“Question authority.”

Not many adults in my life, nonetheless teachers, would ever utter these words to an unpredictable teenager. When I was transferred into this teacher’s class on the fourth day of school, and was immediately tagged “new girl,” I could tell this class would be different than anything I have experienced before.

And it is. Each day I find myself making connections and drawing conclusions from his numerous questions. That’s the best part about the class, not only am I learning about the government, I am learning about myself and forming beliefs of my own. To me, that’s the definition of a great teacher. Not just planting information in students’ minds, but allowing, expecting, and encouraging them to reach their own conclusions. And through it all, I have yet to figure out how he voted in the last election!

So I would like to thank you, not just for your sense of humor that keeps students on their toes, or for your enthusiasm on a subject that most find awfully dry, but for truly inspiring your students. Somewhere in your sarcasm, it is obvious, you really care about your students and their success, teaching not just government, but also life lessons.

So thanks Mr. Beckmann for being a great teacher!