Michael Lewis, Science Teacher, Union Public Schools
From the student who wanted to blend into the walls to becoming the educator who inspires others, Michael Lewis embarked on a teaching career nearly 20 years ago and has never looked back.
The Tulsa Union science teacher never thought he would be able to teach or speak in public. As a kid, Lewis was diagnosed with Tourette syndrome. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and stroke, Tourette syndrome is a neurological disorder characterized by sudden, repetitive, rapid and unwanted movements or vocal sounds called tics.
Lewis was perfectly happy blending in with the walls.
“As long as no one noticed me, no one made fun of me. I never considered teaching for me as a possibility when I was a kid. But that experience helps me,” he said. “When kids see their teacher as an example in front of them saying, ‘I was where you are,’ it is kind of inspiring. We should live our lives to give others a little bit of inspiration.”
Called to teach
Education is extremely important to Lewis. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees. In 2002 he earned his alternative Teacher certification, and started teaching that fall.
Lewis teaches because he believes it is a calling. “For me personally, my desire to teach is an opportunity that God put in my heart to help kids,” he said. “I want my classroom to be a place where kids can find hope and safety. If kids feel safe in the classroom, learning is absolutely going to happen.”
For eight years Lewis has taught middle school Science at Union Public Schools in Tulsa. Prior to that, he taught Business and Computer Technology for 11 years at Skiatook High School.
Surrounded by educators, teaching is a family affair for Lewis. Lewis’ wife is a teacher at Owasso and recently received her national board certification. Their middle daughter teaches fifth graders in Owasso. And his sister is a special education teacher in Moore.
“Because education is so important to me, I’ve always told my kids – my three daughters, as well as my students – they must get an education,” Lewis said. “And, there are three ways to get your education: go to college, go to vo-tech or join the military. There is a fourth way and it is called ‘the school of hard knocks’, but it is extremely difficult, it never ends, and never pays well.”
A strong work ethic
Michael gets his work ethic from his parents.
“My dad was a truck driver. My mom was a stay at home mom and she did alterations for people for extra income. She eventually became a secretary. Both parents graduated high school and were adamant about education. My parents told my sister and I that education was not an option, it was expected. My sister was the first person in my whole family to have a college degree and I was the second.”
The blessings of teaching
“I can never retire because teaching is something I have always enjoyed,” said Lewis, who also enjoys teaching the Bible at church. “As long as I am healthy I will keep teaching. I enjoy the subject matter. I am always very blessed with the students I get to teach every year.”
Lewis recalls a couple of students who had a great impact on him.
“I was teaching computer technology to high school students, introducing them to Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint. I had a special education student come to my class with his individualized education plan (IEP),” Lewis said. “There was a whole host of issues this student was dealing with. On top of these issues, he was poverty stricken. I was told by the Special Ed Teacher, that if this kid can recognize letters on the alphabet that would be awesome. By the end of the year, he was actually typing and putting together sentences.”
Another amazing student encounter for Lewis occurred early in his teaching career.
“I had only been teaching for a few years and I had particular student who was going to drop out and get a GED. He got his GED and went in to the Army,” Lewis said. “His drill sergeant was working on his masters and didn’t know how to make PowerPoint slides. My former student learned how to make PowerPoint slides from my classes and I understand he finished his basic training in an office chair in air conditioning. He was taught valuable skills he used in life.”
Can’t complain
Lewis is coming up on 20 years of teaching and his advice for someone wanting to enter the world of teaching is to do so because you want to make a positive difference in other people’s lives. There are so many opportunities to do that very thing. “I tell people I have a pretty good gig, he said. “I can’t complain.”
When Lewis isn’t teaching, he likes to write. He’s written and had a book published, titled, “Common Sense with a Side of Gravy.” He’s also written a couple of short films, having produced one and hoping to produce another later in the spring. Plus, Lewis is always looking at ways to remodel his home.
By Leif Francel, 7th-8th Grade Religion Teacher and 5th-8th Grade Science Teacher at Holy Trinity Catholic School in Okarche
Leif Francel
I absolutely love teaching. It is a beautiful experience that enables you to serve all kinds of people. You care for children that are poor and rich, black and white, academically gifted and academically challenged. You get a chance to meet their families and their siblings.
It is so rewarding!
I was called to teaching with a desire to serve. I now teach at Holy Trinity Catholic School and get to share my knowledge and my faith with my students. What a wonderful calling! I think someone should go into teaching if they want to make a difference. But they should also understand the full picture. There will be difficult days where you may feel disrespected or that you are not supported.
