Students living in Texas will spend an average of thirteen years in primary and secondary education. In the public education system, this means students will have had over fifty different teachers and faculty members throughout their time spent in schooling. With all the love students have for the teachers they met at Clear Springs though, it’s safe to say that the teachers are making an impact.

When it comes to AP coursework, students might be frustrated with the level of difficulty in the classes. Courses offering both high school and college credit are designed to provide challenges. It seems that many of the teachers teaching AP classes, however, make the more difficult of classes enjoyable.

“You can’t walk into her class and not smile,” Alexis Lang (10) said of Mrs. Alisa Cunningham, AP World History teacher. “The class is more enjoyable because she’s so passionate about everything she teaches.”

Transitioning into AP classes is made easy when Mr. Jacob Clark is teaching freshmen AP Human Geography. Aiden Kocian (9) said of Clark, “He’s so calm about going into subjects. He’s really good at explaining really tough, college-level subjects.”

Even in pre-AP and on-level classes, the teachers at Springs excel. Mr. Brock, algebra teacher, was one of Regan Dickson’s (11) favorite teachers. Of Brock, she said, “He was never in a bad mood. I did better in that class because he made me more motivated and held me accountable.”

Other students believe the teachers make classes fun. Madison Salas (11), described Coach Hosek as “not one of your boring teachers.” She said, “He’s a supper funny teacher, and I know he’s there for me if I need help with other stuff.” It’s something to take pride in as chargers that there are teachers students have that can go beyond just curriculum.

Elective classes boast amazing teachers as well. While everyone knows the students from Volt Vision, many don’t know the teacher behind it: Ms. Amber Pecsenye. One of her students, Sofia Rasmussen (12), admired Pecsenye’s dedication. She said, “Ms. Pecsenye is a very hands-on teacher, but she always lets the students express their creativity. She’s really dedicated.”

Another elective with a teacher that students love is Creative Writing taught by Ms. Meggie Willner. Maria Aykara (12) said, “I’ve never had a teacher where I have so much fun in her class. Her classroom is very interactive, and there’s always a chance to get involved.”

To have such amazing teachers at Clear Springs, must mean those teachers had teachers that inspired them as well. This is true. Mr. Clark claimed one of his teachers early-on changed his entire life. His fifth grade teacher, Ms. Mary Ellen D. Frazier, was the “first adult to pull [him] aside and evaluate [his] behavior.” He said, “I had been suspended and expelled from every school I attended. It was a time of my life where I was looking up to my older brother who was a very bad influence.” Having Ms. Frazier as an influence turned Mr. Clark from a troubled kid into a teacher students love and admire.

Our associate principal, Dr. Joseph Ruiz, had a coach that changed his life, Coach Carl Irlbeck, a Panhandle Sports Hall of Fame inductee. Not only was he the “coach who could teach anything,” but he insisted on high education standards from Dr. Ruiz. Ruiz said, “His weekly grade checks were worse than bringing your grades to your parents.” His importance to Dr. Ruiz was similar to Mr. Clark in its timing. Ruiz said, “He got me early and convinced me I could do whatever I put my mind to.”

While this is just a small sample of teachers and students, it shows the importance of building relationships across campus and how important we all are to one another.