It’s a bird… it’s a plane… it’s West Seattle’s senior government class teacher Mr. Lyon!

As one of the newer staff members at our school from Roosevelt, Mr. Lyon brings a joyous and passionate spirit to his classroom. His lectures are filled with energy and are easy to follow along with. He connects with his students by setting guidelines made by the students, and lets them vote on class decisions.

When I asked several students what makes a great teacher, many of them, including Jacob, talked about the connection and passion a teacher must have. “I think a good teacher connects with their students and builds relationships, which helps students learn better.” Without even knowing it, Jacob has described Mr. Lyon. It is obvious that Mr. Lyon loves teaching government to his students, and that excitement translates to his students, helping them have a better time learning, allowing them to more easily absorb information. When he’s up teaching, he often moves around, and does a little dance here and there, which lifts the mood instantly.

You must admit, government itself may not be the most exciting and thrilling subject, but Mr. Lyon makes it so with his energy and creative assignments. Through all of this hard work, Mr. Lyon builds strong relationships with his students. He treats them as equals, or even as adults.

In an article from Harvard, it describes what makes a good teacher. They write, “Most scholars would say that a good teacher does three key things: They establish strong, caring teacher-student relationships; challenge students to think, reason, and communicate their ideas.” I feel this accurately describes Mr. Lyon because when giving students projects, he lets them determine their subject, and they are permitted to talk about important topics that matter to them. He even brings in guest speakers sometimes, so that his students are able to ask questions and increase their comprehension.

All in all, Mr. Lyon is a great teacher, and we should be thankful to have him.