Miller pushes students to think
After all these years he's still 'unmoved by tears'
By Sage Puhl
Published Jan. 17, 2023
The bell rings and as the usual rambunctious class slowly comes to a settle and the room slowly comes to a silencing halt. It usually takes a few minutes before we hear “Welcome Back Everybody!” Mr. Scott Miller greets his class everyday with the same phrase that somehow makes it seem like he is talking to each and every one of us individually. Mr. Miller is a very intriguing person; he is very out of the norm with an outgoing and self-confident personality. Mr. Miller's way of making every student feel involved and uncomfortable in a way of growth is something he is known for. He is also known for his intimidating personality and his scary tests that are known to leave students crying.
The core memory of clicking on the submit button of my first ever psychology test, I felt a chill of nerves run down my spine. My heart is pounding, a stream of tears dance down my face, the “43%” jumps out on my computer screen. I slowly look up and glance over to see if the other kids had finished and in the corner of my eye I see Mr. Miller with an evil satisfied grin laughing. Well … just kidding, but this man really is unmoved by tears. He even goes as far as to have a shirt that says unmoved by tears. The perpetuation of the evil Scott Miller who sets his students up for failure continues on through each generation in Aitkin High School. This is not the true Mr. Miller once you get to know him. As he told me, “I do not want to see my students struggle, I want to see them think and grow.” Scott Miller truly does love and enjoy his job and students. When talking to previous students I got the same response. “I am glad that he pushed us and I learned the most in his classroom,” said Kylee Wolf.
Miller grew up in Waukesha, Wisconsin. “I had an amazing childhood,” Mr. Miller stated. He grew up with a loving family in an amazing suburb and school district. He grew up always being an advanced student. His dad portrayed a good work ethic and his mom showed him how to always see the bright side. Mr. Miller was inspired by his high school english teacher Mr. Bingin, who pushed Miller out of his comfort zone and did not give clear instructions. That showed Mr. Miller how being pushed outside of your comfort zone and how the unknown helps you learn. After 25 years of being a teacher he still really believes in this teaching style. Mr. Miller demonstrates great acts of leadership and he shows a lot of previous community involvment and is the president of the Aitkin Quarterbacks Club.
Mr. Miller claims he is six feet tall or “maybe a little shorter now that he is aging.” This seems like a bit of a push by the way the class gasped when he declared he was six feet tall. You will often see him in his plaid button up shirt with what almost looks like biking pants. You can see him thinking and can nearly see the clouds of thoughts spinning through his head. It is almost impossible to stay mad at Mr. Miller when he smiles as the wrinkles crease around his face and his eyebrows shoot up to the sky. Whether it is a smile of laughter or a smile after you say something dumb, it can almost make your whole day. Once a student asked how often he washed his hair, but it is ironic because he does not have any. Sometimes as I sit in class, the light reflects off his head and it almost becomes a distraction Though he would not be the same person without a bald head. It really fits him and carries part of his personality. Whenever you see Miller having a conversation with anybody you can tell how intrigued and engaged he is in the conversation. He talks confidently like a smart professor. He understands his students even at the hardest times to read them. He somehow knows something is going on. It is almost like he is a mind reader considering he does teach psychology.
In the beginning of this school year we were talking about government terms and how they apply to the real world. He said that love overtakes fear and compared it to middle school relationships. Mr. Miller referenced the middle school relationships and how they get so caught up in love. He is a very observational person and he was saying how he likes to observe the way they act in the hallways and he said, “Wait for the breakup … that is the best part.” The class let out a concerned laugh as everyone looked at each other and wondered if this man has any heart at all. Later that day in class he asked a student a question and she did not know the answer. He stood there and pushed her to think of an answer as her face was turning as red as a kid with windburn who has been outside for three hours. She started to sweat and I blurted out, “Leave the poor girl alone! You are evil!” He exclaimed in a silly voice,“You can call me Dr. Evil! Mr. Miller demonstrates great amounts of sarcasm. This instance really showed how he likes to push people out of their comfort zone.
When asking students about Mr. Miller I realized that most of the students who have had his classes have the same impression. Those who do not dare to enter his classroom and somehow avoid it still have the same scary impression of him that was passed down by the upperclassmen like hand-me-down shoes. Kylee Wolf said, “At first I was nervous for Mr. Miller's classes, but now that I have been through them I realize that he wants to see us get better and improve.” When Jessica Much thought of Mr. Miller, she thought of a saying that he has plastered in our heads and on his wall. The saying, “Hard work works,” is what she thought of and she said, “I could not agree with that statement any more.” She added, “He is also mentally sharp!” Taking Miller’s classes takes effort and persistence, but the end result is worth it.
