This week, I got some disheartening news. I heard that one of the nicest and probably, one of the most educated teachers at my high school was looking at the termination of his teaching contract.

The only thing that was able to go through my mind was “are you kidding me?”

Now, this teacher, who I only had for one year of biology, is quite possible one of the nicest men I’ve ever met in my life. Till this day, when I walk down the hallway past his room, he’ll always ask me how I’m doing and call me by the right name… which is incredible considering I have a twin sister who had him as well.

The reasons I have heard for this wonderful teacher being let go is because he is disorganized, which if anyone has ever stepped into his classroom, you’ll know that from the get-go. But honestly, it wouldn’t be his class if it wasn’t.

I’ve also heard that he isn’t strict enough with his students because homework doesn’t have a tentative due date. This is also true, well, for my class at least. He also hated giving tests, I remember asking him the question as to why he didn’t like this. The response I got was something I’ve never heard before. He told me that he believed tests didn’t really show knowledge about a subject, and if students didn’t do well, it was his job to make sure that they learned everything they needed to.

To me, this is what a teacher is, someone who teaches. Not someone who makes you sit in class while they fall asleep and watch you take silent notes out of a book, and yes, I’m serious. I’ve had a teacher like this. If anything, I believe that teacher should go, but I suppose I’m wrong, because apparently he’s just a bit more organized... side note, I’m really not kidding about having a teacher who fell asleep while baby sitting us as we sat in silence reading from a book. This happened on a weekly basis. Pathetic...

I’m angry about this.

Very. Angry.

I know that teachers aren’t supposed to baby sit their students, but there is a level of caring that needs to exist. There needs to be a passion to see students do well, and Mr. Duerkson has this passion. I’ve seen it with my own eyes.

I remember sitting in his room once with a friend of mine talking about the school musical, because he’s a musical kind of guy. He asked my friend if she was going to try out for the musical because she’s in the choir. She told him no, and that she was too nervous.

He told her that if she wanted to, she could do it. I mean, he talked to my friend and I for probably 30 minutes or so about doing what we wanted, and reaching out, because it makes our lives more meaningful.

That’s a teacher.

I’ve never seen another teacher reach out and make it to tennis matches, volleyball games, Friday night football, softball games, and even musicals and band shows, just so he can support his students.

That’s a teacher.

I don’t care if he is disorganized. I don’t care if caring about students’ well-being is not being strict enough. If that school lets go of one of the greatest teachers to walk the hallways, I will never support them as fully as I do now. I know they’re my soon-to-be alma mater. I know they gave me somewhat of the education I have, but if Mr. Duerkson is let go, it will be one of the biggest mistakes West Holmes has ever made.

And if he does get let go, I hope that he can find another job somewhere that fulfills his life passion of teaching. Because I believe that is what he is intended to do - teach.

He was placed on this earth to enrich minds full of information beyond the classroom and biology. The passion he exhibits for teaching is something I hope to have for my future career.

Trust me on this, I’m Write.