It’s an average day at Arrowhead High School. The second bell rings and I’m either leaving from Art Studio, stressed due to my illustration portfolio (or lack thereof), or Anatomy where I can’t even remember a single thing about the skeletal system. But as I walk towards Mr. Freeburg’s classroom, I know my day will change for the better.
“Greetings, Matt. Prepare to have your mind blown today,” he says to me before my foot even goes through the door. Sure enough, for the next forty minutes, my mind is blown.

I remember my first day of class with Mr. Freeburg. I heard rumors from the previous graduating class, and the words “greatest teacher ever” were abundant. Being a critic of teachers, thanks to previous years of dissatisfaction, I was hesitant to believe what others have said. My mind changed instantly, as he gave us the intro about himself, and I thought, am I looking at a mirror or is this guy really my teacher for the next year?

As for the class itself, it was Modern Literature and it was all about reading. In previous years, I was hit-or-miss when it came to books. Mr. Freeburg didn’t mess around though: he knew students hated Huckleberry Finn and “all those other crappy books every High School thinks it needs to teach you.” So instead, we read modern classics such as Bad Monkeys and A Good and Happy Child, two books I instantly added to my list of favorites (the few there are).

But what about his personality and traits make him a good teacher? Well, he cares about how well each student does in his class. His grading is straightforward and he wants you to achieve. Everyday we discuss the previous nights reading and he points out what we need and should know for the test. He is also a genius when it comes to pointing out ideas or hidden connections the book may display; this also keeps the interest in the book high. For example, while reading the novel A Good and Happy Child, he made connection to songs by The Beatles. Because of this I was able to think about and remember moments from the book.

At the end of the day, Freeburg is more than my Modern Literature teacher. For the first time in twelve years of school, I can finally say something I think every student wishes they could say: I’m friends with my teacher.