The Biology Teacher by McGwire

The Biology Teacher by McGwire - July 2016 Scholarship Essay

I will never forget my first day of high school. It started with me sprinting down the hallway, late as usual, trying to get to my first period class on time. I had heard stories about how tough the biology teacher was and I did not want to get on his bad side. I urged my legs to move faster as I saw the door approaching. With my backpack swinging behind me I dove into the classroom and sat in the first seat I could find. The biology teacher was not so impressed by my entrance but, seeing as I wasn’t late, he brushed it aside. He welcomed the all freshmen class and introduced himself with a warmth that astonished me. Where was the grumpy biology teacher I had been warned about? I remained suspicious as he told us more about himself and described what his class would be like.
As the school year progressed, I focused on acclimating to high school life. This was a yearlong process and I often found myself sprinting down the hallway to avoid tardiness. Occasionally the school custodian would catch me sprinting and yell out for me to slow down. I would grin back tauntingly and begin to speed walk with all of my might. When I was tardy I would go to the office to retrieve a pink slip for my teacher. These moments always held some shame for me, but the kind smile of the receptionist cleared my embarrassment. Before I knew it the end of the school year was approaching and with it came finals.
Our last final was a multiple choice test for biology. I was well prepared for this test and very confident in my ability to succeed. As I flipped to the last page of the test I scanned the first question and my eyes widened with shock and confusion. “What is Mr. Johnson’s middle name?” I looked up to see the biology teacher, Mr. Johnson, grinning maniacally while my class mates slowly developed expressions similar to mine. I looked back down at the page: “If Mr. Johnson was a mythical creature what would he be?” “When is Mr. Johnson’s birthday?” I didn’t know the answers to any of these! I slowly circled my best guess and walked my test up to Mr. Johnson in defeat.
Once everyone finished Mr. Johnson made an announcement: we would not be graded on the last page of questions. We all cheered! He then asked us why we thought he included those questions- silence. He began to explain the importance of learning about people you see every day in your life. He explained that asking them questions about themselves validates their existence and makes them feel valued. He told us that he knew the full name and the birthday of the school receptionist and custodian because he felt they were the most important members of the staff. I thought back on the school year and shook my head in disappointment because I had not bothered to learn anything about either of these individuals. Mr. Johnson then shared what has become my favorite Dr. Seuss quote with us: “Don’t give up. I believe in you all. A person’s a person not matter how small.”