George Chan

                                                                                                                                    Aug. 28, 2000

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Encomium

            What makes a person worthy of praise? Does that person have to be famous for something? Or do they have to be a great athlete? Or even a great author?  No, for me it is a person who is not afraid to lend a helping hand, one who is never too busy to sit and listen to someone’s problems.  Someone who encourages the growth of ones imagination and to expand their horizons is also worthy of praise.  This is an encomium to my Native American History teacher, Mr. Luke.  This teacher is worthy of praise because he always tries to help, listen and contribute to the community, not only as a teacher, but also as a friend. Although in some of your minds you probably ask the question, “why praise teachers when they bore you with facts that you won’t ever use in your life?” Well, Mr. Luke was not only a teacher, but a friend.  He would always be there when you were down and need help.

            Mr. Luke’s great passion for Native American Indians led him to create this course elective for seniors. What was most inspiring for me was his great enthusiasm for teaching this course, and his many great stories about his adventures and trips to many different Indian Reservations helped us to keep interest in his classes.  Sometimes his lesson plans would not go the way he wanted them too.  We would always change the lesson from being about Indians to how a team did in last night’s game and various other topics.

Mr. Luke taught me facts about Indians that I never knew.  His lesson plans in class were always intriguing.  This was because he would always try and find something that was related to what was going on at the time and add it to his lesson.  We as students, never knew what he was going to teach us next and therefore we were interested in what was going to happen.

            Mr. Luke’s great personality was another feature that makes him a great teacher.  He was never so overwhelming that you would clam up.  He would always try to get people in his class to have fun, let loose, and voice their opinions.  He did not mind if you got a question wrong as long as you tried.

In addition to being a history class, it was an art studio.  He gave us a place for students to expand their horizons by creating works of art, architecture and tapestries.  Not only did we reproduce old Native American relics, but they were also displayed and used in many lessons through out the year.  He encouraged the students to be in touch with their artistic side and help them gain more reassurance of their skills and abilities.  This is another reason why Mr. Luke should be praised.  He would never give up on students and would always encourage them to try new things and expand their horizons.

Besides teaching about history and art, he taught about real life, and the up coming decisions we have to make.  These decisions will ultimately change our lives, whether they were bad or good Mr. Luke always pointed us in the right direction.  He gave us virtues that we could choose to adopt or not care about, but most of all he gave us his attention as a friend.

Besides being a teacher, Mr. Luke helped out many of his students who are in trouble or who just want to chat.  He is a great role model to most students and teachers alike for his unique methods of teaching and his caring for the students.  No matter what he was doing or how busy he was with work, he would always find time to talk to the students that he formed friendships with.  I can remember all the time and effort he put in for me by just talking to me, and helping me understand why things in life happen.  He helped me find who I am.  He was a guiding light to my success in school, but besides helping me, he helps all his students by giving them great advice and by teaching them lessons about life and Native American Indians.

Mr. Luke, a well known teacher for the course he founded in Native American History at Syosset High, is well admired by the student population as a caring and respectable figure to look up at.  Unfortunately, at the end of the 2001 school year Mr. Luke is planning on retiring, and the school will lose one of its best and beloved teachers.  His many years of service and dedication to the school will be remembered, and his presence and personality will be missed in the busy halls of Syosset High.  The memories and lessons that he taught his many former students and I will go on in our hearts.