Yet, the silver lining is that you have a huge impact on the world and on every life you meet. The children will remember you and just the fact that you cared. They will remember it forever!
I plan, God willing, to stay in education and in the classroom for the remainder of my working life. It is a most fulfilling profession, and I cannot imagine being anywhere else.
Jennifer Bush, National Board-certified Teacher at Deer Creek High School
Jennifer Bush grew up a military brat. She moved often and attended many new schools in many new places. So, at the age of 30, when Jennifer left a medical career to step into the classroom, the new school in a new place seemed ordinary. What was not ordinary was her new position — teacher.
Standing in front of 35 worn desks, with a tattered textbook in her hands, Jennifer surveyed her workspace. Striding through the door, the assistant principal dropped a ring with a single key onto the desk near the front of the room.
“This is your room; that’s your book and your key,” he said, gesturing toward the desk. “Good luck, Ms. Bush,” he continued as he walked away.
Years later, Jennifer explains her first teaching experience.
“I was excited! And scared. And still excited. It was a teaching job. I was hired to teach biology, and that’s what I did!”
Jennifer jumped-in headfirst. She assigned readings, handed out worksheets and explained concepts to her students. Against the backdrop of a typical high school classroom, Jennifer attempted to communicate the wonderful awe of biology — the intricate workings of a cell, the bold diversity of ecosystems and the absurd creativity found in every life form.
Jennifer Bush (left) at a Deer Creek game.
And yet, it didn’t take.
Some students caught on. They participated in discussions, asked thoughtful questions and enjoyed the subject. But just as many students were disconnected. They fell asleep at their desks, forgot about readings and worksheets, or just seemed uninterested. They weren’t ready to learn.
This vague yet simple insight — They weren’t ready to learn — took hold in Jennifer’s mind. And, as it would turn out, fundamentally changed how Jennifer understood education.
They Weren’t Ready to Learn After a few years on the job, Jennifer accepted a teaching position at a new school where she was promptly introduced to Andrew* — an outgoing, musically inclined, messy-haired drama student. Technically, Andrew wasn’t just a drama student. Andrew was a high school sophomore required to take all the usual sophomore classes, but his life revolved around drama. His electives were drama, his extracurriculars were drama, his free time was drama, and—according to first-hand accounts— his dreams were drama.
Biology for Andrew? Not exactly Shakespeare — not even Planet Earth No matter, each day Andrew bounded into Ms. Bush’s class ready to participate, offer a perspective, make a joke, add a witty comment or mutter a snide remark. Whatever happened during those 50 minutes each day, Andrew enjoyed it. And yet, just like many of Jennifer’s initial students, Andrew appeared disconnected. He enjoyed the class but wasn’t engaged in the material; he wasn’t ready to learn.
This truth was evident after the first exam and verified by the second. Andrew’s grades were slipping. After a bit of thinking, and one or two inspirational movies, Jennifer switched the script. She broke down difficult concepts into stories — dramatic ones:
“A retrovirus attacks a cell only to highjack the cell itself.”
“Ephemerals lead the way as an ecosystem bounces back following destructive fire.”
“Novel camouflage adaptation gives moths in industrial London new hope!”
Jennifer communicated biological concepts in a dramatic way that resonated with Andrew. Biology was no longer a boring, technical, jargon-saturated discipline. It was vibrant, thrilling, dramatic. It wasn’t Planet Earth, it was Shakespeare! Or… at least, Shakespeare-ish.
But the challenge wasn’t over. Although Andrew’s grades were steadily improving, he still needed a high score on the comprehensive final to pass. He studied hard. Jennifer held extra study halls and tutoring sessions. On the day of the final, Andrew failed.
Actually, Andrew didn’t just fail, he failed miserably. It was bottom-of-the-barrel, let’s-never-speak-of-this-again kind-of-fail. It was as if all the studying had actually made him do worse. It didn’t make sense.
Jennifer consoled this “young Lin-Manuel Miranda” as best anyone could, the whole time wondering where she had gone wrong; how she had failed. And yet, it was strange. In his shocked agony, Andrew was correctly answering biology questions from the exam as he grieved his poor performance aloud.
Jennifer couldn’t take it. She grabbed a copy of the exam and started verbally quizzing Andrew. Jennifer pulled Andrew’s graded scantron from the overflowing stack. Covered in red marks, Andrew’s answers seemed correct. She double checked and then triple checked. The scantron machine had misfired — like 50 times. It had imploded on Andrew’s scantron.
After 10 minutes of nerve-racking silence, Jennifer held-up the hand-graded final: A—.
Andrew passed.
