Our daughter, Galie Benshoshan, recently came home from school very distressed. “Her favorite teacher of all time” was suspended from his teaching position at Malibu High School and she was very upset because she did not and could not comprehend why such a decision was arrived at by the school.
Every day after school we would engage her in how her day went. While she loves going to school, teachers have had a greater impact on her day than do others. Mr. Michael Felix is one such teacher and now he was gone, perhaps forever.
I don’t know Mr. Felix personally; in fact I only met him briefly during freshman orientation. But I must admit that I was impressed with the way he engaged with the parents as well as his friendly demeanor and delivery. This man, I said to myself, has charisma. This teacher was going to stimulate the young minds that he was entrusted with, including our daughter, and I was excited for her. This teacher was a teacher’s teacher and I am sure is destined to become many a students’ “favorite” teacher.
I must admit that I do not know for sure what prompted his immediate suspension. I had heard vague rumors about his use of an allegedly inappropriate hyperbole in class.
I find myself asking the question of what makes a great teacher. I am 62 years old and I can still remember every one of my favorite teachers and I suspect that to also be true for each of you. I remember them because they were fantastic individuals first who then became great teachers and were capable of stimulating my mind and the minds of many others. They made me think about things beyond the classroom and homework. They believed in me and everyone else in the class and truly cared about perfecting the “art of teaching.” They made all subjects interesting, exciting and entertaining. They challenged us to think “outside of the box” and to not be afraid to question others.
I suspect that some would have you believe that a teacher is successful if he is able to prevent only 20% of his students from falling asleep in class. I know that you all deeply believe that a great teacher is one that not only keeps 100% of his students awake in every class, but is also able to keep them engaged and coming back for more.
Please do not make the harsh decision of removing Mr. Felix from Malibu High School. He is a priceless asset to the school and to the minds of all of the students that he comes in contact with. Mr. Felix is, by every measure, a great and effective teacher that should be encouraged to continue teaching our children.
Al Leibovic
These are excerpts from letter sent to SMMUSD and Dr. Mark Kelly