A man amongst boys.

   I am continuing on in my series of writings about teachers that have had a profound influence on my life with a certain Stephen Knouff, 6th grade english, history, and language teacher. When I had Mr. Knouff as my teacher in 6th grade, he had already been teaching for 30 years. He had tought us and many of our older brothers and sisters, as well as our parents when they were young. The man had been around for a long time, and usually always had a great reaction from his students on his style of teaching. When I was in kindergarden and my brother had Mr. Knouff in 6th grade I was afraid that he would retire before I got there. I remember telling the man that he had to keep teaching at least until I got into 6th grade, then he could retire. Well guess what, I am a senior in high school, and old ironclads is still pounding out more gramatically affluent students. The man is amazing.

I feel his teaching may have more of an impact on boys than girls, and that is not to say that girls can’t get something great out of him either. But my title implies, a man amongst boys. It was like having our dad in that class. The dad that plays catch with you, teaches you about women, tells stories, and directs you in your life. Now, I would never call Mr. Knouff dad, but I feel the analogy is suitable for his character. I loved his stories.

Mr. Knouff was not only a teacher, but a dairy farmer, and a stocks invester. He would discuss his downfalls or triumphs in the market to us, explain why it was good, why it was bad. He would also tell us about his cow milking stories, tell us how he milked the cows, how he helped cows through the birthing of their calves, and then said something like “Oh, where these hands have been,” followed by touching a girl to his right. He shot groundhogs too. Not like a normal man, but from his bathroom window with a shotgun. How cool is that?!

The man is just a stud. A rugged stud. He stands around 6’0 but his gray hair is alive on his head, except for the bald spot on the back of his head, that has never progressed in size for 15 years. His large bushy mustache, a mix of brown and grey, his thin rimmed, gold classes, and his unbuttoned shirts, 3 buttons down, revealing a massive array of exuberant, manly, chest hair. He was my only teacher ever to drive 1966 restored corvettes to school, and motorcycles (pronounced motor – sickle, if you’re Mr. Knouff, his reasoning? Well you don’t pronounce a bicycle by – sigh – cal, do you?). It were these things that made us look up to him. His story telling was impeccable, and his teaching was firm, effective, efficient, and exciting. He related stories to the history he was teaching, he loved history. His english worksheets were craftily put togehter, and challenging, but fun. He let me read the atlas’ in his room. I loved the big green one from 1969 because it had populations of every town in every state in America. I would just sit back there and read it over and over again, the populations, demographics in maps. I already loved Atlas’ but when I got to Knouff’s class my love reached a new apex. I learned about Napoleon and his brilliance in that class, I read my first big book in that class, because we had to read so many pages a quarter. I learned some discipline, and I experienced excitement in his class.  He read to us too.

My favorite book was the “Blue Man.” A story about a boy who is being followed by this blue man throughout the book. It was exciting, suspenseful, and devious. Mr. Knouff’s favorite to read, and my favorite to listen to. They don’t print that book anymore, and the copy he was reading us was from 40 years ago, a favorite for him, even before he was teaching. He was so old school, yet so relational with the students. He ate lunch with the students. I ate lunch with him. No other teacher I have had has ever gotten the school lunch everyday and ate with the students. He loves his kids that much that he would eat with them. Mr. Knouff gave me my love of my favorite cookie, snickerdoodles. His wife, Rosemary baked fresh ones every November and December, and Mr. Knouff shared them with me when I would plead with him to do so. I loved them, they were so good, I was so sad that I had not discovered them sooner.

Mr. Knouff is a true gem and legend in the Sidney City Schools district. I will remember him for the rest of my life. I still stop in once or twice a year to see how he is doing, and as you would suspect, he’s up to his old tricks again. Telling the same stories, as well as new ones, teaching the same things, and going with the flow. He is a flow master. He was an awesome role model, and a terrific adult friend. I cannot wait until he comes to my graduation party, and I’ve heard rumors that this man may teach well into his 40th year in the profession. The man is abnormally passionate about his job, and it is what makes him good at it. It allows him to excel and to work harder, and to appreciate and see more. I’m just glad he saw me. 🙂