My Favorite Educator | Teen Ink

My Favorite Educator

July 1, 2019
By Devin771 BRONZE, Sussex, Wisconsin
Devin771 BRONZE, Sussex, Wisconsin
1 article 0 photos 0 comments

Throughout my time in Merton Middle School I have never really liked science. It’s always been the class that least interests me until seventh and eighth grade. I had a new science teacher, Mr. Wagner. At first it wasn't all exciting. I thought it’s just going to be another day of boring science, but I walked in, sat down and waited for the bell to ring. Once the bell rang, Mr. Wagner started off the class with talking about how he would like to play music/vinyl and make it a tradition.  Everyday in the morning he would play a song on vinyl and he would sometimes start singing and making beats with his pens during it. I learned a lot about atoms and elements and how they combine or not combine. It was a great way to start off the year and the first of me enjoying science in a fun way.

Everyday was something new and exciting. Sometimes when putting in a new piece of music he would tell us a story behind it which was to me and to many others inspiring. Some of the stories that he tells behind the music whether it would be rock or hip hop ends up being something that he has experienced. For example, he was playing a song from Guns ‘n’ Roses and he was telling us about how him and his friends made a band sort of like them called Knives ‘n’ Roses I think, which connects to what we were going to do in class. It really got me thinking throughout the whole day and during the lab because he doesn't even have to tell us how it is a life lesson, just the story is the life lesson.

Mr. Wagner loves to learn more and doesn't stop until he has the answer. Once he has the complete answer he would spend almost a day of telling us what he has found. It was inspirational and funny because he gets really jumpy or excited talking about space or gravity, but also really cool on what he has found.  It also shows that he cares and he makes sure that before we leave his classroom that we learn something new that messes with our heads throughout the day, in a good way. 

Since I had Mr. Wagner in the morning we all just woke up. To energize us,  one time he threw a chair in a safe manner on the other side of the room where there was plenty of space. He was demonstrating something that students shouldn’t do in his class even though they may  want to. We were then all up and understood what not to do in his class.

Throughout my time with Mr. Wagner he has changed completely what my perspective on science is and that you can always make something better that you don't like and enjoyable for yourself. Mr. Wagner academically taught me how to be confident in my work and many things that I love including elements/atoms, animals, and coding. Without him I would've never learned those things in a fun and interactive way.

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