IDAHO FALLS - "What do you have Tyler?"

"Mad."

"Sarcastic."

"Dumb."

"Would constipated be one?"

"Any of those words are vocabulary and vocabulary that's what readings all about," says Clair E. Gale Junior High teacher Mark Morgan.

Vocabulary that's all about emotions and in junior high emotions are all too familiar.

"I'm drawing silly," says student Brendan Nowakowski

"Silly how come silly?" asks Justine.

"Cause I'm silly."

"I'm doing love because I actually do have a boyfriend and it makes it easier for me to know," says student Leatha Hunt.

"Students really have a hard time transitioning to 7th grade, finding out where they fit in how they fit in, what they should do about situations," says Morgan.

But with new experiences everyday, many students don't know how to handle their emotions, that's where reading comes in.

"You may not have to like it but you do have to realize that it's essential. It's something that everyone has to do and so connecting it into something they can identify with like emotions like getting confused in the halls helps them see why reading is so vitally important to them and their lives," says Morgan.

For Morgan, this connection is so important, his 14 year teaching career roots him where he is now.

"I'm teaching 7th grade I'm able to be closer to the source of the problem, they're older, this is where a lot of times they feel confused where the problems kind of come to a head," he says.

And his students are already learning how to face these problems.

"I don't really like bullying its kind of mean," says Nowakowski.

"What do you so if you see somebody bullying another person?" asks Justine.

"I tell the person to stop bullying them."

"Bullying can be a very bad thing even if you don't think if its not when you're teasing," says Hunt.

"Seeing their reading is not just books. Reading is also job applications, reading is also magazines, reading is also street signs, reading is also emotions reading is all around us its something that they cant not do," says Morgan. "This isn't something just for the classroom this is something for life."

Congratulations to Mr. Morgan who is this weeks Head of the Class. He will be taking home our Golden Apple Award courtesy of Crown Trophy.

Now if you know an outstanding educator making a difference in the schools, send Justine an email at justineb@kidk.com.