Hark! Thank You Mr. Lockheart for Your Noble Teaching of Young Souls: By Rito Perez and Jack Lampe
Rito
As I am writing this, it is exam day for AP Lit and I just completed the course test. Now, in class on the same day we are watching Whiplash. Quite the turn of events, despite the test feeling like Whiplash at some points. This is only one of the best things we have done in class, thanks to Mr. Lockhart. Every day he greets the class with an enthusiastic “Hark!” which has grown to be the start of a highlight of my day.
Then he opens the floor for any “Tales of Triumph or Woes,” he then calls on any volunteers eager to hear of our tales of tribulations or successes. Throughout the year, he has always found ways to make the class engaging, and I rarely find myself bored, which is something that in the past was rare for English class. The best memory from this year for me was the games of Grudgeball, where he not only makes it a review game, but fosters a fun environment that has a lot of class interaction. Even in The Iliad, my least favorite unit from the class, Lockhart managed to make it a good time through creativity and competition. Sorting us into groups based on our personalities, and our groups representing Greek Gods. Even though The Iliad was the most confusing story I’ve ever attempted to read, I found a way to enjoy it. Mr. Lockhart has been an influential part of my education and has been one of the brightest spots of my challenging academic junior year.
Jack
¨Hark, Hello, hello,” says Mr. Lockhart at the beginning of the 5th period. “Welcome back once more to AP Lit 5th hour edition.”
Every day, Mr. Lockhart says this same introduction, and it has become a staple in the classroom for our fellow students. He is always coming to class with a great attitude and is always ready to spill the news to his students about his personal life, and it makes his relationship with us that much better. He is also eager to hear their tales of dismay or gratitude, he is always ready to hear of his own students day to day lives.
No matter if we're talking about the most boring topic of English, like poems, or talking about how the AP test will turn out, I'm always intrigued and excited to listen just because he knows how to interact with his students and keep everybody engaged so well.
By far my favorite moment in the class is when Mr. Lockhart let us choose a scene from the Iliad, a piece of Greek literature, where a couple of friends recreated the clash between Kent and Oswald where Kent is tied up and punished for being a terrible person. The ability to be independent and do what we want with our scene and make it our own rendition was really cool.
I had Mr. Hartwig for English ten my sophomore year, and I was nervous to have to get a new teacher, considering I thought Mr. Hartwig was a great teacher, but Mr Lockhart made it really easy to adjust to a new environment. I had only taken one AP course before AP Literature, and it didn't feel like a huge jump at all. Overall he just made it really easy to adjust to a new environment and has been very understanding about course material.
I can't thank Mr. Lockhart enough for what he has done for me and my fellow students. We will carry his noble teachings and his wise sayings into our lives in the future. We sha e'er remember what thou hast done for us, Master Lockhart. Farewell, noble soul.
