Educator of the Year

My favorite part of the day is when the final bell rings and the hallways flood with students. I leave the classroom and head to the locker room. Not all people would think football practice is the best time of the day but it is for me. You run, get tired, and I want to go home, take a shower, and pass out on my bed. But practice does not have to be a chore.

The football team knows that success does not come without watching film together and sweating in the weight room. Malling doesn’t let us forget that. He watches over us like a bald eagle in the sky. He does not take good enough for an answer. He fails at accepting poor effort, on and off the field. Malling knows that you have to be a success on the football field and in the classroom.

Coach Malling is the team’s leader. He made sure I made it to practice no matter how good I was. After our first practice he picked linemen to catch eighty yard punts while the team watched from the sidelines. He checks up on the players to see if we are feeling good about playing football and asking us about our grades. It shows that he cares about us. It means a lot to the team.

We have a study hall on Tuesdays before practice to help kids get their homework done. He stays in the study room to answer any questions that my teammates and I may have.

He teaches English at North Campus. He will help students with their grades to make sure they are on the right path. He can relate to players, coaches and parents. During my sophomore year, I walked into his room to ask him where I could replace one of my knee pads. Instead he sat me down and we had a serious but fun conversation for about twenty minutes. I feel confident on telling him what’s going on since he is understanding.  All the players love his sense of humor. My practice jersey was ripped to shreds from practicing. He walked up to me, gave the jersey a look, and said, “I like it, you’re looking good.” Other coaches hated my jersey and weren’t afraid to tell me.

He is my educator of the year because he has taught me how to be responsible for my own actions and to set an example for others to follow. He taught me to be respectful to other players even if they don’t deserve it. Other teachers can teach me how to speak Spanish, but he taught me responsibility and respect which I will carry me through life. He makes life less of a chore. He made me a better person.