"A Great Teacher"

Mr. Mac stands out as my most memorable and effective teacher in high school. In his ecology class he entertained us with his great stories, which carried with them a significant message. He used stories about the impact of human activity on the relationships of animals and plants existing together in community. This helped us learn that everything we do can have an impact on our environment. He used humor and stories to develop our interest in the ecological topics we studied. One story I still remember 22 years later is about the Kern county mouse war. Hearing stories like this helped me realize the delicate balance of ecosystems, and learn the material. This also did a great job of helping us see the impact we can have on the world around us for good and bad depending on how we treat the environment. Mr. Mac was a great teacher because he helped make the learning process enjoyable and interesting.
He made our classroom a safe place to learn by sharing about his personal interest in and passion for birds and nature. He told us about his experiences birding at nearby Trustom pond. Some of them were humorous but most importantly, this helped me see that science wasn’t just a subject he taught at school but something he did for personal enjoyment. I knew that I enjoyed nature and wildlife and participating in Mr. Mac’s class helped inspire my interest in studying wildlife biology. Now as I look back, I can also see how my time in his class helped me decide to pursue a career in secondary education. Mr. Mac probably doesn’t remember me or know how his teaching has impacted my life but he had a profound impact on me and many other students from our school.