It was second semester, senior year, last hour of the day, and I had absolutely zero effort or energy to sit through another dull lecture which I had been having to do all day. As I walked into Mr. Haase’s ninth hour American Problems class at Arrowhead High School on the first day of the new semester, I saw a short-haired man with khaki slacks and a basketball pullover staring back at me in all seriousness. I also noticed that my seat was in the first row, first column, right next to his desk. Great I thought to myself. Little did I know that I got the best seat in the house.

As the class went on, I realized this class was the perfect fit for me. It was about a topic that I was actually interested in, and the teacher was just as sarcastic as I was.

From that day on, I never dreaded going to American Problems. Everyday I looked forward to hearing about the current news and also never knowing what we were going to do that day in class.

The two things I look for in a class in order for myself to succeed, is consistency and newness. You may be thinking that those two things are basically opposites, and I thought the same before I was in Mr. Haase’s class. What the class made me realize was that I can have fun and do different types of assignments everyday while still having organized structure and stability. This also taught me that in life you need structure and stability while also enjoying yourself which is something that I will carry with me all through college and my future. I always knew exactly how we were going to be graded and what assignments I had to do on my own, but never had to dread class with the thought that we would have to take notes that day.

Mr. Haase’s personality is unique. He’s stern, serious, and steady, yet sarcastic. His personality tends to make the class entertaining because he has the ability to joke around with people while keeping the class under control. The relationship between Mr. Haase and the class feels like a close-knit family who can play around with each other and has inside jokes. It’s so relieving to be in a class that you feel comfortable in and enjoy the presence of others around you.

He’s dedicated and committed to his job and definitely enjoys it. This is evident by the time and effort he puts into his lesson plans and his charisma when he’s standing in front of the class. Not only is he an excellent teacher, but he’s also a basketball coach (who isn’t afraid to argue with the refs about a penalty he knows his players deserve or don’t deserve). When he commits to something, he doesn’t back down. I take notice of this because it is a trait that I would like to develop myself.  

Mr. Haase’s class has kept me motivated and relaxed these last couple months of senior year. I never have to worry about assignments or due dates, yet I learn more than all my other classes combined. Not only do I learn about current events, but also life lessons. I’m going to miss hearing “come in ready tomorrow, make my life interesting, make me laugh, entertain me” every afternoon.