The tears flowed. Andrew called his mom and dad, and mass texted his friends. It was over. Summer had officially arrived. Andrew was headed to theater camp, not summer school! Jennifer congratulated him and prepared to undertake the arduous task of regrading 200-plus scantrons by hand.
“If it wasn’t for you, Ms. Bush,” Andrew said grasping his newly scored scantron, “I never would have passed. You believed in me.”
Breaking Down Barriers From then on Jennifer committed to identifying barriers that prevented her students from learning. For some students it was an over-loaded schedule, for others it was about developing healthy and reliable study habits, and for more still, it was simply about building up their confidence — believing in them. Jennifer’s class became a place of true exploration. A place where students could build up their confidence and academic abilities, where topics were broken down in unique and relevant ways that allowed for true understanding. Her classroom became a place where students not only learned but came ready to learn.
In recent years, Jennifer started helping with her district’s homebound program. She met one-on-one with students who could not attend in-person classes for either health, academic or disciplinary reasons. In early January 2020, Jennifer received notice of a new homebound student for whom she was responsible.
Will was a pensive senior with a tight group of friends. Corey was Will’s best friend and closest confidant. Both had recently developed a habit of skipping class. And as a result, both had been suspended for 12 weeks. Will was assigned to work with Ms. Bush.
Walking into the public library, Jennifer immediately eyed a slim teenager slumped over at a table near the back. He wore loose fitting jeans and a dark shirt. He was unaware of Jennifer’s entrance. Tossing a thick stack of assignments onto the table, Jennifer’s upbeat and positive tone startled Will from his slumber.
“Let’s start with chemistry. What do you know about valence electrons?” Jennifer asked.
“Uh…yeah… not much,” Will mumbled. “I mean, I know about the different levels and stuff if that’s what you’re asking?”
“That’s a good place to start,” Jennifer said.
Jennifer explained the Octet Rule, moved onto Government and explained gerrymandering, and finished with World History — Woodrow Wilson and the formation of the League of Nations. And yet the whole time, Jennifer wasn’t just teaching; she was listening and observing, looking for barriers and obstacles that would prevent learning. She was studying Will’s reactions, noticing when his attention spiked and when it faded.
Jennifer Bush (left) during pajama day at school.
After a few weeks, Will was flourishing. The tutoring started a bit slow, but under Jennifer’s focused guidance, Will was engaging with the material: asking questions, posing hypotheticals, and relaying personal experiences in discussions. However, Will seemed depressed at the end of each tutoring session. Will would graciously thank Ms. Bush and trudge out of the library with his head down and shoulders slumped.
Not one for diffidence, Jennifer addressed the problem head-on.
Corey, Will’s best friend, had not been assigned a homebound tutor. He did not qualify. Corey was expected to communicate with all his teachers personally and collect his assignments on his own. Will felt guilty that he had a tutor helping him while Corey, his best friend, was left to struggle alone.
“Will he do the work?” Jennifer asked. “Will he study with us if he’s invited?”
“Maybe,” Will said. “I mean, probably while he’s here at least.”
“Bring him.”
The next day Will walked through the door with another teenager following close behind. Corey was tall and lanky, wearing a ballcap with dark hair springing out the sides. They both sat down and Jennifer started the session — hydrogen bonding. The next several lessons progressed nicely. Will continued to improve and Corey benefited from the positive environment. And then, Will and Corey hit a roadblock.
Pride and Prejudice was the last required novel for English 4 — ‘Senior Lit.’ The students were required to read the novel by Jane Austen, complete associated writing assignments, and pass a comprehensive final exam following spring break. For Will and Corey, this comprehensive final would determine if they graduated. If they failed, they would be forced to retake English 4 and miss graduation.
Will and Corey were floundering Pride and Prejudice features the Bennet sisters: there’s the oldest Jane followed by Elizabeth, Mary, Catherine (a.k.a. ‘Kitty’), and Lydia. Lydia runs off with George Wickham to marry and changes her name to ‘Wickham,’ not ‘Bennett;’ and Jane ends up with Charley Bingley — the new and wealthy tenant of Netherfield Park — now ‘Jane Bingley;’ and Elizabeth marries the other wealthy guy, the stand-offish one, Dobby? No, Darcin? The nephew of Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Or Lady de Bourgh — no, Lady Catherine (that’s important) — the one who is a foil to Elizabeth, the protagonist.
