Your Favorite Teachers Knew Their Stuff.

There was a part in our reading assignment tonight that really struck me.  In Chapter 8 of Ready, Set, Science! the author made the point that successful teachers know their content really well.  We all have our pet subjects, and of those subjects, we have our pet concentrations.  My pet concentration happens to be biology.  However, I am also really interested in Earth science.  I'm not as good at chemistry and physics as I'd like to be, but I am going to push myself to REALLY learn that content so that I can be a great teacher.

One of my favorite teachers growing up was my 8th grade science teacher, Boyd Sykes.  He was an amazing teacher for many reasons, one being that he really listened to and supported his students in their endeavors.  He was enthusiastic about his craft, and it fizzled down even to the most rebellious of students.  He managed to captivate us when he spoke about several subjects but none more so than his pet project:  honeybees.

We had bees in our class.  He had rigged a pipe that came through the outer wall of the building and into the classroom.  He had this lovely glass window hive, and the queen was always marked with a dot so that we could see her and follow what she was doing.  We got to see her lay eggs and see the workers feeding the larvae, we got to see the "trash dump" where the workers would take the refuse out of the hive -- "taking out the trash," so to speak.  We learned SO much about bees in this class, and he would even bring us fresh honey from his own hives, right on the comb! 

He influenced me so very much -- not only because he encouraged me to pursue a career in science, but because he REALLY knew his stuff.  I learned everything I ever wanted to know about the water cycle, recycling (I started a recycling program a year later at my high school), and bees, not to mention everything else he taught.  His was really the first serious science instruction that I had experienced, and it was always hands-on and relevant. 

I wish that I could tell him how much of an influence he had in my life.  Mr. Sykes passed away two years after I had the good fortune of being part of his class.  But I will never forget him, and I, along with MANY others of his students, still tell the wonderful stories of his instruction and what he meant to us.  So, this post is dedicated to him and all the other amazing teachers who give their all just to make us smarter, more well-rounded individuals.  If you've had some great teachers, tell them, "Thank you."

*Photo credit: http://www.genehanson.com/bees.htm