OSAGE, Iowa - For his first year of teaching, Adam Brinkman at Osage Middle School is making quite the impact on his students.
And it's not just because of the way he teaches but because he brings a sense of humor into his classroom.
“It makes it fun to come to school and you feel more comfortable around him. He's not just here to teach but it’s easier to learn if you get along with your teacher,” students in his class said.
“I think that makes them enjoy coming to class a little bit more, rather than the traditional lecture all the time they have a lot of group work, joking with them,” Brinkman said.
Brinkman's class of seventh-grade math students decided to nominate him. That left him a bit shocked.
“Overwhelmed, pretty excited ... glad to see kids actually see the benefit in learning, especially as a first-year teacher,” Brinkman said.
Even his students can't believe that their nomination landed him the award.
“It was kind of our whole class. We came up with ideas then we wrote those down,” students said.
This award leaves Brinkman knowing how he's making an impact.
“Helps them relate a little bit more and through my experiences relating to a teacher helps a lot with making connections and getting that learning accomplished,” Brinkman said.