Mrs. Solberg, Mr. Pickens, and Mr. Billiar

Did you guys know something? I think I forgot to tell you this last year. When the WSL gave us the writing prompt telling us to write about our favorite teacher, I wrote the whole thing about you three. An intro, 3 body paragraphs (one for each of you), and a conclusion. It was the best WSL writing piece I had ever done, 12/12 score. I wrote about how different you guys are, how when you work together, you balance one another out, and about all of the different amazing qualities you hold. If I had to redo that essay, it would go something like this.
I’ve known Mrs. Solberg since I was in the sixth grade. She taught me math, then she was my homeroom teacher, and this year she was my advisory teacher. Three years in a row I’ve had her, and I wouldn’t have switched anything around. Mrs. Solberg taught me so much, about everything, from Math, writing, and reading, to life lessons, saving money for college, and important life choices. I have learned more from Mrs. Solberg than I have from any other teacher I’ve ever had, not only due to my 3 years of being her student. She watched me grow- from the struggling sixth grader to the thriving 7th and 8th grader that I have grown to be. Mrs. Solberg has an adorable personality- from her fascination with shiny things to her cat obsession. She is so caring, setting aside time to tell us about animals in the shelter, and volunteering to sponsor all of us in her advisory when we did the walk for cancer. I loved having Mrs. Solberg as a teacher, and I surely will never forget her.
I met Mr. Billiar when I was in 6th grade. He was the big loud guy who closed the classroom wall-doors before 2nd period started. When I finally got to have him as a teacher in 7th grade, I learned very quickly about his… unusual (for a teacher) sense of humor. I swore to at least 8 people that I’d bust a gut before the second trimester. He always knew how to make us laugh. Every so often, he’d tell a joke that went right over everybody else’s heads, and I would laugh even harder as I realized I was the only one laughing. But comedy isn’t the only thing Mr. Billiar is good at. He’s a very wise person, too. I always felt comfortable this year, going into his classroom and belting out what was going on. He’d always calmly listen and then share his advice, which always turned out to be helpful in the end. Mr. Billiar told me a few times (he tends to repeat himself) how he witnessed me going from the shy shelled up 6th grader to the more outgoing, confidant individual that I am today. I am proud to say that Mr. Billiar most definitely helped me along in the process.
There are about a thousand ways to describe Mr. Pickens. He is always busy, because not only does he do SO much for ASB, but he is a very productive and inventive teacher. He is thought inspiring- I used to always have questions in his class, about some of the most abstract things that sometimes didn’t even branch off of the subject we were studying at the time. I think it started with something about melting a spoon. We were studying elements, I think. Actually, now that I put some thought into it, I think Mr. Pickens really made me realize how much I loved to learn. I mean, I knew I liked school, but 7th grade was when I really began to shine and my mind started to expand, wanting to take in anything and everything. I had all sorts of crackpot theories and questions that I craved the answers for. Everything made me curious, and Mr. Pickens and I would always talk about it, and ask one another more questions about it, branching off and attempting to explain things. I called them our ‘philosophical conversations’. Pickens always pushed me to do my best in everything and I hope that his future students become equally inspired by him.
I loved how these three worked together. Mrs. Solberg, the structured, organized one, who kept the boys in line, Mr. Billiar, laid back, messy one, who kept the other two fun and relaxed, and Mr. Pickens, the involved one, with all of the crazy ideas, who kept the other two creative. They are all so different but worked together so well. The only major thing that I could find in them all that they had in common, besides teaching itself, is music. Mr. Billiar is known for blasting his Nirvana and Green Day, he loves to rock out. Mrs. Solberg plays the flute, she played more than once in the talent show and with the band, and she also has played softer music in her classroom. Mr. Pickens writes songs and plays guitar, he has quite the passion for music. I loved getting to know them all over the years. I loved being in their classes, and I will miss them all so dearly when I leave for high school. They were my teachers at a major turning point in my life, and for that and for everything I have just described and more, I will never forget them.


Yeah, I think that’s about right. I love you guys.