(ABC 6 News) — At New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva Elementary, there is a classroom where the lessons come with laughter.

That classroom is where we find Mr. Marcus Fischer, and Mr. Fischer is this month’s winner of ABC 6 News’ Excellent Educator award.

“He’s my favorite teacher. He’s funny, he lets us play around,” said a student.

“When we’re in math, he’ll make jokes but then [we’ll] also be learning at the same time,” another student said.

Marcus Fischer is in his sixth year of teaching fifth grade, something he started doing to pass on what was given to him.

“I struggled as a student, so I always want to try to keep learning and kind of give back to the students like teachers gave to me as a kid,” said Mr. Fischer.

As a kid in Mr. Fischer’s classroom, there’s a freedom students enjoy while they are learning.

“He’ll have us working more with our friends and have us have some talk time, said another student.

And fun is abundant, even if the jokes don’t always land.

“He makes a ton of jokes,” another student said. ” His dad jokes are worse than his actual jokes.

But that is what makes Mr. Fischer an Excellent Educator.

“Playing games with them and trying to learn, letting them learn, letting them learn together in those ‘aha’ moments that make you realize that they’re actually learning what you want them to learn,” said Mr. Fischer.