From Lab Coats to Leisure

After 38 years of teaching sciences includin chemistry, physics, and earth science, Jon Petersen is retiring from Polson High School. His departure represents the end of the nearly two-thirds of his life he’s spent teaching. 

Mr. Petersen’s introduction into teaching was mainly influenced by his father, a math and social studies teacher in California. He stated, “My father was a teacher, and a lot of family members were teachers.” He also mentioned that the long summer breaks played a big part in his interest in being a teacher, saying, “The joke is always that there are three good reasons to be a teacher: June, July, and August.”

Throughout his career, Mr. Petersen has taught many different subjects to many different grade levels. Through all 38 years of teaching, he has taught every grade level from 2nd grade all the way up to college, but he stated that high school has always been his favorite. Petersen stated that about 20 years into teaching, he wanted to get his doctorate in college to become a professor but realised that the serious atmosphere of a college didn’t match his unique teaching style, which was more fitting for high school.

One of Mr. Petersen’s proudest moments happened in the 1990s while teaching earth science in Oregon. He had applied for a federal project that provided a seismometer to their school. During a lesson on earthquakes, a student noticed something happening on the seismograph. They quickly calculated the distance to the earthquake’s epicenter and determined it was either in Alaska or in Mexico City. When they turned on the TV, the news confirmed a major earthquake in Mexico City had just occurred. Mr. Petersen proudly remembers that “the kids knew there was an earthquake before it made it to the news.”

Many students appreciate Mr. Petersen’s teaching style. Brody Kline described him as “thorough” and explained that he “puts in a lot of work for his classes.” Kline also noticed that Petersen uses the word “incidentally” frequently. He has counted him saying it 43 times this semester in his class. Another student, Violet Stunden, appreciated his passion for chemistry, saying, “He makes it more fun.” Stunden also appreciated his commitment to updating course materials regularly, making it more challenging with fresh material. Lab experiments were a favorite part of Mr. Petersen’s classes for many students. Stunden particularly enjoyed the iodine clock reaction lab, which involves watching a clear liquid instantaneously turn black. 

Mr. Petersen’s retirement brings mixed emotions. While students are happy for him to enjoy his well-deserved break, they also will miss his presence in the classroom. Stunden stated, “When I heard about his retirement, it was tragic... but at the same time, it’s a relief. He’s been here for a while, and I’m happy for him to move on.”

After retirement, Mr. Petersen plans to spend more time backpacking in hot places, which he typically couldn’t do as his only time off was during the summer, which is too hot. He has previously backpacked in Alaska, Canada, and along the Pacific Crest Trail. He shared, “It’s going to be quite a transition to go away from teaching... it’ll be nice to do some more backpacking.”

Reflecting on his career, Mr. Petersen stated that he really wants his students to recognize the importance of curiosity and understanding the world around us. He also hopes that his students  acknowledge that “We live in a fascinating universe, and the more you can learn about it, the better.” He added, “It makes you appreciate your life more when you have a little bit of an understanding of how things work.”