Please give a character sketch for E.R. Braithwaite in the novel "To Sir, with Love".

E.R. Braithwaite is a British man who tells the story of his first year of teaching at Greenslade Secondary School.  Previously to becoming a teacher, he served six years in the military and after the military he applied for many engineering jobs.  He had trouble finding a job because of prejudices.  An encounter with a stranger on a park bench led Braithwaite toward a teaching career.  The man believed that skin color would not matter in a teaching position, and postwar London had a teaching shortage.

Braithwaite has some insecurities when he starts teaching but he grows confident in his teaching abilities.  He genuinely cares about the students and earns their respect.

By the end of the school year, Braithwaite is a beloved, warmly accepted teacher who is well known in the community.  Braithwaite is an intelligent, sensitive man who is able to motivate his students.