Golden Apple Award: Teacher cares deeply for his students

LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) - Each month during the school year, 10/11 and Doane University present a Golden Apple Award to a deserving teacher. The winner for January is Ted Reinwald, a skilled and technical sciences teacher for Lincoln Public Schools.

Mr. Reinwald not only introduces students to careers in engineering, architecture and manufacturing, he also creates a warm and welcoming classroom environment.

“I really want kids when they are here to know that it’s a safe space, somewhere they can have someone to talk to,” Reinwald said. “I don’t want them to feel like I’m here just to provide curriculum. They can talk to me and tell me what’s going on in their lives.”

“He really deserves it,” AJ Mills said. “I think this will really help him to know that the students care and the students actually notice what he does.”

Mills is a 6th grader at Schoo Middle School in Northwest Lincoln. He had Mr. Reinwald for a class last semester.

“He was like the first teacher I had coming in here,” Mills said. “And he just provided a very warm, a very welcoming, encouraging space for us to be ourselves. And for us to be open with each other and for us to be a community.”

Mills watches 10/11 and our Golden Apple presentations, and felt moved to nominate Mr. Reinwald.

“Ted truly cares about his students and works to make them all feel loved and comfortable,” Mills wrote in his nomination letter.

Mr. Reinwald has been a teacher at Schoo Middle School for the past six years. For him, being a teacher goes beyond instruction in the classroom. It’s about building relationships with students.

I’ve watched “The Voice” over the years, but AJ is really into it,” Reinwald said. “So he checks on me. He’s like, ‘hey did you watch it last night?’”

“We both like music,” Mills said. “I mean I’m a big country music fan, and I know he is too. So that’s the main thing that we bond on.”

Reinwald grew up the son of an educator. but he started his career doing highway and interstate design. He eventually decided to enter the classroom to teach technology but also to build trust.

“That’s a big part of what I love about teaching, kind of helping kids get along with each other and learn from each other as we’re going through our curriculum,” Reinwald said.

Ryan Escamilla is the Schoo Middle School Principal. He said that Reinwald is a teacher who cares deeply for his students.

“It shows in students wanting to be in his classroom,” Escamilla said. “Not only because they want to be in hands-on engaged activities but also because they know when they show up he’s going to be there asking about how their day was, how the weekend was, and he’s going to dive deeper if he knows there’s something going on.”

For this Lincoln native, teaching doesn’t seem like work. He says the relationships make teaching enjoyable.

“The kids keep me young, and they keep me laughing and we enjoy our time,” Reinwald said.

If you’re wondering, Mills still finds time to connect with Mr. Reinwald. It’s usually during 6th grade recess.

If you know a teacher who’d be perfect for this honor, nominate them here.

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