“I let off the throttle, a little. The throttle is the mental energy,” Grandy said. In Miller’s class, he can let his real personality shine. He knows that this teacher assumes good intent and will be patient with him. And since he’s already more comfortable, he’s not as worried about making a mistake or monitoring his own behaviors.

“Sometimes it’s just so hard, but the fact that you have people to talk to makes it a lot easier. And Mr. Miller is one of those people, who, no matter if you’re going through a lot or a little, he’s still there,” Grandy said.

Miller joined the Founders Classical Academy two years ago, after moving to Arkansas with his wife and two children. Although this is his first official teaching job, he’s taught before, just under different circumstances; he was an adjunct instructor at his seminary, where he led a preaching lab. He evaluated students on their public speaking, on how well they prepare a sermon, and how they read and analyzed scripture. Essentially, he was using the same skills that it takes to teach history to high schoolers.

“You’re not going to lead a Socratic seminar from the pulpit,” he said, “but there’s a lot of similarities.”

To Miller, his ability to teach is a direct result of his work in the Christian ministry — and that background also influences how he treats his students. He can’t, and wouldn’t, tell his students what religion to believe; but he can show them unconditional love, encourage them to ask big questions, and help them find truth in the world by shaping them into critical thinkers.

“I try to never view any student as a problem,” Miller said. “I’m a bit tired of people calling children burdens. They’re not. Children are blessings.”

Miller tells his students frequently that his care for them is not based on whether they get an ‘A’ or an ‘F’ that week. Ultimately, Miller wants his students to know that they have value, no matter what. Perhaps more than any of his other students, Grandy has taken this message to heart.

“I just feel like I can tell him anything, and he’s going to still view me as the same person, even if it’s something I did that’s not a great decision or something I’m really struggling with,” Grandy said. “He’s still going to love me for who I am, and I think that’s just really what I think makes him a great teacher.”

During a manic episode last July — Grandy was recently diagnosed with bipolar disorder — he was bombarded by overwhelming thoughts that left him drained, on top of the work it already takes for him to navigate social situations at school. Grandy shared his struggles with Miller and was struck by how intently his teacher simply listened to him, and accepted him, despite the behavioral problems that his mental health was causing in class.

Another time, Grandy was getting loud in class and made one too many jokes. Miller calmly asked him to quiet down while slowly lowering his flattened hands towards the ground. It worked. After class, Grandy remembers that although Miller was disappointed, his teacher made it clear that he wasn’t mad at him.

“He even told me, ‘I don’t like you any less. I still love you the same.’ He told me that. That was really amazing and definitely needed in that situation,” Grandy said.

Patience is required to make real progress with students, Miller said. And from his perspective, when Grandy says something that others perceive as rude or weird, his student is simply trying to make connections and friendships.

“Too often people dismiss him for it, the other students do,” Miller said. “I always try to see the heart in what someone does … and if I don’t understand, I ask those questions. Like, ‘hey, Isaac, this is what you said. Is this what you were trying to do?’ And then try to explain to him and have that be a teachable moment.”

Accommodations for Grandy outside of Miller’s classroom include breaks scheduled throughout the day, said Angie Christiano, assistant headmaster at the Founders Classical Academy of Rogers. He has one in the morning and another after lunch, to alleviate some of the pressure.

Headmaster Rick Koretoff said that the structured environment at the academy, which is a public charter school, can benefit students with anxiety, ADHD and autism.

“We do have a lot of students who come here for that,” Koretoff said. “When we’re in a chaotic environment, it’s very difficult to be able to accomplish anything or to just be able to function. At our school, we’re very purposeful with that.”

To Christiano and Koretoff, Miller is an integral part of making sure their students meet the high expectations of their school while also balancing their emotional needs. As a relatively new teacher, Miller is able to connect and empathize with his students in ways that make them better learners, Christiano said — while still keeping class fun.

Grandy, who has taken two classes with Miller as a freshman and now as a sophomore, has seen this first-hand. Once, Miller used Star Wars to teach his students how to create a succinct but thorough three-word essay: ‘Luke redeems Vader’ to sum up ‘The Return of the Jedi.’ And last year, Miller had Grandy’s freshman class create a mock court proceeding on Julius Caesar’s assassins. The students debated and ultimately decided whether or not Caesar’s killing was justified. The day of the trial, Miller brought different hats for each witness that the students called — and wore the hats himself, in order to pose as different characters. Those characters came with silly voices, of course.

“He teaches a hard subject to make fun,” Grandy said. “If I had a different teacher, I would hate this class. The subject isn’t my favorite. But the best teachers, like Mr. Miller, make any subject fun.”

For Miller, fulfilling his life’s mission as a Christian looks like becoming the best teacher that he can be. Giving glory to his God looks like forming positive relationships with his students, showing them that they are loved, and creating a classroom that makes them feel good.

“The goal of my life is to give glory to Him, and I try to do that through being an excellent teacher,” he said.