The first day of a new class, and the teacher was already shouting. He grabbed a chair and chucked it at some cabinets. Then he flipped a table onto its side. Later that day he told us flipping the table was a mistake.

     This was how Mr. Wagner started his class every year. He wasn’t actually angry, he just liked to put on a show for the class. This would end up setting the tone for the rest of the year. Everything he did in his classroom, he did for the betterment of the class.

     Treat others with respect. This was the most important rule of Mr. Wagner’s 7th & 8th grade science class at Merton Intermediate, and it was a valuable lesson that I still keep in mind. It was probably the thing he stressed the most. Completely unrelated to science, he wanted to make sure we would be better people after his class, in addition to better education.

    One of the things I enjoyed the most from Mr. Wagner’s class was his encouragement to ask questions. He would often say, “Any questions, comments, or concerns?” at which point I would sometimes respond with a question about something. It didn’t matter what, but I would ask about anything that was on my mind. I appreciate how he fostered curiosity. 

       I knew it was going to be a good day whenever we started with music. Mr. Wagner had an extensive vinyl record collection, of which he would frequently share with the class. He would even let the students request songs to listen to if he had them. We would then get to talk about the songs after. Whether it was to make us more cultured or to show an important meaning behind a song, these were some of the best times in that class.

      Mr. Wagner was also good at keeping the mood in the class light. Whenever the air conditioning was on, the vent leading to the classroom would make a rattling sound. This was apparently what happened when he forgot to feed the gremlins. Sometimes he would tell stories for a class period instead of doing the lesson. I remember one time he was doing this with a story about how his wired TV would inexplicably turn off whenever someone stood in a specific spot. Whenever he felt the class was getting worried about school work, he would know that a story would be the best thing to relax the class.

      Mr. Wagner’s science class went far beyond science. It was a great place to learn, and also a great place to grow. I’m very glad I got to have him as a teacher, and I hope he knows how much of an influence he can have on his students.