“A truly amazing teacher is hard to find, difficult to part with, and impossible to forget.”-Unknown. Mr. Gilpin is a beloved teacher at our school and will be missed next year. Mr Gilpin is a sixth- and eighth-grade social studies teacher here at BGJHS. This is his 27th year teaching but also his last.
He tells us, “I started teaching because I loved reading and learning about history and wanted to share that enthusiasm with students.” He then quickly realized the need for teaching to help shape the future. Mr Gilpin realized that he had an opportunity to impact students’ lives and help them grow. He helps them grow academically, socially, and emotionally.
“Building strong relationships with students and seeing their growth can be incredibly rewarding and that is what makes retiring such a difficult decision,” he tells us. He decided to retire because he felt like he had accomplished his major goal as an educator. He is ready to explore different things. He tells us he could do anything, from farming to working at the public library. Eighth-grade student Kyson Turner tells us, Students will miss Mr Gilpin and his great way of teaching.
Eighth-grader Dimitri Hill tells us, “I enjoy his class because he talks more but we learn more. “He makes learning fun with games and activities,” says sixth grader Sophia Garrity. Sixth-grade student Audriana Blanchard tells us, “I enjoy his class because he talks a lot and it’s different because he tells stories to help us learn.” Mr. Gilpin tells stories connecting with the topics. He also goes off topic and the students enjoy this because they don’t have to do work.
He tells us, “My favorite year of teaching is always the year that I am currently teaching.” He likes getting new students to teach every year. Mr Gilpin also likes to teach and plan new lessons. He has taught high school and middle school social studies. He has also worked as an administrator for ten years.
Mr Gilpin tells us “Probably the biggest challenge for most teachers is connecting with students with varying abilities, learning styles, and backgrounds.” He tries to work hard to get to know his students and build a sense of community in his classroom. With so many students, it’s difficult to get to know each of them and their abilities.
Even though we will miss him next year, he will have made a big impact on students we won’t forget!
