School’s out for Summer
Story and Photo by Dana Greig
After more than 50 years of being in school, either as a student, teacher, and sometimes both, Shaun Bass can finally blare Alice Cooper’s School’s Out For Summer anthem as he retreats to his Slate Creek home in retirement glory. His career as “Mr. Bass” concludes after teaching two years in Alaska, one year at an alternative school in Grangeville, and 34 years at Grangeville high school.
Although he will greatly miss interacting with students, Mr. Bass is looking forward to returning to a full-fledged life on the Salmon River where he has enjoyed fishing, rafting and hunting his whole life. His emphasis during retirement will be hunting, as he hasn’t had much free time in the fall to do so, and completing building projects around his home.
Shaun grew up on the Salmon River, meeting his wife, Laree, in junior high school in Riggins. At Salmon River high school the two were both scholars and athletes. Shaun excelled in football and basketball, and begrudgingly took track, and Laree was the “queen of the 800” on the track according to Shaun. She was valedictorian and class president, while he was salutatorian and associated student body president. The two married shortly after graduation and attended the University of Idaho together where he studied Biology and she double majored in History and English. They graduated in 1988 and took job offers in Alaska.
Three years later Mr. Bass was hired full-time at GHS to teach math and lower environmental classes. His second year there, he switched to teaching physiology and biology after the science teacher retired. Those two classes have been his favorite during his career, along with advanced integrated science.
Mr. Bass has taught an array of different science classes, but in the last five years has been teaching physics, chemistry, honors biology 1 & 2, physiology, and advanced integrated science.
Mr. Bass has honed his craft over years of experience, attending conferences, taking classes and receiving his Master’s Degree in 2011, and tweaking what he does as he gains knowledge. One conference in Boise 10 years into his career changed his outlook and teaching style. The CEO of Micron at the time explained that he had a problem with teachers because they were sending out workers who “don’t know what to do when they don’t know what to do.” This inspired Mr. Bass to develop a student’s ability to figure things out.
“In those days I thought I was doing everyone a favor by making these exact, precise directions,” laughed Mr. Bass. “It’s hard to begin with because you have to step back and sometimes watch them fall flat on their face and just let them. After a while the students start to figure things out which is pretty cool.”
When students say they don’t know how something works, Mr. Bass simply says “and now science begins, let’s figure it out.”
This technique, mostly used in his advanced integrated science class (AIS), is the reason plaques cover a large portion of a wall in his classroom of students he has taught who have earned awards in the science fair held annually in north Idaho.
“The proud teacher in me says ‘and have dominated every year,’” grinned Mr. Bass. “We’re going to close out my career undefeated. Most years they [the judges] say ‘we don’t even have to add it up, you guys ran away with it!’”
His students have won thousands of dollars, awards, medals, all-expense paid trips to Arizona, California, Colorado, and Washington D.C, to list just a few.
“I love it,” Mr. Bass said of AIS. “It’s probably the hardest class I teach because everyone is doing a different project. I’m not going to shove them in any direction, so they are sometimes doing stuff to where I have to go home and study up on it to stay a few steps ahead of them. If they hit a wall and can’t figure out what to do, I can step in and say okay, well why don’t you try this.”
Even the leader of the state science fair has asked him why he would put the time into doing 8-10 different projects with his students.
“It keeps me on my toes,” smiled Mr. Bass. “It’s a different class. It’s hard to manage but I’ve loved it.”
Of all his favorite things about being a teacher, by far Mr. Bass says it’s the interactions with the students.
“They just continue to amaze me,” said Mr. Bass. “And all they need is that confidence that it’s okay to fail, that’s how you learn. Then the push of okay, what do you do now?”
Along with his students winning awards, Mr. Bass has racked up quite a few himself, including North Idaho Science Award three years, and the ID21 Award in 2012 for innovative science programs. He is also a member of the Idaho State Science Association.
Memories Mr. Bass recollects fondly are teaching and coaching his own children, Kaleb and Kaleala (whose name comes from a native drummer they met in Alaska).
“It was a lot of fun,” said Mr. Bass. “They were both good students and athletes. It was fun to get a close-up view of their high school career. We still have conversations about stuff they learned from me. They both have a deep knowledge and love for science some of which I think I had a part in.”
As Mr. Bass makes a bittersweet departure, his experience has led him to have a positive outlook for the future.
“There’s a lot of worry in the world but I have hope because there’s still a lot of very intelligent students that come through here and also very kind-hearted students.”
School’s out FOREVER!