HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — This week's Top Teacher is a wrestling coach, a football coach and teaches history at Sparkman Ninth Grade School.
Coach Ronnie Watson has found a way to juggle all of his responsibilities and keep his students happy and engaged inside the classroom.
"He is very sweet and supportive for like, everyone," said student Hazel Akin.
"Coach Watson is like a, he teaches you a lot of life lessons that help you later on in life," said Francisco Lazo, another student.
His students say they love that they can walk into class and feel like they're part of a family.
"He treats us the same way he does his kids," said student Jaden Rill. "If we did something dumb, he's going to tell us we did something dumb, but if we do something good, he's going to tell us we did something good."
They say they really appreciate his honesty.
"If he's going to lie to us, then we're not going to know what we did was wrong so we're just going to go out and do it somewhere else and get in bigger trouble," said Rill.
This teaching strategy is backed up by his student's test scores.
"In AP World History, his scores have increased consistently over the past three years," said Principal Marcia McCants. "With this past year, his AP scores beating the state and global average."
Coach Watson says he wants his kids to be able to think for themselves.
"It's not to teach kids, students, how to think. They need to learn everything. I mean, in a few years, these kids are going to be voting, they're going to have to make decisions that affect all of us," said Coach Watson.
If students are struggling, Coach Watson has a unique way to help them.
"If they have things that are bothering them, whether at home, at school, whatever, they can come up here and talk about it," said Coach Watson. "We've had students in here do it. I know one specifically. Whether they're having test anxiety or whatever."
He says helping mold the younger generations is one of his favorite things to do.
"Doing this the last seven years, I haven't had a day yet here I didn't want to come. I enjoy what I do," said Coach Watson. "It's a blessing."