I have never been a fan of school. It has been hard for me to focus and enjoy learning—that was until Mr. Bisbee's class at Arrowhead High School. Mr. Bisbee teaches science 9 and biology.

Walking into his class, I was nervous. Many people said Mr. Bisbee was intimidating and a difficult grader. The first days in his class I didn’t say much. I kept my head down and completed my work silently. As the semester went on I realized Mr. Bisbee wasn’t someone I should fear, he was a great teacher. I found myself trying to answer every question in class. I raised my hand if I didn’t understand a concept and he was eager to help me. Mr. Bisbee was only intimidating because he challenged students. But that is what school is about: being challenged with new knowledge. He took his job seriously and didn’t give us participation points; he cared about our grades and how we performed in his class. He graded tough so that we would learn from our mistakes. 

When I got my schedule the summer after freshman year, I was ecstatic to see I had Mr. Bisbee again for both semesters of biology. We got to do labs that not all the other biology classes got to do. We also learned about Ecology and animal studies. Mr. Bisbee has pets in his room: bugs, snakes, and turtles. I begged Mr. Bisbee everyday to hold the snake, yet he would never let anyone in the class hold it. Until one day, he finally let me hold it. He said I deserved it because I worked hard in class and stopped bothering him about it. Mr. Bisbee made an effort to talk to me during his class; he also gave me a head nod in the hallway and said, “Hello, Ms. Schaubel.” He didn’t call us by our first name because he treated us as young adults; we were more to him than just students.

Mr. Bisbee is the kind of teacher who makes me want to learn. I was so lucky to have a teacher. He made school fun and always kept me interested. He knew when it was time to have fun and when it was time to focus. Mr. Bisbee taught more than just science, he taught patience, hard work, and life skills. Mr. Bisbee isn’t ordinary, he is extraordinary.

Thank you, Mr. Bisbee, for making learning enjoyable and for making me look forward to school. Thank you for being the kind of teacher who challenged me to be my best. I am very grateful I you; you made my high school experience meaningful. Most of all, thank you for allowing me to be myself in your class and for encouraging me on rough days. I will not remember every lesson you taught me, but I will never forget the kind of teacher you were.