Having any AP class isn’t easy, especially when you know almost nothing about the subject. Walking into AP Euro first semester of my senior year, my fears were confirmed as the teacher handed out the course syllabus. The amount of knowledge that was going to be forced into our brains over the course of the next two semesters was enormous! It was at that moment, however, that our teacher, Mr. Reichle, began to teach. His style was unlike one I had ever seen. His enthusiasm, along with his passion for the subject, had a way of drawing in each member of the class. His carefully chosen words, along with his attitude toward and respect for European history, caused people not only to pay attention, but to also grasp historical events that if read about would be forgotten. I had the desire to skip taking notes in order to soak up every moment of his lectures because I knew nothing I wrote could match what he said.
Mr. Reichle had a way of making boring topics into something enjoyable and, more importantly, memorable. He had the ability to, in sixty minutes, erase a day’s worth of stress by giving his personal yet humorous opinions on topics we were learning about, or by spontaneous yelling to elaborate a point and putting life into the lesson at the same time. These were the qualities that kept me looking forward to AP Euro every single day.
Mr. Reichle’s likeable personality was not limited to the classroom, however. Mr. Reichle was also involved in a couple different charities. One I remember specifically had the goal to save and restore Ellis Island. He contributed by selling candy and even his personal belongings. Because of Mr. Reichle, over one thousand dollars were raised for numerous charities throughout the school year.
Mr. Reichle is a rare teacher I am happy to have been taught by. What he was able to teach me in the classroom, along with what I witnessed outside the classroom is something that will stay with me forever. He is a man I not only lookup to, but a man who I also respect and hope to have similar qualities of in the future. He is a man who is able to be a teacher first, but also seem like a friend. He is my AP European History teacher.