Tegner Weiseth, a science teacher at The Dalles High School, is pictured in front of a display case in his classroom. He has been named as an Inspirational Teacher by Eastern Oregon University.
Tegner Weiseth, a science teacher at The Dalles High School, is pictured in front of a display case in his classroom. He has been named as an Inspirational Teacher by Eastern Oregon University.
As an honor-roll freshman at Eastern Oregon University, Eli Holeman, was asked to name an inspirational teacher: He chose Tegner Weiseth, a life science teacher at The Dalles High School.
EOU gives its Inspirational Teacher awards annually in recognition of outstanding high school teachers who encourage and represent the importance of higher education to their students.
Weiseth was one of 26 educators so honored from Oregon, Washington, California and Nevada.
“Tegner is amazing at what he does,” Holeman told the Chronicle. “He is an inspiring instructor who knows how to motivate and educate students as well as connect with them on a personal level.”
Holeman, a 2015 graduate of The Dalles High School and the son of Eric and Kathy Holeman, is a nursing major at EOU who plans to become a nurse practitioner.
He said Weiseth “devotes an unbelievable amount of time to his students and puts value in our education.” He said Weiseth worked “for the enjoyment of sharing knowledge and when a teacher is excited to be there I find it hard not to be excited myself. In my experience, Tegner made going to class a privilege, not a burden and that made a world of difference.
“As a college student the study habits and information learned under his instruction have aided in my success, and I truly appreciate him for that.”
Weiseth said he was “totally blown away” by the recognition from Holeman. “Usually you don’t get much feedback from kids, so it’s nice to get.”
“One of the key elements to teaching high school kids, especially in The Dalles, is interpersonal relationships with the kids,” Weiseth said. “If you don’t get along with them, they won’t work with you.”
And Weiseth had his own praise for Holeman. “The thing that makes Eli exceptional is he’s naturally inquisitive, which keeps him engaged.”
He said the two most important thing a student needed to be successful were natural inquisitiveness and grit — “what you do in the face of failure, because that is learning.”
“The reason I’ve been good at this at all is because I like kids and I get along with them and I love what I teach,” he added.
Weiseth is indeed very into the life sciences. He once almost named his cat Rubisco, after the “most ubiquitous enzyme on the planet. It’s why we exist.” He explained that the enzyme pulls carbon out of the atmosphere and into plants so they can make sugar.
But his son won out and the cat was named Chewbacca.
The Dalles High School Principal Nick Nelson said Weiseth was also named Rotary Teacher of the year for North Wasco county school district for the 2014-15 school year.
“He exemplifies dedication, commitment, and integrity with staff and students. Teg is our science department anchor and we are very fortunate to have a vaunted professional,” Nelson said.
Weiseth grew up in Washington, attending high school in Port Angeles. Then he spent seven years in the U.S. Coast Guard, primarily driving search and rescue boats off the West Coast.
He went to college at Sonoma State University in California, where he got his undergraduate degree in biology with an emphasis in genetics.
Then he was in a master’s program for ecological genetics, which had him teaching undergraduates biology labs.
That experience led him to becoming a teacher.
He has been at The Dalles High School for nine years.
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