Teachers, I Salute You

13th of February 2017

In the state of Iowa, a bill has been making waves in the news. It's not a good bill that will help society at all. It looks to take away collective bargaining for state employees as well as other things. All of this was passed back in 1970 and signed by Governor Robert Ray into Iowa Law. One representative who voted against it is now our governor. It's no surprise that he will sign the bill if it makes it to his desk. To read up on what it reads, here's a link This affects the state in many ways. It won't stop at just state employees. It will eventually make it's way down to other union rights as well. It took me a while to understand what unions have done for this country, but I know what they do to shape the society we have for the workforce. They fight for a fair wage for everyone, and they ensure that union members get good benefits to help them raise their families. One of the professions this greatly affects are teachers. Teachers get dealt a bad hand to begin with, and now, they are being told that they must get a royal flush with only a 4 card hand. That's not right. Many teachers have to spend their own time and money to get the resources the state does not. While we're all out on a Saturday night or Sunday night, they're at home getting ready for the week by either planning each day or grading papers.

I wanted to go through my years in school and name every teacher and tell everyone what they did to help me become the man I am today, be it good or bad. I can't give first names because I don't know most of their first names (I always called them Mr., Miss, or Mrs.). But here it goes: Studebaker Elementary

Mrs. Belding (Kindergarten) - Mrs. Belding was great to me. She taught me the alphabet and how to count. I learned how to interact with other kids when I was a very shy kid. This was a worry my parents had for me. She made it easier to talk to the other kids. I didn't really have a best friend in kindergarten, but I did meet lots of people. I still talk to most of them today. Without Mrs. Belding, I wouldn't talk or approach people as much.

Mrs. Staroska (1st Grade) -Mrs. Staroska had my brother in her class before she had me, so I had an idea of what I was in for. She increased my reading and reading comprehension. She also held me accountable for not getting work done in a timely fashion. I didn't know what responsibility was just yet, but she made sure I knew fast. Without that, I'd be late on everything, but I wouldn't know without her help on the reading. Mrs. Thomas (2nd Grade) - Mrs. Thomas also taught my brother before me. I didn't know what to expect this time. I learned more how to interact with other kids of other cultures because she was the first teacher I had that wasn't white. She expanded my math interpretation even though I hated math (still do). I was kind of a pain to her only because I didn't want to do the work. She made me realize how I will benefit from doing the work. I didn't really know what good grades were at this point. I was talking to other kids all the time: the reason I was kind of a pain.

Mr. Meier (3rd Grade) - Mr. Meier ALSO had my brother in his class. I had an idea of what to expect. Even though I had social studies in 2nd grade, I did better in it in 3rd grade. Mr. Meier had projects in which we interacted with each other to understand it more. He challenged me more to be the best I could be. He knew I was smart, but he also knew I was being lazy. That changed fast. He kept me after school a few times because I didn't do well on some tests. I did better because of it, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Mrs. Ridnour (4th Grade) - Mrs. Ridnour had my sister in her class a couple years before me. I was happy to have her as my 4th grade teacher. I only wish that I was a better student for her. I got in with the wrong crowd in this year. They were just a bad influence all around. I don't know how I made it out of 4th grade. At this point, I hated hearing "be more like your brother" or "be more like your sister." Mrs. Ridnour was the first one to explain why they're saying this. They didn't want me to be like my brother or sister. They wanted me to be the best ME. I started to do better academically, and lucky for me, it wasn't too late. Mrs. Ridnour understood me somehow and never gave up on me.

Mrs. Bouslog (5th Grade) - Mrs. Bouslog was another one who I should have behaved better for. I don't know what happened in this year. The crowd I hung with in 4th grade either moved or had a different teacher. I just didn't enjoy school as much. I knew what I wanted to do, and school had nothing to do with it. She showed me how no education can prevent any of what I wanted to do from happening. I did better in school with her motivation. I did better in math and social studies, which were the classes I struggled the most in.

