Science is not my thing. It never has been and I doubt it ever will be. I will be honest, I am a fairly smart person; however, when it comes to science classes, I struggle. Biology was one of the toughest science classes I have ever taken. Amino acids, asexual reproduction, cell fusion, and microscopic organisms were just a few of the countless things I did not want to study. Mr. Bisbee, my biology teacher and leader of the Earth Club, not only helped me pass Biology, but helped me enjoy Biology. Thanks to Mr. Bisbee, the things I learned about science and myself my sophomore year will stay with me throughout my future.
The first day of school is always an adventure. Meeting my new classmates and teachers is exciting. My sophomore year, I remember walking to room 107: Biology. Outside the door was Mr. Bisbee standing with his arms folded and a serious face. I thought to myself, this is going to be a long year.
I was wrong. From the start, I had a good connection with Mr. Bisbee. Perhaps it was because the people in my class were sick of being at school by ninth hour and zoned out during class. Possibly it was because I laugh at everything; therefore, Mr. Bisbee’s jokes were humorous to me. Either way, I felt comfortable with him. Mr. Bisbee also had a way of teaching that kept me interested.
One day, I walked into class to find hay stacks and a live chicken! He told the class we would be square dancing. I thought Square dancing? How can this be related to Biology? Each student ended up representing Adenine, Thymine, Guanine, or Cytosine. The “square dance” was a replica of DNA replication!
Mr. Bisbee was not only a helpful teacher, but a brilliant man. He believed in giving students college level assignments and tests. He thought high school was solely about preparing for college, so why not get a head start?
The tests were complicated and the papers were intricate. I rarely received a grade over a C. Mr. Bisbee would let me come in whenever I needed for help. I spent over 10 hours writing one paper and I thought it was the best paper I had ever written. When I got it back the grade said “F.” I was so upset! Mr. Bisbee told me I could retry and he gave me helpful tips. After about three attempts, I finally received a 100%! Not only was it exhilarating to receive that grade, but I actually understood Biology!
In Mr. Bisbee’s Biology class, I have memories of: square dancing, watching Mr. Bisbee dive on the floor to capture an imaginary animal, and laughing hysterically while doing the mitosis dance. Whenever Mr. Bisbee lectured the class, I could tell he was not speaking from a curriculum, but from his own knowledge. If anybody had a question, he had an answer. When he taught, he always had a smile on his face; it was a genuine smile. Not only could I tell he had a love for Science by his “I Love Biology” t-shirt, but by how passionately he spoke of it. Mr. Bisbee taught me to do what I love in life because that’s where you find true happiness. He also demonstrated you should be yourself and not care what other people may think of you.
If I could pick any teacher I’ve had over the past 13 years to win an award for their excellence, I would pick Mr. Greg Bisbee. He taught me to be myself, to never give up, and that learning can be fun. Even if he never receives an award, I will never forget him.