Walking into block Chemistry, my brain was reeling with questions. Will I be able to do this? I failed last time. Should I just drop it? What if I fail again? As I sat down, I looked around and saw all the kids in my class all had the same sullen looks on their faces. As the bell rang, I thought, no going back now. Mrs. Koch walked up in front of the class, introduced herself, and then asked all of us a single question: “Why did you decide to take chemistry?”
During the next few days, I tried to pay attention, but I kept thinking, I can’t do this, I can’t do this. She told us we were going to have to memorize the element symbols on the Periodic Table and thirteen Polyatomic Ions and their charges. Oh great.
But I did it with an A on both. She said those were the only things we would have to memorize and she was correct. Anything else we learned, she gave us a sheet of paper with the information on it that we could use on tests and quizzes. She stuck to what she said and I loved how honest and trustworthy she was!
Then came Stoichiometry. It’s a big word with bad memories. Then, unexpectedly, Mrs. Koch started talking about cookies. Chocolate chip cookies to be exact. She started explained how balanced equations were like cookie recipes. You need a certain amount of one ingredient and certain amounts of other ingredients to make one product. But what if you had a limited amount of one thing? As she explained everything, I found myself actually understanding what was happening! The best part about it was the whole time she was explaining it, she had a bright smile on her face and I could see the excitement shining in her eyes. I have never met a teacher as passionate about their job as she is and it never stops amazing me.
She’s a tornado. She goes through people’s minds and makes them remember what she left in her wake on the way through. She teaches everything on a level that everybody understands and if one person doesn't understand, she goes back, without hesitation, and

repeats it again or explains it a new way until she knows everybody understands. That’s what I love about the way she teaches. She makes sure everybody is on the same level and she helps anybody who’s not. She’s extremely helpful and she makes me feel good about taking the class again, since last time I failed, because I know if I have any problems, she will help me and make me understand. She’s understanding, caring, and determined and actually cares about our grades. She’s a fantastic teacher, but she’s an even better person.
I am nominating my chemistry teacher Mrs. Koch, for this award because she’s not only a great teacher, but also a great role model, leader, and friend. Now I know why I took chemistry. I took it because I wanted to learn and succeed and she helped me accomplish that goal.