The end of summer was here and I remember walking up to the middle school doors at Merton and looking up at the endless list of teachers and students. When I came upon my name, I dreaded having a male teacher. Not only was this just an ordinary male teacher, but he was, also my first male teacher. I remember thinking, how am I ever going to survive? Fifth grade was supposed to be a step up from the little cubbies and small desks, but all I could think about was how I got stuck with a male teacher.
As I dragged my feet while slowly walking into the building behind my mom, it came to my surprise that when I entered the classroom, I was greeted by a friendly, younger looking man. This teacher, my first male teacher, was Chris Reuter.
And I soon learned Chris Reuter is the kind of teacher that everyone wants to have. He was trustworthy and knew how to have fun. I always remember him sitting in the front of the classroom during class discussions and he would put his arms behind his neck and flex his muscles and the whole class would laugh. The little things he did during class discussion, like the flexing of the arm muscle, were the little things that would brighten up my day. He showed passion for the topics he would teach us.
You could easily talk to him, even if it wasn’t school related. The best part was that at Merton, students would loop up to sixth grade with the same teacher they had in fifth grade. I was so excited to have him for two years.
We took a lot of field trips. I always wanted to be in his group instead of being stuck with a boring parent. Mr. Reuter knows how to have fun by messing around and making us laugh. He knew how to act like an adult, but at some points he would just think like us and bring joy to our faces. He was always turning a boring field trip to the museum into an adventure.
Over the two years of middle school, I even acquired a nickname that just stuck with me. He called me pipes and I didn’t mind because looking back… I enjoyed the nickname! It showed that I wasn’t just another student passing through his class and moving on, but I was a friend too.
Mr. Reuter is like an older brother, always looking out for the people he cares about. I am so grateful to have had an opportunity to have him as a teacher. As I look back on the day I dreaded the first day of school with my first male teacher, I am happy I was assigned to his class. Those two years with Mr. Reuter were the best two years of middle school. Thank you Mr. Reuter for being my teacher, my role model, and my friend.