Teacher Appreciation Series #2

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Mr. Looper- Brannon Teague- Junior

Here at Itasca High, there is a staffing problem with teachers, coaches, and plain old substitutes, whether it’s the lack of pay, school politics, or plain boredom, they quit or resign, not only hurting the school, but the students as well; So when a teacher stays and does their hardest to see a student’s mind filled for life along the way, I feel it’s our duty, student or staff, to recognize their dedication to helping students learn and show our support and appreciation. 

In my eyes, newcomer Mr. Looper, deserves our support and appreciation. Mr. Looper has made progress in the graphic design and Art/AV classes, making them fun, educational, and easy to understand. He has also, with the help of Coaches J, and Benson, created Itasca’s very own Esports team, which is going to a High School Esports tournament in a couple of weeks.

Originally from Cleburne, Sir Looper was interested in band, playing the saxophone at 18, around 2004, to which he still regularly plays. He attended North Western State University of Louisiana for Music Business, due to the fact that he vividly enjoyed music all through life; while in college, he was a bouncer for a popular night-club, he graduated in 2015. Before coming to Itasca, he had gained experience in the field. 

Now you may be asking, of all places, why would a great teacher like Mr. Looper, choose a place like Itasca? Answer, close to home, as well as, learning to teach for the first time. I also know from experience that while his age is an adult, his inner self is a fun-loving kid (Toys-R-Us kid for life), if you approach a discussion about a video game or movie, BE AWARE, you may be there awhile, him and Henry Bowman, have spent three class periods talking about movies.

What makes him a great teacher is his interests are conjoined with a lot of high-schoolers, which is perfect due to the fact that he can relate to us; he is one adult that still has the spark in his eyes. He is for the most part an easy-going guy, do your work, ask question when you have them, and WHATEVER you do NOT bring up 1) his color-blindness, and 2) his two middle names. (I’m joking of course, but don’t).

In conclusion, Mr. Looper, for a tired student, makes school a little more bearable. He is truly “A Diamond in the Rough” (Aladdin, Henry, make a Aladdin review) in the small town of Itasca; Making it easy for those to talk to, laugh with, and ask questions). So Mr. Looper, this is for, and thank you for deciding to come to Itasca. 

Coach Wells- Krystal Monares- Junior

May 8th- May 12th, is teacher appreciation week. Itasca is full of amazing teachers, but in this specific spotlight I will be talking about Coach Wells, or as he calls himself “Coach Dog Wolf”. Coach Wells is an amazing coach and teacher here at Itasca High School. He is always full of joy, and is always trying to make people smile/laugh. One of the things I love about Coach Wells is that he can turn any History lesson into something fun. Coach Wells will bring up real life stories or personal stories to actually make the lesson more interesting! Coach Wells gives us lessons that will help us students pass the STAAR test. He has also been trying to help us learn how to write answers in a paragraph way because our STAAR test this year will have some questions that aren’t multiple choice questions. Whenever you’re down, Coach Wells will do anything to make you smile, or give you your space if you need it. Coach Wells will always try to make everyone fit in together. He will never fail to remind us how special we are to him. He always tells us how much he loves us students, and how he really cares and would do anything for us. As a student myself, it feels great to know that he’s not only here to do his teaching job, but to also care for us as kids.

Coach Wells has been in the teaching profession for 39 years! I think we can all agree that it is outstanding! After asking Coach Wells why he enjoys teaching, he answered with, “The kids, I enjoy instructing and helping kids learn and understand different things in history in different ways.” Which he definitely does! Coach Wells will always be willing to explain history in so many different points of views for us students to understand. Coach Wells was inspired to teach history because of an uncle!  Not only is he a US History teacher, he’s also a coach for the girls here at Itasca ISD! I asked him why he wanted to become a coach, and he replied with “I love winning, but most of all, I love developing kids to become the best versions of themselves and helping them set goals, and lastly seeing them achieve all of their goals, not only in sports, but in the real world that will imply as they leave high school.”

Out of school, Coach Wells is a pastor at a church. Coach Wells never fails to get excited about speaking about God and spreading the gospel. Coach Wells has been happily married for 46 years! Which is definitely admirable! Coach Wells has 7 kids, which is also pretty admirable to be honest! In conclusion, Coach Wells is a phenomenal teacher, coach and person of course! Itasca ISD is extremely lucky to have him!

Mrs. Mears, Coach Wells, Mr. McCartney- Makala Aston- Junior

One of the teachers I appreciate the most is Mrs. Mears. She is a wonderful teacher. She takes her time with her students and helps them with things they need physically and mentally. She does a lot not only for us, but for the school and I really hope she knows that she is loved and respected here. She encourages me to do good and work hard. Mrs. Mears does a lot for us and puts up with a lot. I am so thankful for her because when I need help she doesn’t ever make me feel like I am dumb or get onto me for it. She has motivated me and a lot of students to work hard and help us achieve our goals. 

I also admire Coach Wells because he always makes us laugh and keeps us kids in line. As a coach, teacher, and preacher, he has a wonderful spirit and personality. He always pushes us to do better and be our best. He does this in class and on the field. He makes sure to lead by example to be able to teach by example. He can be tough, but he is also fair and always has our best interests at heart. I love how we can get off track and then the next second head back to our work. 

My chemistry teacher, Mr. McCartney, is also one of the best teachers. He makes sure to teach, but also makes it fun so we will be more interested in learning. That is one of the things I like about him. He lets us be ourselves and is a little funny every now and then, but when it comes down to doing school work we have to make sure we do it. I believe that’s one of the reasons why I have passed his class all year just because of the way he teaches it.