In honor of teacher appreciation week, the staff (and TA’s) of the Lakeland Hawkeye took time to say thanks to teachers who have inspired them.

Liam Bradford: Ms. Shannon Hall has inspired me many times throughout my three years in her English classes. She is one of the most attentive and caring teachers as far as her interactions with students. While some teachers find struggle distinguishing the difference between showing respect to students and allowing students to go too far, Ms. Hall always stays on topic while keeping the students engaged and happy to come to class each day. She is extremely knowledgeable in the subjects she teaches, and I have been lucky to have her as my English teacher all four years of high school.

Rylee Dragon: My favorite teacher even as a tenth grader was my eighth-grade health teacher Mr. Pottenger and his wife who was my math teacher that same year. Although I had them back in middle school, I will always remember them. They made sure to build a relationship with me and their other students individually, and they always made sure to check in on us. I think a teacher’s ability to connect with their kids on a deeper level makes them a better teacher and the Pottengers did that making them the best teachers I have ever had.

Florence Bruns: Now that I am a junior, I have had many teachers over the years. There were many great ones, but one of my favorite teachers in my time at Lakeland High School would be Mrs. Novak. She always makes sure that you are understanding what you are learning and her teaching technique helps you understand it even more. She is very encouraging and always has a smile on her face.

Zoee Young: Since freshman year my favorite teacher is Shannon Hall. She always believes in her students even if they do not believe in themselves. She has always pushed me to do my best. If I do not have a clear understanding she has always done her best to make sure that I have the full understanding. Running Cross Country for Ms. Hall has taught me that pain is not relevant when it comes to running my race. She has taught me to fight through the pain and to give it my all. I am very thankful for Ms. Hall and I am very grateful to have the opportunity to be taught by such an amazing teacher.

Payton Ranney: My favorite teacher through the years would have to be Mr. Ranney, my freshman teacher at Timberlake High School. Even though he is my dad, he is loved by so many students and other employees. He does not fail to make people laugh at his sarcastic jokes and his ability to call out those who really need to be called. By far he is one of the best teachers I have ever had, he’s been teaching for many years and he really knows how to get kids involved and a good understanding of the lessons. I’m so grateful to have him as a teacher with how much support and care he gives to me and other students.

Isadora Goad: One of my Favorite teacher throughout my years in school has been Ms. Shannon Hall. She is the most attentive, caring, kind, and helpful teacher and coach that I have had. She knows how to have fun with her students and get work done at the same time. You can tell just by talking to her that she cares about every single one of her students and wants them to be the best person and student that they can be. Ms. Hall inspires me as a person to be a strong leader and always be myself and stick to what I believe in no matter what everyone else thinks. She really knows how to make this school a better place for everyone. I am so grateful and happy that I have gotten to know Ms. Hall as a teacher and coach.
Mrs. Schaffer is also one of my favorite teachers. I have only known her for my senior year and have never had her as a teacher but being her TA this year was one of my favorite things to do. She is so kind, caring, and respectful to her students. She is so appreciative and really cares about her students and wants them to succeed. I am so grateful to be able to to TA for her class.

Chase Petersen: My favorite teacher has to be Tim Kiefer. He has done a lot for me with supporting me in sports and making me better. His energetic energy is fun and humorous. He cares a lot about his students and pushes them to be better. Thank you, Kiefer!

Johnnay Williams: My favorite teacher would be Mrs Schaffer. She has done so much for me this year to succeed and help me through my difficulties. She makes me feel like I am smart and able to do positive things. I have learned so much from her and I enjoy having conversations with her. She is by far the best teacher that has ever taught me and will be a teacher that I remember for their positive impact on m

Sam Fuller: Throughout all my years of education, I have never had a teacher impact me the way Mrs. McCardell has. She truly cares about her students and their education. Mrs. McCardell has a way of helping students understand even the most complex ideas in the easiest way possible. She teaches for the better of her students and is genuine with her students. She has made my experience at Lakeland High School so much more impactful.

Zach McGee: A teacher that I really appreciate is Coach Long. He has helped teach and mentor me both in the classroom, and on the field. He pushes me to do my best and to be the best person and football player I can be. He makes learning simple, and I do not feel stressed out doing work for his class. Thank you, coach.

Hailie Zickefoose: My favorite teacher throughout all the years would probably be Mr. William. As a little kid, I liked to break rules and he always handled things the right way. He was a very caring teacher and he helped me to grow as a person and taught me about the way people should be treated.

Jace Cooksey: My favorite teacher would probably be Mr. Dunn. Although I never had him and only TA’d for him, he has taught me the valuable lesson of knowing that the world isn’t always sunshine and rainbows. The way I learned this is that of Mr. Dunn constantly reminding me that I actually have to work and can’t just do nothing.

Aiden Rothrock: My favorite teacher of all time has got to be Mr. Michael Dunn, the reason for this being is because he is a very funny, and smart teacher who makes the class fun while your also learning and just wants the best for you. 🙂 He has the best TA’s in the whole school, and that’s 5th period.

Sammie Laird: All my teachers have been great throughout the entirety of my education but I am more thankful for Mrs. Letzig. She has helped advance my writing and has challenged me to evaluate different pieces of writing with new perspectives, which are skills I can take with me into college. She has not only helped me academically but also helps to keep school fun. She is very engaged with her students and does not shy from making jokes along with the class.

Sofia Meritano: On teacher’s appreciation week, I’m happy to celebrate teachers like Mrs. Gravatt. She has been such an inspiration for me this school year. I came from a really strict art school where everything was methodical and precise. Instead, when I arrived at Lakeland, and I started attending her class, she made me know a freer way to do art, with emotions and passion without concentrating too much on the final result, but enjoying the process. She always has a nice word for everyone and she is the kind of artist I aspire to be when I grow up.

Cooper Allen: Mrs. McCardell is my favorite teacher I have ever had. I was homeschooled all up until high school and when I got here, she made learning really fun and interesting. She helped me when I need help she was respectful had a good sense of humor and was just overall a great teacher that I have deep respect and admiration for.

Aly Caywood: Teachers work hard to help their students, and it shows too. This is my first year at Lakeland and the teachers have all been so kind and helpful in helping me adapt to the new environment. They also do an amazing job presenting information in several ways to make sure students can understand it. Mrs. Letzig, Mrs. Novak, Mrs. Hasz, and Mr. Dunn have all stood out to me this year because of their generous personalities. They have all been so helpful and I have learned a lot from them throughout the year. I really appreciate them and everything they have done for me and their other students. Happy teacher appreciation week!

Zack Roses: Throughout all four years of high school my favorite teacher has to be Mr. Dunn, starting off my freshman year with a fantastic English class and then journalism soon after. Mr. Dunn created my love for photography and made me really appreciate writing. He was always fun and made me feel special by making me a key example for many things in his classes making me feel important (also made me feel like I was his favorite student). My favorite memory has to be winning Shakespeare smackdown my Freshman year in his class and all the memories in journalism. I really appreciate Mr. Dunn.

Hadley West: I have appreciated every teacher I have had, because without all of them I would be dumb. One teacher of mine stands out though. Mrs. Teel is a math teacher at LHS and has been my teacher for two years now. She goes above and beyond to teach her class math even when many kids do not want to learn it. I am always very impressed by her patience; some of her classes like to test it very often. Throughout my 12 years of schooling I have usually always hated math, but for some reason when I got into Teel’s math class I started to enjoy it. Must be her great teaching. Not only does she teach math, but she also will put in her best effort when one of her students asks for financial help (she has no debt), college help, or really any question not about math.