Fifth grade year at Stone Bank was a rough year for me.  My parents had gone to the Netherlands that summer to look at houses and schools.  My dad had gotten a promotion and they wanted him based out of Amsterdam. I had never been outside of the US, so the thought of living outside it scared me.

This especially bummed me out because I wouldn’t be able to go on our class trip to Washington DC.  Mr. Lyon could tell there was something bothering me. I told him about the situation and he explained that this would be a new chapter.  He told me to look at it as a new adventure instead of the fact I’d be leaving my friends and family behind.  

Luckily or unluckily, someone went over to the Netherlands to help out there, so my family didn’t have to go.  Even though I was late to get my payment in, Mr. Lyon made sure I could go to Washington DC. 

He was different from any of the teachers I had before, he wanted to know all of his students.  He frequently asked questions about my cousins(former students) like, “How are Brooke and Tyler doing at Arrowhead?”  He also wanted to know what was going on in my life. When it came to school, he was there to help too. He wanted me to enjoy school and what we were learning.  If I didn’t understand something he’d have me stay for part of recess and we’d clear up anything I was iffy about.

The best part about Mr. Lyon was his hour long stories and what he had seen and learned about the world. In DC he opened up more about his life.  He was a Navy Seal, he had seen things I’m glad I’ll never see. Stories that sent shivers down my spine. Learning was more than just grades with Mr. Lyon, he wanted you to be open-minded and see the big picture of life.  He taught me more about life in one year than any other teacher had before. The trip our class took to DC only made all of our relationships with him stronger.