The complicated character web, the on-again-off-again weddings, and the subtle insinuations that only make sense in the context of Victorian England were taking a toll on Will and Corey. But Jennifer was insistent on helping them. They created flashcards, drew character trees, discussed significant symbolism and cultural critiques. They watched Pride and Prejudice with Keira Knightley, the BBC’s mini-series with Colin Firth, and thought about watching the 2016 rendition Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. As spring break approached, things were looking up. And then, nothing.
The COVID-19 pandemic hit The one-week spring break turned into two weeks, then three. The Homebound program was paused. Will and Corey’s suspension officially ended. They would both have to take the Pride and Prejudice final via their online proctor.
Two months passed before graduation was scheduled: a voluntary drive-through ceremony in which the students would drive parade-style past a large group of their social-distancing, mask-wearing teachers. It was in this line of vehicles that Jennifer spotted Will and Corey for the first time in two months.
“We did it! We passed!” Corey shouted from the passenger-side window of a moving SUV.
“What kind of a name is Fitzwilliam anyway?” Will called, leaning over from the driver’s seat.
Jennifer jogged alongside the car (at a safe distance), shouting through her mask. They discussed the final, future plans, and the upside of being suspended — learning from Ms. Bush.
“Seriously though, thanks, Ms. Bush,” Corey said as the car pulled away.
“We’re graduates!” Will yelled as he repeatedly mashed the car horn.
Will and Corey had completed their senior course work. They had graduated.
So, did a biologist and Jane Austen really save graduation? I guess it depends on who you ask. But if Andrew, Will or Corey were telling the story, I’m guessing they would leave out Jane Austen and speak only of Jennifer Bush, their teacher.
“The classroom, my classroom, is a messing place,” Jennifer said. “It’s a struggle, it’s fun, it’s life. Somedays are about biology; somedays are about just getting to biology; and somedays are about much more.”
Teaching, for Jennifer, is not about professing knowledge. It’s about connecting and engaging with students. It’s about meeting each student where they are and helping them succeed. It’s not an exact science. It’s messing. There’s failure. There are unforeseen challenges and struggles. But it matters. Each day, each student matters. It’s not about biology, it’s about helping students learn.
“That’s why I love teaching,” Jennifer said.
_______________
Jennifer Bush is a national board-certified teacher at Deer Creek High School. She teaches Biology, Advanced Placement Biology, and is a tutor in the Deer Creek Homebound Program. She has been teaching for 16 years.
*This article is based off a 2020 in-person interview with Jennifer Bush. The names of students, particular dates, and specific locations have been altered for the purpose of anonymity.
By Pam Devers, Pryor High School Chemistry and Physics Teacher, as well Teach Oklahoma Educator
Pam Devers demonstrating a chemistry project.
I felt drawn to teaching in the eighth grade. My best friend’s mom worked at the front office of the junior high and would take me home after school. While waiting, I watched the teachers having so much fun. I have always like science, but that year I had a teacher who really inspired me. He later became my intern mentor, a peer and a friend. I took all the science and math in high school and never strayed from my goal. It did take a couple of years working in an industrial park lab before a non-coaching job opened in my area. In retrospect I am thankful for the two lab years of experience and growing time before teaching high school. It made me appreciate the teaching jobs I would have later.
There are so many highlights that have evolved during the past 30 years in my classroom, most come as little moments. The warm, fuzzy times have been a comment that warmed my heart, a sweet note, a fun joke between a student and myself, laughs during a lab or messed up demonstration, or even intense learning on marker boards. They just all add up and are distributed at just the right moments.
Teaching is not for everyone. We have all had teachers who just ticked off the minutes until the ring of that last bell. Going into teaching is a calling. You have to learn to be a flexible multi-tasking person who always has a “Plan B” up your sleeve. The main thing is to have a love for young people embracing their unique qualities.
In my experience, teaching has been the best career. I get to decide my day and hang out with kids whom I enjoy that keep me young or some days remind me I am not. You have weekends, holidays, snow days, and summer off which is more than most jobs. I have learned to ask for grants for my classroom. I have also traveled to conferences all around the U.S., Canada, and Japan. My husband, Cash, is a retired teacher and with our combined teaching salaries we have never been in need, which is a true blessing.
I have one classroom rule and my kids all know it because I say it all throughout the year- Be kind to one another. I use this to explain how problems happen when we are not kind, which we see daily in the news. For me showing kindness and teaching it with a little sass along with holding kids accountable is how I make a difference. Another teacher might have a separate aim, but that is wonderful how together teachers can bring many variables to a student while they mold themselves into the person they are to become…just like the eighth grader who watched and wanted to have fun and has done that for the past 30 years.
Pam and Cash Devers are longtime educators at Pryor Public Schools.
I Love Teaching 