Middle school can change your perception of what a good teacher is. Doug Destache, the Swallow Elementary Seventh and Eighth grade math teacher, changed mine. From the first day of middle school to the last, Mr. D was always there to help me.

Math was like folding laundry--boring with no excitement--but that changed when Mr. Destache became my teacher. From the wall of fame to the March Madness brackets to him shouting “Absolutely” when the answer to a hard question was found, Mr. D lightened up the day. Of course some days had to be boring-- like the day we had to learn how to put an inequality on a number line, but Mr. D would have a couple math jokes in the back of his head to change the mood of the class. This showed me he wanted his students to take out more than just math in the class.

Mr. Destache was more than just a teacher, he was someone who cared about his students. If I didn’t understand a question, all I would have to do is ask him for help then he would rearrange his schedule so he could walk me through my mistake. Whenever I would see Mr. Destache outside of school, he would ask me how my math homework was coming along. Mr. Destache made me feel like I was more than his student and that he cared about whether I understood what we were learning.

Not only did Mr. D care about his students, but he also cared about his community. Year after year, Mr. D set up a food drive to give families a Thanksgiving meal. Whenever the middle school basketball league would ask for referees Mr. Destache would step in and put on the black and white shirt.

Mr. Destache always wanted to solve problems. Whether those were math or personal problems, he would want to help. I am nominating Mr. Destache for teacher of the year because he is what a good teacher looks like. And an award should be given to him for all of his hard work and commitment.