There were twenty seconds left on the clock, we were down by ten, and our chances and hopes of making it to the junior high state basketball finals were quickly diminishing. “Do you girls want this?” asked Mr.Deetjen during our final time-out. “Yes!” we all replied eagerly. “Well then here’s what we’re going to do...."
That was twelve years ago, and to this day I will never forget that game, time-out, or the encouraging words of a coach and teacher, “You girls can do this, be smart out there, I believe in you.” These words were not just words said to a sixth grade basketball team, they were words that echoed through Mr. Deetjen’s math classes, and that continue to echo in my head twelve years later. Everyone has a story of some person, teacher or event that changed or influenced their life, my eighth grade math teacher and basketball coach of three years is that person.
I knew Mr. Deetjen as a basketball coach two years before I ever stepped into his classroom. He was not an easy coach, but a good one. He pushed us physically and mentally to be the best team possible. In the three years I played for him, he successfully took a group of girls with little basketball knowledge, found individual talents and skills within each, and developed a winning team. Mr. Deetjen’s ability to recognize different talents in individuals is what made us a great team, and what made him an excellent coach, and an incredible teacher.
As I walked into my first Algebra 1 class, I knew it would not be easy, but that I would enjoy it. It took about a week of enthusiastic lessons, in class discussions, and equation solving for me to be convinced that I was right. Mr. Deetjen looked at every person in his class as being individually talented in something, and he made sure to find that talent before the end of the year. Not everyone is good at math naturally, but everyone can learn, that is how Mr. Deetjen ran his classes. He spent the extra time with the person that struggled, and challenged those that excelled to go beyond the book and form our own opinions on different concepts. You could not hide in Mr. Deetjen’s class, and he often liked to put you on the spot, but he never made you feel uncomfortable or dumb. I realized that being wrong or not understanding something was okay, what was important was that I had tried to solve the problem or asked the question when I didn’t understand. When giving an answer to a problem Mr. Deetjen would often ask, “Are you sure?” This questioning of our answers was his technique of challenging us to believe in ourselves and our thoughts. While Mr. Deetjen was not everyone’s favorite teacher, he was someone everyone respected. This respect came from his ability to connect with every student he had in some form or manner. Nobody ever failed in his class, so long as they gave one-hundred percent, it just wasn’t possible. Those that struggled in math learned very quickly that by working hard and putting in the extra effort success and understanding could be achieved.
Every year Mr. Deetjen affects many students’ lives, and I am glad and feel lucky to have been one of those students. Mr. Deetjen took a bunch of teenager’s minds and taught us that anything is possible if you put your mind to it and believe in yourself. He taught me never to doubt myself or underestimate my abilities. This piece of advice later challenged me to apply to a prestigious boarding school, attend college all the way across the country from friends and family, and spend a year working overseas. I guess, ever since 8th grade I’ve always believed I could do anything, if I really wanted to, even if sometimes it seemed out of reach. I will forever be grateful to Mr. Deetjen for instilling that belief in me, and helping make me the person I am today.
Twelve years ago all odds were against us, everyone assumed we were done, but one man believed in us, knew we were capable of beating the odds, and because he believed in us, we believed in ourselves.
-- Kathryn Davison, American University