Robert Johnstone has decided to retire this upcoming summer after teaching in the science department at Buena for a total of an amazing 17 years. Johnstone has taught many students throughout his years of teaching, as they passed his classes of Physics, Chemistry, and Introduction to Engineering. After many years of teaching, he is retiring during the summer. As he puts it, “It was time for the next phase of my journey.” 

   His favorite part of teaching was feeling “the joy of participating in the learning process.” When you sat in his classroom, you could feel his passion on the material he was teaching. He did not filter criticism, which meant if he disagreed with something in the class videos or textbook he would explain how and why they were wrong. 

   He was a great teacher and always took the time to listen to students when they asked a question or told a story. Even though it may have not seemed like it while sitting in his classroom, many of his students can now say that they learned quite a bit more than they thought. Johnstone has always “tried to inspire [his] students to never stop learning and expanding their understanding of the natural world.”

   On another note, most of his students know how easily he could get distracted. Former student Raquel Shusette, remembered he “could get off topic so easily if you knew the right question or topic to bring up.” Students had fun asking him about other topics to kill some class time, but when he turned serious they learned to pay attention and not miss anything important.

  His commitment to the school did not stop outside of the classroom. Principal Frank Davis, remembers Johnstone contributing greatly to our Science League, as well as making appearances in various school plays. For Davis, it is Johnstone’s “wit and charming personality [that] will be genuinely missed.”

   At the end of this school year, Johnstone will “take as many opportunities as possible: physical, intellectual, entertaining!”. He will be missed and Davis has only two words for Johnstone as he leaves our campus…“Cheers, mate.”