However good of a mood I’m in at the start of the day, I’m usually completely burnt out by the time I reach my fourth period. The people around me in the hallways and in my previous classes have grown tiring and interactions just start to get on my nerves. But going from third period Chemistry, where we work from bell to bell, to fourth period Art, where music is playing and all I have to focus on is my passion, I can start to feel my energy come back.

My fourth period art class is by far my favorite hour of the day. I can always expect to be able to relax in that class, as our teacher Miguel Alvarez creates a fun but relatively calm environment. He always plays music and gives us assignments or projects that spark fun conversation. And even though I’m a typically quiet person, listening to others’ interactions provides me with the same sense of humor and makes me laugh to myself while working. 

He keeps his students inspired by telling stories or showing his own artwork, which always blows away any student who looks up from their own work to see it. He’s an incredibly talented teacher who has been working at his passion for years, and he doesn’t hesitate to help a struggling student by providing helpful tips and a joke to keep them from worrying about mistakes. The atmosphere of his class can only be described as easygoing, and by the time I leave it for lunch, I’m in a good mood again. 

Even on days I’m feeling more tired or upset than usual, I can always look forward to his class because while in it I don’t feel pressure or stress with the worries of late grades or too much work. And I can tell it’s the same with the students around me, who are always kept busy with their own projects or chaotic debates that keep the entire class — including Mr. Alvarez — entertained.