difficult subject in school and Mr. Starett always found the time to work with me until I understood the lesson. He also taught me what it was like to be treated like an adult. He made it a point to speak to me about current events and was interested in my opinion. That was something new to me! In addition, he introduced me to sports! With his guidance, I ended up joining the volleyball team and earned my way to be the captain of our team! We ended up winning the District Championship that year! By my eighth grade year, I thought that I was ready to move onto high school without any problems. Thankfully, Mr. Starett showed me the error of my ways!

I entered Brandywine Springs School in fourth grade and went there until I graduated eighth grade. By the time I reached eighth grade, I thought I knew what I was doing. I did have difficulties in some studies, but I managed to work my way through them. Math was always my toughest subject, but thankfully I had Mr. Starett to guide me through it; he spent a lot time going over equations and problems dealing with the lessons he was teaching us. He always made sure that I understood the concepts before moving on. He also taught me how important it was to keep my folders, locker, etc. organized which would help make things easier. After talking and working with Mr. Starett through the eighth grade year, I felt like I walked away with so much more knowledge.


Not only did I accomplish so much more academically in the eighth grade, I also learned a lot from Mr. Starett regarding sports. He talked to me about football and really got me watching and playing football. That’s where I learned my love of the Philadelphia Eagles! We would always be talking about the games and either the fantastic plays or painful losses. He also introduced me to volleyball. I thought that it was a weird sport and that I would never want to play it, but with his coaching not only did I end up playing volleyball, I ended up being our team’s captain, and we went on to be become the District Champions. Through his coaching, I developed my confidence in sports, and I felt like I was growing up.


Mr. Starett had a way of speaking to his students that made us feel like adults. We would discuss the responsibilities of becoming an adult, like taking pride in our studies and showing respect towards other adults. He would also discuss current political events with the class, and everyone felt comfortable expressing their opinions on the matter. He would listen to what we had to say, and he made us feel like our opinions meant something. This way of teaching brought us a long way from where we began at the beginning of the year.


I believe that all of the qualities Mr. Starett practiced and preached to us during our eighth grade year made us grow up. We enjoyed having someone to help make sure our studies and conduct mattered; he also showed us that our opinions matter. I feel very lucky having the opportunity to have an outstanding teacher like him. I believe if you had the opportunity to have Mr. Starett as a teacher, you would feel the same way too. And that is why Mr. Starett is my nomination for Educator of the Year 2011.