Ray Lipovac (PE for a few years & then again in middle school) - Mr. Lipovac was a comic relief for me at school. He would tease me a little, but nothing demeaning. He is why I went out for baseball as a kid. I loved running, but I had to watch it because when they found my mother had a heart condition, they found I had it, too. Otherwise, I would have tried to go out for football or wrestling. The doctor said no to those, but baseball was ok. He was a stickler to the rules, and yes, I tried to break them a few times. He wouldn't let me, but he would let me stand against the wall if I broke them. We would cross paths again when I was in 8th grade and he became a gym teacher at McCombs. He seemed to have a more positive vibe than in middle school. I didn't think he had a bad vibe at all, but he seemed more positive. He even remembered me from elementary school, which I was surprised. I remembered him, but he had so many kids pass through his class.

Mr. Rosen (PE for one year) - Mr. Rosen took over when Mr. Lipovac left. He was great as well. During conferences, he would let the kids play in the gym while the parents met with the teachers. It was a great release for us. I think he just liked us being active.

Mr. Imhoff (PE for one year) - Mr. Imhoff was the gym teacher in my 5th grade year. I won't speak for him, but I think he was under the belief that since we were in 5th grade, we should know how to act. He was big on discipline. Some of his ideals I tried to reject, but he wouldn't let me. I thank him for that. If he would have let me slide on some things, who knows what would have happened to me along the way.

Mrs. Tammel (PE, 4th grade) - Mrs. Tammel was brought in as a gym teacher at first. During the year, they decided to change what she would do. This was in 4th grade when I was a basket case. In 4th grade, I would start the day with Mrs. Ridnour. After lunch and recess, I would go to Mrs. Tammel's class (she taught the 3rd grade in the morning and 4th in the afternoon. ). Mrs. Tammel worked on our reading, writing and math. If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't have gotten into writing at all. I developed an interest in 3rd grade, but Mrs. Tammel increased my interest.

Mrs. Jenson-Bock (Art) - Mrs. Jenson-Bock had an approach to art that taught us many different ways to be creative. We did everything but metal art. I just wanted to draw to see if I could be any good at it. However, there were plenty of artists in my class that were much better than me. She taught me to just do my best. She helped me tap into my creative side, which I would do throughout my years in school and college.

Mr. Hoos (Art in Kindergarten) - Mr. Hoos was a goofy guy who made all of his students laugh. I don't remember much in his class since it was so long ago, but he let us color outside the lines a few times. I always loved going to art class because of him. I was disappointed that he left, but Mrs. Jenson-Bock was good as well. I just remember his big glasses, and he would crack jokes all the time.

Mrs. Peterson (Music 1st - 2nd) - Mrs. Peterson had the worst of it from me. I wasn't a big fan of the music she was teaching. That's no thanks to MTV, which was fairly new at the time, and it played music. I was always acting up in her class. She took it with a grain of salt at first, but then it got to the point that she sent me to the principal's office. I learned more discipline from her, but if you read above, I would ignore it. She did her best with me, but I enjoyed being in her class. It wasn't anything to do with math or anything like that.

Miss Eck (Music 3rd - 5th) - Miss Eck put up with a lot from me as well. She knew I was in the band at school, and she knew I was taking piano. What she didn't know was that I wasn't big on this music class. It was too bad I didn't appreciate it more at the time, but I did squeak by that class. She was more patient with me than she should have been. She actually taught more than just singing. She taught how to read the music, what an octave was, pitch, in tune, everything. I was learning that in piano and band as well, so that's why I should have appreciated it more.

McCombs Middle School

Mr. Coenen (6th Grade Math) - Mr. Coenen did more than teach me math. He taught me that it's not impossible to understand it. He taught me that it's ok to ask for help. I did when I was in elementary, but I still couldn't grasp it. Mr. Coenen also had my sister in his class, but he never once compared me to her. I finally felt like I was able to prove myself to be myself thanks to him.

Mrs. Victor-Baker (6th Grade Geography & 8th Grade American Civics) - Mrs. Victor-Baker hated my handwriting. I can't blame her because it was horrible. I did great in her class despite it. She was a relaxed teacher that let us learn our own way, but she wouldn't let us slip. If we needed it, she would give it to us.

