Educators leave a mark on every student they interact with, it’s part of the job. But some leave more of an impression than others, oftentimes without even realizing it. A skilled educator can take material that the students may not be very interested in and make it worth learning. Mr. Bisbee is one of these educators.

Mr. Bisbee is a biology teacher at Arrowhead High School and his biology class is quite the adventure. Every sophomore at Arrowhead High School has to take a year of biology to graduate. For most students, it’s a drag and not a preferable class. This is the attitude I entered biology class with. I had no real interest in the class. This was soon going to change.

Mr. Bisbee is a serious man. He states this by beginning every class silently with a straight face. After he looks down a few students, he begins his class. It’s the same every day. He would begin class in a mellow tone, like a radio talk show host.

As for his classes, they follow a more traditional class structure students appreciate. Many teachers push for a new style of student driven education with less structure and more student-focused learning. Mr. Bisbee does not follow this new structure. His classes are traditional and this was one of the best parts of his class. His expectations were clear for each of us, we knew what we needed to do.

Class material aside, Mr. Bisbee is also a caring teacher. Mr. Bisbee genuinely cares about every student that comes through his door and their success in their biology adventure. Every morning I had biology, I was the first one to class and every morning as I walked in I would say, “Good Morning, Mr. Bisbee.”

“Good Morning, Mr. Meissner.”

This interaction happened every day. It was part of that structure I talked about. I knew every morning, no matter what had happened prior to biology class, I would walk into that room and be greeted with a “good morning.” It was that one extra step that made it apparent that Mr. Bisbee cared about me as more than just a student. Every morning I looked forward to this one simple conversation that lasted all of five seconds, but it was still very important to me.

Biology class never had a dull day. Mr. Bisbee would come up with activities that not only would teach the material but that would make me remember the material. Mr. Bisbee had a way of making up lessons that stuck with me and never let go. I can still remember his legendary meiosis hoedown. To get all of his students to remember how meiosis worked and all the steps, he made up a dance to demonstrate it and we had a hoedown. The hoedown was made even more complete by the two chickens on top a hay bale.

Mr. Bisbee is a unforgettable teacher. Unlike other teachers, you can tell Mr. Bisbee loves what he does and that he is passionate about teaching. This is the key to him being a great teacher, he wants his students to learn although biology may not be their favorite class, he wants his students to succeed. Mr. Bisbee has left an everlasting impact on my life and many other students.