Editor’s Note: In honor of teacher appreciation week, five NWN staff members have chosen a teacher to write about. These teachers have made an impact on our lives, and we would like to show them our appreciation.

I remember being terrified about my first honors class in the beginning of the school year. I had heard from many friends that it wasn’t even that hard, and considering that literature is my favorite subject, I should have been fine, but I’m a teenager with high strung emotions; give me a break. The first day of school, I followed my schedule to my first period, which was Honors American Literature and Composition,  but I started to panic when I found myself in the Driver’s Education room–was the wrong room number printed on my schedule? I was going to be late on my first day of school, and that was not a good way to start off the year. Everything seemed ten times worse when a straight faced man walked in, who towered over me at least a few heads. How was I supposed to ask for help when I felt so intimidated? Thankfully, he introduced himself as Paul Bellwoar.

Mr. Bellwoar is about the funniest guy around, whose sarcasm can kill your little heart if you don’t keep up with it. I have never met any other teacher as passionate about the subject they teach as he is. A lot of my friends who have read the same novels as I have, but with different teachers, complain about how bad the book is, and they can’t stand reading it anymore.  Nonetheless, my class has fallen in love with all the novels we have read, and not because we have a different tastes than the rest of the school’s students, but because Mr. Bellwoar makes reading literature enjoyable (Note: I dedicate this syntax pattern to Mr. Bellwoar, who has worked so hard to drill it in all our head).

In his class, he breaks down every single detail of the book, but he makes it sound interesting, as if we have discovered a secret treasure, or something along those lines. And he doesn’t just teach; he has a conversation. He allows students to speak their minds about the book, and what they think that symbolic detail meant. He is truly interested in what we think, and learns to view the book in different ways because that’s how his students view it.

Aside from my literature teacher, he is also my Poetry Slam coach, so I have gotten to know him a tab better than my first-period classmates. The extra time spent together has allowed me to witness his sarcasm expand greatly, but that’s not why I truly admire him. He has a great talent in writing, and he works hard every day to get bigger and better. He has already published many books, and I can tell you–even though I’ve read only a few poems from one of them–that he has a great skill that he loves working with. Because of those skills, he recognizes passion in others, and pushes them to the fullest.

And don’t get me started on how he knows everything about every subject. Sometimes, I wonder how in the world can his brain withhold all that information, and when he doesn’t recognize a topic, he asks for more details and facts. I swear, he is like a walking Encyclopedia.

His interests expand from the world’s culture to the most awesome music found on the planet. He makes everything he talks about interesting, even if the topic doesn’t even relate to you, and challenges you to increase your knowledge to the level his has. He recognizes a hard worker, and he cares of what his students will become. He does not lecture you as a teacher, but he talks to you as a friend, and that is what makes all the difference. He relates to your situation–which is not too hard to believe since he knows about everything–and guides you through it.

On behalf of all your students and the Poetry Slam team, I thank you for dedicating your time and passion toward our own. Aside from a great teacher, you are a great man, and I wish you the same things you wish for us. Again, thank you.