BILLINGS — Q2, Education Foundation for Billings Public Schools, Western Security Bank, and City Brew Coffee have teamed up for “One Class at a Time.” It's a program that recognizes teachers who go above and beyond to help their students.
Meet Dan Bartsch, a human anatomy teacher who brings incredible energy to his classroom, making complex concepts come alive for his students.
"The main goal is to make it a fun course where hopefully they want to continue studying science in the future," said Mr. Bartsch. "We just kind of teach the wonders of the human body and how it works and hopefully try to be as relevant as possible so they know that this thing they're carrying around their whole life, this body of theirs, and how it works, and so they're medically informed and just become literate citizens in this kind of crazy, healthcare-ridden world. We do a lot of things that are hands-on, and we try to bring things that they're going to experience in everyday life, like understanding how to deal with anxiety through breathing, understanding why their heart rate goes up while they're exercising, understanding the value of doing these things, just being literate and being active and how important that is for their mind and how the whole body is connected to that."
In his 31 years of teaching, Mr. Bartsch has watched generations come full circle, now teaching the children of his former students.
"It's a real privilege. I'm just super honored. I lucked into the right profession for my life, so I feel really, really blessed by that."
And he's got a message for all his students.
"Learning is a lifelong thing. You get better at it as you go. And that they can pretty much do anything they set their minds to."
And because of his dedication, he's helped set generations of students, past and present, on the path to success. And because of that, the Education Foundation for Billings Public Schools was honored to present Mr. Bartsch a $500 grant, proudly sponsored by Western Security Bank. And City Brew Coffee was also on hand to give her a $150 gift card, along with a few other tokens of appreciation. Congratulations!
If you would like to nominate a deserving teacher, click here.
