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Mr. Love has an amazing ability to bring excitement and joy into learning. Tyler, my 2nd grader, hated school and we were very concerned about his academic future. He is extremely bright, but his passion for learning was gone and it became a depressing fight every day to get him to school. He was only interested in recess, and doing homework at night was a major undertaking that often ended in frustration and tears.
All of that changed when he got Mr. Love as his 2nd grade teacher. As parents, we realize the importance of finding joy in learning, but nothing we did could instill that in our 7 year old. Mr. Love embraced our son and has been an inspiration for him. Tyler is excited every single day about school and is eager to learn more. Last year I would ask Tyler every night what he learned in school, and I always got the same answer; I don't remember. This year, I ask the same question and get a 20 to 30 minute discussion about how sandstone is created, or how Mr. Love taught them science and math, or how he is learning the multiplication table, etc... These conversations are priceless as a parent and they reinforce the child's learning.
Mr. Love understands young children need to be taught with enthusiasm and fun, yet be challenged to grow. His ability to connect with his kids and to create an atmosphere of excitement is contagious. Homework is done every night without a fight, partly because Tyler understands the concepts so well that he is not continuously frustrated by the material. His math, science, art, and reading skills are growing immensely because of Mr. Love's influence. I have had a few teachers in my past, (elementary, high school, and post-graduate) that have impacted my life and I will always remember them. I imagine Tyler will always remember Mr. Love as that elementary school teacher who taught him to love learning.
I sincerely hope you consider Mr. Love for your Teacher Feature award.
Best Regards,
Sean Kennedy
