A teacher who impacted me this year is my Spanish 1 teacher Mr. Omar Perez. Mr. Perez manages to turn a subject that some people take just because it is a graduation requirement into a fun and unforgettable class. Additionally, my class, Block 4 B-Day, is very crazy, but Mr. Perez knows how to keep the class moving along while understanding how important it is to let everyone’s personalities shine through. 

Mr. Perez has helped make my year great in the way he is able to joke around with his classes. He is one of those teachers that when people laugh at his jokes it’s not forced; everything is completely genuine because he knows how to make a joke. He is sarcastic and knows how to poke fun at students without it being uncomfortable. He keeps his classes occupied and on track, which for some is a very hard thing to do. He is irreplaceable and many people don’t realize how lucky Lakeland is to have a dedicated teacher like him.

A teacher who impacted me is math teacher Ms. Donna Hess. She makes math a simple class and easy to understand from my perspective. Ms. Hess is very social with people. She enjoys telling stories about her vacations, dogs, and any injuries she gets, and she makes the class very laid back. 

Her teaching style and her approach on math is what makes her my #1 teacher. She makes lessons straightforward while she simplifies more complicated ones, and always makes sure that everyone understands the material before continuing. When I walk into her math class, I get the feel of relief because it’s Ms. Hess. She makes the subject much more relaxing than my other classes.

I am lucky enough to experience the dedication of Ms. Ornella Incardona firsthand. She is one teacher who has made an impact on me because she is hardworking and puts in extra time to ensure the best for her students. One example of her commitment is through the school store, The Lancer Locker. She purchases fresh bagels and fruits for students and staff to buy, and keeps up with doing so. Ms. Incardona also stays extra long hours to help run, oversee, and maintain the store alongside Ms. Tammy Ozdemir, another business teacher at Lakeland. While doing all this, Ms. Incardona teaches business and runs the DECA club at LRHS. She recently traveled to Atlanta, Georgia with DECA students for nationals, and when she returned, she was quick to jump back into her impactful teaching. 

Personally, it is such a pleasure to not only have her as a teacher, but to know Ms. Incardona. She always looks out for each one of her students and will usually tell others ,and myself, “not to worry about it.” This can be in regards to grades, stress, or a Joe’s ice tea! She relieves students from any stress they may be carrying and furthers them into being the best version of themselves. For these reasons and many more, Ms. I deserves extreme recognition for Teacher Appreciation week.

One teacher that really stood out to me this year is English and Journalism teacher Ms. Kali Spoelstra. Not only is she a great teacher but she’s incredibly nice and deeply cares about each one of her students, and makes sure to show it. 

I don’t think I could truly choose just one situation where Mrs. Spoelstra was an amazing teacher. When it comes to bringing her students into a new and better working environment or simply talking to us and listening to what’s going on in our lives, she’s always there for us. There was even a time where she went farther than that and brought in cookies for the class, one occasion being homemade and another being Girl Scout cookies. She’s able to hear everyone and take every student’s opinions and ideas and help put them into a real article. She allows for each kid to shine and helps them along the way. Overall, this is why Mrs. Spoelstra particularly stands out to me as a student at Lakeland.

One teacher that impacted me this year at LRHS is French teacher Ms. Kinga Galica. She’s kind, compassionate, and incorporates fun into her lessons. Towards the end of each class, we either play a game called Blooket to recap our learning, play a French version of bingo called “Victoire,” or even watch French related movies. 

Personally, a lesson that stood out to me took place not too long ago. The class was given flashcards which related to our unit on direction and places. The objective of the students was to not only use context clues to understand the sentence, but to navigate the classroom to reach their destination. (Ex: if the flashcard mentioned anything having to do with money, the student would go to the bank.) This activity was so fun, and what I admire about Ms. Galica is both her distinct and interactive teaching style. Ms. Galica recently announced her retirement and students are sad to see her go. They will miss her but hope nothing but the best for her retirement!

A teacher that impacted me this year was English teacher Mr. Diccon Hamilton. I appreciate him because he is nice, funny and a really good teacher. He has a very interesting way of explaining things, and he makes it really easy to understand all of his lessons. 

Mr. Hamilton also has a really good teaching style. When he is teaching he almost always includes real life examples such as economic and political scenarios which I believe is really important. On top of this, he always remains respectful to every point of view and never shows any type of biased opinions when teaching.

Mr. Thomas Allen, Introduction to Technology (ITT) teacher, is a LRHS staff member who impacted me this year. He makes everything a lot of fun, and I am greatly appreciative of him and making class something to look forward to. His fun personality brings more character to the classroom, and he makes jokes with his students which always brightens the mood of the class.

Mr. Allen makes the time to bond with his students. He sometimes even dances with them. He gives everyone just enough freedom and he’s an easy to talk to person. He’s a fun teacher that makes ITT a class to look forward to.

A teacher that impacted me this year is LRHS’s speech therapist Ms. Amanda Costagliola. Ms. Costagliola is a special teacher to me since she is a conduit for me to better understand myself and how I interact with the world. She is extremely understanding and will listen to whatever I wish to talk about. She allows us to both understand one another and ensures we both agree on goals for me to complete relating to social as well as other obstacles.

One of the most memorable memories from Ms. Costagliola was the many times where she suggested methods to calm myself down and feel more comfortable in certain situations. The initial time she recommended a method it surprised me since I was not expecting such an interactive relationship and comprehension with a teacher. From there, she has never stopped recognizing and discussing my struggles and finding solutions that I myself never thought about. Her ongoing attentiveness and empathy allow me to have a trusted person to express my difficulties and also simply rant about my interests without any negative judgment. She encourages me to not dote on my struggles and focus on the accommodations and improvements that I will soon obtain through her never-ending support.  

One teacher at Lakeland Regional High School that will always leave an impact with me is science teacher Mr. Giorgi Tchubabria. Mr. Tchubarbria, better known as Mr. T., possesses the qualities of the perfect teacher every student is grateful to have: he is incredibly dedicated with his work, always creates a positive environment within his classroom, and his genuine compassion for his students never goes unnoticed. 

In and out of the classroom, Mr. T. has done nothing but brighten his students’ days with his altruistic personality. From starting every class with an upbeat song for a midday pick me up, to always showing interest in what his students are doing outside of school, Mr. T. continually proves he is not just a teacher but a friend to his students as well. He recognizes his students’ work outside of the science department, and acknowledges their achievements at the start of each class. Personally, Mr. T has often congratulated me on newly published articles for The Lancer Ledger, and has even told me his whole family now reads my work. Along with this, Mr. T has always made time out of his own schedule to meet with my friends and I to review material, and has been incredibly accommodating when life and school both become quite busy. For those at Lakeland who have been lucky enough to have Mr. T. as a teacher, there is no denying he has made a positive impact on his students that will last a lifetime and for this I greatly appreciate him and all he has done.