Mr. Ansevics (6th Grade Science) - Mr. Ansevics was a huge guy. He even looked like Hulk Hogan. He was an intimidating guy, but he made us know every day that we were there to learn. Everyday, if someone acted out of line, he would tell them "everyone here has a right to a free education. And you know what? You can't take that away from them." The troublemaker shut up really fast because he was that intimidating. He made science enjoyable for us, and because of that, I made it through the 6th grade easily. Mrs. Olkewitz (6th Grade Reading & Language) - Mrs. Olkewitz taught both Reading and Language. That's just how they did it in middle school. Mrs. Olkewitz made us read, but she let us pick the book. It wasn't such a chore to read it and do a book report on it. I excelled in Language as well. She had a great sense of humor. I remember that if we didn't listen to her, we'd hear her shout in jibberish. We'd ask what she was saying, and she'd reply back "I figured since you didn't understand me in English, I'd try German." It was always a different language every time.

Ms. Buckley (6th Grade Drama Speech) - Miss Buckley later became Mrs. Victor, and she taught me to have a voice. At that time, Speech and Drama were combined into one class. Mrs. Victor taught some English classes, but I only had her for Drama Speech. It was hard for her because we were in an open space shared with Industrial Tech. So when it was shop day and we had to give a speech, we had to speak up. This is how she taught us to be loud. Because of her, I've learned to use my words better.

Miss Brunk (6th Grade Art) - Ms. Brunk let us pick a portrait to do for her class. I picked Bo Jackson, and it didn't turn out too bad. I remember one day, I was taking the dirty paint brush water to the sink to drain, and I dropped it. She was more patient than I was. I was just humiliated and wanted to get it cleaned up fast. She gave me an A on the portrait. I didn't paint a background even though I should have. I just didn't want to mess up on it. Before she hung it up, she painted it for me. She was greater than what other students gave her credit for.

Mrs. Hammer (6th & 7th Grade Home Economics) - Mrs. Hammer was SUPER nice. She taught me how to sew and other household stuff. I had a start on cooking because I was already doing that at home. I even knew how to follow a recipe. She still improved my cooking skills though. I made a gym bag and even sewed my own button, which was made into a little pillow. This class showed me that gender roles don't need to exist. In 7th grade, this class was used for Sex Education. I learned more that year than in any other year.

Ms. Johnson (6th, 7th & 8th Grade Industrial Technology) - Ms. Johnson was another intimidating teacher to some. However, I got along with her great. She was serious about her job because she didn't want anyone screwing around and getting hurt. I developed a love for building stuff in this class. I was supposed to take a class in the second half of 8th grade, but for some reason, I was switched over to computer. That was a bum deal for me. Ms. Johnson asked me to be a student helper for my 8th grade year. I proudly did. It gave me a more supervisor role, and she taught me how to discipline students the right way. Yes, I did some wrong, but nothing earth shattering.

Mr. Shively (7th Grade Science) - Mr. Shively was an interesting man. I honestly believed he had a love for science. I think the rest of the class teased him about it. He wasn't afraid to call anyone out if they were acting out, and I think he got a bad rap for that. He was fair with everyone.

Mr. Sarver (7th Grade Geography) - Mr. Sarver was interesting. His class was an extension from 6th grade Geography. I remember one time he was standing in front of class waiting for us to shut up, but we wouldn't. The bell rang, and he said "Now, since you took up my time, I'm going to take up your time." And he went on about what was going on for the week. I don't think anyone listened because we were all thinking "Oh shit. We're going to be late!"

Mrs. Taylor (7th Grade Math) - Mrs. Taylor helped me out a lot with math. She thought for some reason that I was one of the smart ones. She always paired me with ones who needed help. In some instances, they didn't need help. In others, they just wanted me to do the work for them. Mrs. Taylor could pick them out, and she told me to do it wrong just once. She would let me make it up later (usually after school). She held sessions after school to help those, which I took advantage of.

Mrs. Carpenter (7th & 8th Grade Computer) - Mrs. Carpenter knew her computer stuff. This was long before the internet made it's way into the society we know today. We had Macs at the time, and there was one typewriter. She let us make banners and what-not once our work was done. Without her, I'd still be typing with one finger ever so slowly.

