I think that we can all admit chemistry is a class that may be hard to endure. But people like Olympia High School chemistry teacher Wayne Beeson strive to help students truly understand the content they’re learning. Mr. Beeson is one of the chemistry teachers at OHS as well as the school’s Science department head.
He has been at OHS since 1992, but his teaching career began in 1989 when he started substitute teaching in various subject areas. It seems that Mr. Beeson had a knack for teaching early on. “I was always the one that helped the other students learn material when I was in class,” Beeson said and later added that he really enjoyed the satisfaction of helping others out.
During Mr. Beeson’s earlier years he worked in fisheries as a biologist and a commercial fisherman. Both jobs were very demanding and required him to be away from home a lot. “I had to make a choice as I grew older, to either expand the fishing business or find new employment where I could be at home as much as possible,” he explains. Because he enjoyed helping others, he decided to become a teacher. This job would allow him to spend more time at home, make time for fishing and help further students’ education.
Teaching a chemistry class can be as challenging as taking one. Last year, as a student in Mr. Beeson’s chemistry class, I witnessed a few fingers burned, beakers broken, and chemicals spilled. There is a sense of urgency after something goes wrong, but Mr. Beeson stays calm and is there to help. “I never want anyone to get hurt in any way while handling chemicals so I am always alert to the sounds and activities going on around me,” Mr. Beeson explains. In past years there have, of course, been situations more serious than spilling NaCl (table salt) on the floor. But Mr. Beeson reassures me that “so far, all accidents have been small.”
One of the most memorable days in chemistry class was Mr. Beeson’s mobile Bunsen burner demonstration. We had all heard stories from upperclassmen, but now it was time to see it for ourselves. “The portable Bunsen burner is small and demonstrates concepts of density, pressure, characteristics of substances, changes to the surroundings from a system changing and a chemical reaction,” he explains.
“The original demonstration was shown to me as a way to emphasize the importance of a balanced chemical reaction,” Mr. Beeson continues.
After a time, the mobile Bunsen burner’s flame weakens and, in the end, a loud pop sounds. Mr. Beeson plans to pass the idea of the mobile Bunsen burner and many more demonstrations on to new teachers to entertain, and inform, their students as well. “Students love to see demonstrations and especially explosions,” Beeson laughs.
Mr. Beeson also serves as the advisor for the Science and Engineering Club, started in 1993. Club members participate in science fairs locally and beyond and several have received awards and recognition for their work. “One student won second place in computer science at the International Science Fair,” shares Mr. Beeson. “We also had a great trebuchet once that received honorable mention due to being a group project rather than an being individual project.”
Students are encouraged to come up with ideas for experiments and conduct them during club meetings. Some of these are later demonstrated to middle school students and at science fairs. The group has remained small over the years, but newcomers are always welcome.
Mr. Beeson has a clear love for science and learning, but he is also a great fan of the outdoors. “I have harvested over a million pounds of seafood, much of which were utilized in high-end restaurants in the greater Seattle area. I worked in Alaska aquaculture associations to help rebuild and maintain salmon runs in southeast Alaska,” he says. He maintains his love of fishing local salmon runs today.
It’s not just fishing that keeps Mr. Beeson busy outside the walls of OHS. “Through the years I have been involved in radio controlled planes and boats, anything to do with hunting and fishing as well as reading books about how things work,” Mr. Beeson says. His knowledge is obvious and is one of the reasons he is so admired by OHS students.
Lydia Soto, a senior at OHS, took Mr. Beeson’s class last year. “Mr. Beeson really knows his stuff and he is really committed to teaching,” Soto shares.
Another senior, Emily Kellogg, agrees with Soto’s statement and adds, “You can always ask questions and he [Mr. Beeson] genuinely wants the students to succeed.” It is easy to enjoy a class when the teacher is so passionate about the subject and Mr. Beeson certainly is.
Chemistry is a hard class, but in the end it’s worthwhile. Looking to succeed in this class? Mr. Beeson’s advice is simple: “Do not get behind, do the work, put in the effort and do not just accept answers without hearing the reasons. Learn and grow in your understanding every day.”
Sounds like advice for not just a chemistry class, but for life as well.
