From the first day that I started school at D.M.A, I was nervous. It has always been hard for me to go from one school that I am used to, then transition to a school that I am not. It took me a few days to get adjusted to the new schedules, teachers, policies, and all the new work I would have to learn. The school wasn’t what I thought it was going to be like before I came to D.M.A… the school was perfect. All my fears went away when I found out how helpful and friendly everyone was. I have had lot of good teachers in my 9 years of school, but there’s one teacher that stands out above all the others. He is a great teacher and role model and his name is Mister Paul Heder.

I think the Educator of the Year award should go to Mister Paul Heder for his knowledge of Spanish and his unique style of teaching. He is very good at speaking Spanish and always explains in detail what we are working on. He makes himself available to students if they need him during and after school. He makes learning fun by utilizing movies and you tube videos to get new ideas and techniques across. I always do the homework that he assigns us. He makes learning a new language easy and fun.
Because of Mister Heder, I have already learned a lot about speaking Spanish and the Spanish culture. He is always willing to help my fellow classmates and I whenever we need help on something. When I need extra help on any of my homework or class work assignments, I stay after school and Mister Heder puts his full attention to help me with my work. Every time I go to his class, I walk out with something new that I have learned. I enjoy his class and therefore I always work hard to get the work he assigns done. I always review the work that I did in his class to keep it fresh in my memory and to make sure I’m ready for any Spanish tests that might come up.

I’m glad to have Mr. Heder as my Spanish teacher. I wish Mr. Heder could be my Spanish teacher for the next 3 years at Delaware Military Academy. Sometimes I try to fully speak Spanish at home just to practice on how to say the words correctly and to keep the words memorized in my head. I even received a “How to Speak Spanish” CD ROM for Christmas. At the end of the class he writes what we have to do for homework on the board. The other students and I write down the homework in our journals so we know what is due for his next class. I work on his homework and finish when I get home from school and on the next day that we have him, my fellow classmates and I turn it in. He even makes doing homework fun! How? By utilizing a system of rewards were kids can earn pesos for answering questions correctly. Pesos can then be used to buy candy, pencils, or saved in a pool that can be used for a class la fiesta at the end of the school year.
I find Spanish interesting to learn. I enjoy learning how to speak in a different language and learning about Spanish customs and culture. Mr. Heder always tells great personal stories that enhance what we are learning and he fills his class with posters and literature that keeps you in the right frame of mind. Because of him, I can speak Spanish fairly well. I know how to tell time in Spanish. I can write a whole sentence in Spanish, and I basically know what other people are saying whenever they talk in Spanish. I like classes where you learn about different cultures and about different countries, and in Spanish class I’m learning a little about Spain, that’s one of the reasons why I like Spanish. I hope other people choose Mister Heder to get the Educator of the Year award because I strongly believe that he should get the award for his great teachings at the Delaware Military Academy.