Scott Hunter

My son is 9-years-old and dislikes school, probably like most his age. He has ADHD and sensory processing dysfunction; therefore, he struggles immensely. As a young child we were told to keep our expectations of successful learning low. His behavior has gotten him in trouble on multiple occasions. In the past teachers have tried to reach out to him to no avail. He was seen as a student that they just needed to get through their grade. They tolerated Jackson and we very nice, but Mr. Hunter is different. He has taken extra time and gone above and beyond to make Jackson feel comfortable in school. He goes out of his way to create incentives that spark creativity and learning for all of his students. For Jackson, Mr. Hunter will use his own lunch break to stay with him and play chess as a reward. He has set up his classroom to foster flexibility in learning styles for all of his students. This is vital to children with disabilities. He has taken extra time to truly understand Jackson as an individual, not just a child with ADHD. Mr. Hunter knows Jackson’s love of football. To show his support of Jackson he has attended a game. This was not something he had to do, but he did it on his own time and cheered Jackson on. He has expectations for all of his students. He wants them to achieve their individual fullest potential. Some teachers do not have realistic expectations, but Mr. Hunter does and he creates a learning environment that enables his students to successfully climb this mountain with perseverance and enthusiasm. This has been a pivotal year for Jackson and Mr. Hunter being his teacher has been instrumental in encouraging and fostering the love of learning.

Jackson Leathers