Mrs. Stalter (7th Grade Foreign Language) - Mrs. Stalter was passionate about foreign language. She was more fluent in French than any other. We learned a little German, lots of French and Spanish. She offered French (invitation only) for eighth graders. I wasn't interested in French though. I was a bit of a pest in her class, but I wasn't at my worst. She hated us putting our feet on the desk in front of us. When she saw this happening, she would whisper to you "feet, feet," or she would tap your feet as she walked by. She was a reason I took Spanish in both high school and college. I later found out she died in a car accident (in my senior year is when I found out).

Ms. Opal (7th Grade Reading & Language) - Ms. Opal is easy to explain. She didn't take shit from anyone. She didn't put up with attitudes, and she took her job seriously. I always got along with her. Her sarcasm was her strong suit. She did it in a tasteful way. I wasn't sure what to expect from her because one of my friends a year ahead of me didn't have a great experience with her. I did well in her class, and she was strict on grammar. Her favorite saying when we asked a "why" question was "Why ask why?"

Mrs. Ansevics (8th Grade Science) - Mrs. Ansevics was one of the nicest teachers I had. Yes, she was (probably still is) married to my 6th grade science teacher. She always had this "money," some called Mad Money, some called Bart Bucks. What would happen is she would ask trivia questions, and if you got it right, you got that money. That money bought you however much time on it to study or do whatever. I didn't really get a lot of it because I just didn't get my hand up in time. She had these awesome experiments that would just blow us away. She once had a boombox with a speaker placed next to a pipe that had small holes drilled into it. On the opposite end of the speaker was a piece of latex covering the hole. She hooked the pipe up to gas, and she lit the holes. When the music played, the flames danced like an audio meter.

Mr. King (8th Grade Reading & Language) - Mr. King took things to the next level for my reading. I started to comprehend much more. He was my brother's English teacher, so I knew he was going to be great. I wrote him a thank-you letter, which was given as an assignment, but I would have wrote it anyways. He helped me lots not only with reading but grammar as well. He was great with his class, and I always enjoyed his class. His class was my last class of the day, so I would leave that day on a good note.

Mrs. Wheeldon (8th Grade Pre Algebra) - Mrs. Wheeldon always was there for me when I needed help. And I needed quite a bit of it with Pre Algebra. I couldn't believe how helpful she was with all of her students. My sister had her at some point, but I didn't remember what her experience was. I do remember that when I saw I had Mrs. Wheeldon, for some reason, I was a little nervous. I had heard stories, but my mother told me that I seem to get along with everyone (if only that were still true today). We did get along, and she expanded my mind in the world of math, a subject I didn't like at all.

Mr. Ligouri (Gym) - Mr. Ligouri was very good with everyone he was around. One of the things I did in middle school was the Technology Education club. He was always in there doing his own thing, and it was fun. I remember he would always talk like Tim Taylor (Home Improvement, a popular show at the time). I only had gym once a week since I was in band. That one day was my release, and he made it active and fun for everyone in the class.

Mr. Bees (Band) - Mr. Bees was your typical band teacher. He was stern about how the music should sound. He made lots cry, but I believe it was to get the best out of us. He did lessons at all of the schools throughout the Des Moines School district. He could laugh, but he was serious most of the time. He was tough, but again, I got along with him.

Lincoln High School

Mrs. Lenhart (9th Grade World History) - Mrs. Lenhart was a bit of an oddball. Her mannerisms were just funny. She didn't assign a lot of homework, and our tests were not too hard. At least not for me. I liked reading about history, thanks in part to Mr. King (8th Grade English).

Mrs. Kauzlerich (9th Grade Business) - Mrs. Kauzlerich was a tough one. I was quiet in her class because I was in front. I got an easy A in that class because of listening. I turned in all my work, and she introduced me to a more responsible way of doing things. This class was only a semester.

