Whenever I encounter a discussion about great teachers, my thoughts immediately turn to one man, Mr. Wolfe. While I have encountered many wonderful teachers throughout my life, Mr. Wolfe far excedes them all.
Mr. Wolfe was a biology teacher in my high school. I remember the day I met Mr. Wolfe. It was the first day of my freshman year. My initial reaction to Mr. Wolfe when I first laid eyes on him was something to the extent of “Allright, who’s this clown?” In truth, clown was a semi-accurate description of him. The top of his head was bald, with greyish puffs of hair sticking out from the sides. While it suited his face, his nose was rather large, and he wore a faded pink tie that was too long and didn’t exactly match the green shirt he was wearing. Little did I know what an impact this man would have on my life.
Beyond appearances, when Mr. Wolfe taught, he entertained. Always moving, he was in constant motion throughout his class periods. The combination of his energy and humor enraptured our young minds. Biology was always the quickest class of the day.
As I reflect, it occurs to me that Mr. Wolfe was the first teacher in my life that I truly felt was a friend. Let me, however, make it very clear, that he did not do this by compromising his maturity, as I have seen others do. Rather, Mr. Wolfe became a role-model who inspired me to rise up to his level. He continues to be an inspiration as I begin the pursuit of my teaching career.
-- William M Schroeder, American University