The moment the sixth grade class stepped foot through the door to Mr. Gissen's classroom, we knew that the adventures that lie ahead were out of the ordinary. At first glance the room appeared standard, complete with desks and bookshelves. However, the further one ventures, the more the abnormal quirks become apparent. Perhaps the most puzzling entity was the flag doning the star of David flying above the desk. Although we, as intellectual sixth graders, were aware of different ethnicities we had seldom witnessed such a blatant cultural display. At the front most centure of the room stood an astute podium. The podium stood alone, worn at the bottom from countless energetic lectures and yet it gave off an aura of intellectual wisdom which we would all be soon captivated by. The man who popped out from behind the podium turned out to be equally as captivating. Short in stature with uniquely highlighted hair, the Jewish man doned thin, blue rectangular spectacles which off set his pastel three piece suit. The sixth grade class was blindsided. We had heard raging tales of Mr. Gissen from the enamored upperclass men, but the spectacle before our eyes did not match the image in our heads. What next met our ears was a booming voice commanding us to “SIT DOWN.” The entire class scattered to the nearest open desk. None of us expected such a boisterous voice after the quick profiling of the quirky yet charismatic man. Mr. Gissen captured our interest, respect and curiosity within seconds of knowing us.

Walking into history class proved an adventure day in and day out, each period presenting itself with a new story, challenge, or information. It wasn’t until April that the classroom would truly transform into our own unique haven. Ancient Greece was the most highly anticipated unit of the entire middle school experience. The class split into Athens and Spartan teams and we physically competed in an olympic adaptation. Events to simulate the original olympics were being held alongside art, poetry, recitation, trivia, and other academic competitions. Each team put forth their best competitors and the desire to win ran thick through the veins of the sixth grade. Perhaps the most intriguing requirement for the unit was not the physical competition, each team was required to decorate their half off the room according to their city or state. Having never been presented with a project along these lines, we only made a few simple decorations. Mr. Gissen took one look at the decorations and declared disappointment in the lack of creativity, after all this project was what we made it off. He then told us that if we were satisfied with the decorations he would not force us into constructing anything more because it was ourselves who we sought to please, not him. Taking his encouragement to heart, the Athens team decided to construct a larger than life sized paper tree to symbolize the philosophical views. We started off by building an elaborate root system which we enthusiastically stapled to the floor. The entire team stayed after school to aid the team cause, perhaps the enthusiasm spouted from the novelty of building a tree, but now as I reflect on the project I believe our enthusiasm came from the liberty we were given. The tree grew and soon the trunks formed. Day after day an army of eager students worked tirelessly on the tree, determined to succeed in bringing it life. As the tree grew, so did our pride. After years of being told what to do and how we were to accomplish tasks, we finally captured a project that was entirely our own. We took the opportunity and ran. As the final leaves were attached to the branches, we realized that the tree was not simply a decoration, it was a symbol of our growth. We were the tree being nurtured by Mr. Gissen’s confidence in us.