Mrs. Ligouri (9th Grade Algebra & 11th Grade Algebra 2) - Mrs. Ligouri was very helpful as well with math. I started to understand it more, but I may have understood it too well. I would do the problems in my head and not show my work. She wanted us to show our work. She came to me and asked if I was just getting the answers. I said no. She then asked why I wasn't showing my work. I told her I wasn't sure how. So she asked how I was doing it in my head. I told her and felt stupid afterwards. She just kind of laughed knowing that I wasn't lying. Yes, she is related to Mr. Ligouri, my gym teacher in middle school. I forget how, but I think it was by marriage.

Mr. Beall (9th Grade Earth Science) - Mr. Beall was very involved in the school. He coached track (and other things but not sure what), and he was one of the chaperones for a trip to Orlando in my junior year. He made Earth Science actually interesting. It was more than rocks for jocks. It was my first class of the day for both semester.

Mr. Harris (9th Grade English) - Mr. Harris made quite the interaction with students. He might be pissed at you, but he seemed to get over it fast. This was the class where I had to read Romeo & Juliet.

Mr. Mason (9th Grade Intro to Tech Ed 1st Half) - Mr. Mason was very knowledgeable in his field. He dealt with the auto mechanics and metal part of Technology Education. He taught me to keep a clean work area and to be careful around others.

Mr. Harvey (9th Grade Intro to Tech Ed 2nd Half & 10th Grade Woodshop) - Mr. Harvey took the wood part of Technology Education. This is the one I was interested in. I liked making stuff in middle school so much that I decided to try it in high school. However, I also saw a kid chop his fingers off on the circular saw, so I decided that was it for wood shop. When that happened, Mr. Harvey was very calm and helpful to the kid. He kept the kid calm as well. Mr. Harvey helped me out more than he should have. He taught me how to pay attention to detail, and he showed me different approached to various problems.

Mr. Wickham (10th Grade English) - Mr. Wickham was your typical English teacher. He was a tough one, but yeah, I got along with him. He made us better by doing our best and demanding our best as well.

Mrs. Hendricks (10th Grade Biology) - Mrs. Hendricks was weird in a good way. She taught us Biology, and she would call on me to make sure I was paying attention. I mostly wasn't because I didn't like Biology. However, I needed science to graduate. It was just a bunch of memorization that I couldn't do. She gave me methods to help study better. I started to do better, but without her tips, I probably would have dropped her class.

Mr. Ayecock (10th Grade Spanish 1) - Mr. Ayecock was not your average teacher. He was always making everyone laugh. He made that class fun for everyone. Of course, I did good in that class. It was because he motivated us to do well. We didn't want to do anything BUT well in his class.

Dr. Gruis (10th Grade American History) - Dr. Gruis (yes, doctor) got me into history even more. If I wasn't into it enough before, he pushed it over the edge. I forget how often we had to do this assignment, but we had to take out a clipping from a newspaper and do a write-up on it. He wanted more than just a summary. He wanted to know what we thought about the topic. I'll never forget the time when his voice was less than stellar, he had a mic on to help him talk. That's dedication.

Mrs. Thompson (10th Grade Geometry) - Mrs. Thompson was so much fun. There were times when she would lose it, but she got along with mostly everyone. Yes, including me. I remember one time, I raised my hand to ask a question while we were working. I was against the wall underneath the button to call the office. I accidentally hit the button, but I didn't know until over the speaker, "Office." Mrs. Thompson turned around and saw I had my hand raised and knew what happened. "Oh, a student just had a question and accidentally hit the button." She was forgiving because the office hates that.

Mrs. Ryan (10th Grade Typing) - Mrs. Ryan was interesting as well. However, if not for her, my typing speed would not improve from middle school. I type on a daily basis now. That's a skill that I never knew I would use so much of today.

Mrs. Cowles (11th Grade Spanish 2) - Mrs. Cowles always mistook me for my brother. More so than the rest of my teachers. She was great though. I got to pick my Spanish name, so I picked Jesus Angel. It was awesome.

Ms. Maloney (11th Grade Chemistry) - Mrs. Maloney was the first one to tell me to, in a sense, get off my ass and do something. Chemistry didn't interest me, but again, I needed science to graduate. She made me do better by saying words that woke me up. I needed that wake-up call.

