When I was fourteen years old and a newbie in high school, I walked into my fifth period Algebra class in the conjoined classroom on the east side of the Freshman building at North Kitsap High School in Poulsbo, Washington. In the conjoined class room were sixty seats, unlike the twenty some seats seen in most high school classrooms. I used to love going to the front of the class to solve difficult equations with ease in front of the rest of the students. Even when I was on crutches! It made me feel like a genius.
Mr. Hale team taught with his co-worker and long time friend Mr. McCorkle. Mr. McCorkle was also a good guy and enjoyable teacher, but didn't leave as lasting of an affect on me as Mr. Hale. Hale went far out of his way to get to know his students. He would learn what they were involved in, he would meet their parents, and for many give nicknames. Whether he remembers those nicknames or not, I don't know. Mine ranged from G-Dub and G-Money to "Garrett the Hit-man it's Ironic Because he Can't Walk Walker" when I was on crutches. Mr. Hale used an interesting technique to teach math to his students. He would begin every lecture with a story that somehow incorporated a math formula. To this day, I don't know how many of the stories were true, but it took my longer than I like to admit to realize they were hiding math in them. I can honestly say that I have never seen a teacher so enthusiastic about teaching every day of the week. It was like he drank three cups of coffee before every class period. Whether rain or shine, morning or afternoon, his energy never faltered. Mr. Hale knew how to charm the class. He made us laugh, and made many of us see him as a friend as well as a teacher. If he were asked about it, I'm sure he'd deny it, but without trying he charmed the girls in the class quite a bit too. I've really never seen a group of teenage females so focused in a math class. His teaching style was so intriguing that even the students who hated, or struggled with math enjoyed and looked forward to his class. I remember ten students receiving Outstanding Math Achievement awards at the end of the year (me being one of them). And while awarding them their certificates in class, Mr. Hale took to announcing them as an announcer would at a football game. Loud and enthusiastic he didn't seem to have a shy bone in his body.
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