Mr. Swihart (11th Grade English) - Mr. Swihart focused more on reading and writing. I always tried to make my writings way out of the ordinary. He always made me think about things and how to twist them. I always made my writings twisted just for a reaction not just from him but from the class. Nobody listened in that class, but they did after he read my writings to the class. He never mentioned the names of the authors.

Mr. Testa (12th Grade Government) - Mr. Testa always made me laugh. I don't think he meant to. He showed me how the government works (or is supposed to work). I can still remember how he talked. He would always expect us to finish his sentences. It was awesome. This was only a semester class, but I could see it being a full year at some point.

Mr. Van Tyle (12th Grade Economics) - Mr. Van Tyle was funny in his own way. I remember he would always call us boys and girls. And it was always "Yes indeed, boys and girls." Economics was a class that I didn't really look forward to taking, but he made it fun just by being funny. This was also only a semester long class. I'll never forget that before graduation, he was getting us ready for the ceremony. He got on the mic and ask "Ok, gang, y'all ready?" I didn't feel ready, but I was more ready than I thought.

Mrs. Paschler (12th Grade English) - Mrs. Paschler made me realize that I can think for myself. The first time I talked with her about my grade, she told me I was getting a D. I couldn't believe it. I had all my work in. The problem she had was that she didn't think that I was saying what I felt. She laid the gauntlet down, and I pulled a C out of that class. She made me realize I have a mind of my own, not the school's.

Mr. Johnson (Don't Remember Grade Pyschology 1st Half) - Mr. Johnson knew his Psychology, but I wasn't catching on. He answered any questions no matter how touchy it was. He let us have coffee (though I never did because I hate coffee) because he had coffee. He didn't want to be one saying his class couldn't but he could. But it had to be coffee. If it was Mountain Dew he had, we could have Mountain Dew. But he had coffee. I only had him for a semester.

Mr. McGivern, Mr. Van Wye, Mrs. Davis, Mr. Peterson, Mr. Larson, Ms. Turner (High School Gym) - All these teachers were also coaches. They helped me stay active in high school, and they built my confidence. We switched off with the teachers quite a bit, but that didn't stop them from having an influence on me.

Mr. Hammond (Don't Remember Grade Pyschology 2nd Half) - Mr. Hammond was my psychology teacher for the second semester. He made me fall in love with it. He got everyone involved. He used his own experiences to explain theories and what we were going over. I loved that class. I got along with a lot of the kids in that class as well. He brought us all together. I miss that.

Mr. Springer (11th & 12th Grade Radio/TV) - Mr. Springer was there for the kids. He did everything to teach us about the different aspects of production for radio, television and film. He gave us advice that was cut and dry without telling us that we suck. He always had a great sense of humor, and he would joke around with us in ways other teachers didn't. Radio/TV was my all-time favorite class.

Mr. McLean (11th & 12th Grade Radio/TV) - Mr. McLean was a big influence on what I do today. Mr. Springer and Mr. McLean both taught the class, but Mr. McLean was considered the Chief Engineer of the radio station. There wasn't anything Mr. McLean DIDN'T know. He spent a lot of time at that place just so we kids could do our radio thing or video thing. There would be times that I wouldn't leave until 9 or 10 at night. Yes, at night. He was always there, too. He spent his own money on lots of that equipment just to keep things modern. He was a wise spender, too. I could write an entire article on him alone. He helped me with my production skills, and if he hated something, he told me. That's what I wanted to know. And I also wanted to know why, and he'd tell me that, too. At the end of my senior year, I was voted "Most Likely to Become Mr. McLean." I could only wish I could fill in the pinky toe part of his shoe. He did so much for the program, and it didn't go unnoticed by me and a few others. He has since retired, and he deserves it. That man dedicated a lot of hours to that place. He didn't just help out Radio/TV, but he also helped out the Fashion class put on their fashion shows. He didn't just limit himself to Radio/TV. He helped ALL kids that he could. Me and my friends called him Chief.

I hope I didn't forget a teacher, but if I did, I know they had an influence on me. They made me what I am today. Some might consider that a good thing or bad thing. However, I stand on my own, and I've never been to jail. I think that counts for something. I support the teachers in this fight because they supported me throughout my time at school. Teachers, I salute you.