When talking to Mr. Dustin Richters, one of Mr. Miller's colleagues, I asked how Miller differs from most teachers and he said, “I believe Mr. Miller has higher expectations for his students due to the fact that he primarily teaches seniors.” He not only teaches kids the curriculum for the class, but how to navigate the real world. Since Mr. Richters has known Mr. Miller, he has been the same ever since then and has not changed. He acts the same in school as he does out of school. He is very true to himself and does not have any filters. Mr. Miller demonstrates success and he portrays that in his classroom to also lead his students to success.
Mr. Scott Miller is usually a class favorite. He cares about the growth of his students more than we know. He stands up for what he believes but will gladly admit when he is proven wrong. He brings out the best in his students and I think that is a very important goal of his. Miller always provides us with a safe learning environment and tries to set us up for success, but when we fail is when we learn the most. He stresses to us to never be afraid to be wrong. The quote on his wall, “Doubt is not to be feared but welcomed,” screams at us everyday as we are scanning the walls during class. It reminds me to not be afraid to fail but be eager to fail because that is when you learn the most. Mr. Scott Miller is a remarkable teacher and person.
Published Jan. 17, 2023
The bell rings and as the usual rambunctious class slowly comes to a settle and the room slowly comes to a silencing halt. It usually takes a few minutes before we hear “Welcome Back Everybody!” Mr. Scott Miller greets his class everyday with the same phrase that somehow makes it seem like he is talking to each and every one of us individually. Mr. Miller is a very intriguing person; he is very out of the norm with an outgoing and self-confident personality. Mr. Miller's way of making every student feel involved and uncomfortable in a way of growth is something he is known for. He is also known for his intimidating personality and his scary tests that are known to leave students crying.
The core memory of clicking on the submit button of my first ever psychology test, I felt a chill of nerves run down my spine. My heart is pounding, a stream of tears dance down my face, the “43%” jumps out on my computer screen. I slowly look up and glance over to see if the other kids had finished and in the corner of my eye I see Mr. Miller with an evil satisfied grin laughing. Well … just kidding, but this man really is unmoved by tears. He even goes as far as to have a shirt that says unmoved by tears. The perpetuation of the evil Scott Miller who sets his students up for failure continues on through each generation in Aitkin High School. This is not the true Mr. Miller once you get to know him. As he told me, “I do not want to see my students struggle, I want to see them think and grow.” Scott Miller truly does love and enjoy his job and students. When talking to previous students I got the same response. “I am glad that he pushed us and I learned the most in his classroom,” said Kylee Wolf.
Miller grew up in Waukesha, Wisconsin. “I had an amazing childhood,” Mr. Miller stated. He grew up with a loving family in an amazing suburb and school district. He grew up always being an advanced student. His dad portrayed a good work ethic and his mom showed him how to always see the bright side. Mr. Miller was inspired by his high school english teacher Mr. Bingin, who pushed Miller out of his comfort zone and did not give clear instructions. That showed Mr. Miller how being pushed outside of your comfort zone and how the unknown helps you learn. After 25 years of being a teacher he still really believes in this teaching style. Mr. Miller demonstrates great acts of leadership and he shows a lot of previous community involvment and is the president of the Aitkin Quarterbacks Club.
Mr. Miller claims he is six feet tall or “maybe a little shorter now that he is aging.” This seems like a bit of a push by the way the class gasped when he declared he was six feet tall. You will often see him in his plaid button up shirt with what almost looks like biking pants. You can see him thinking and can nearly see the clouds of thoughts spinning through his head. It is almost impossible to stay mad at Mr. Miller when he smiles as the wrinkles crease around his face and his eyebrows shoot up to the sky. Whether it is a smile of laughter or a smile after you say something dumb, it can almost make your whole day. Once a student asked how often he washed his hair, but it is ironic because he does not have any. Sometimes as I sit in class, the light reflects off his head and it almost becomes a distraction Though he would not be the same person without a bald head. It really fits him and carries part of his personality. Whenever you see Miller having a conversation with anybody you can tell how intrigued and engaged he is in the conversation. He talks confidently like a smart professor. He understands his students even at the hardest times to read them. He somehow knows something is going on. It is almost like he is a mind reader considering he does teach psychology.
In the beginning of this school year we were talking about government terms and how they apply to the real world. He said that love overtakes fear and compared it to middle school relationships. Mr. Miller referenced the middle school relationships and how they get so caught up in love. He is a very observational person and he was saying how he likes to observe the way they act in the hallways and he said, “Wait for the breakup … that is the best part.” The class let out a concerned laugh as everyone looked at each other and wondered if this man has any heart at all. Later that day in class he asked a student a question and she did not know the answer. He stood there and pushed her to think of an answer as her face was turning as red as a kid with windburn who has been outside for three hours. She started to sweat and I blurted out, “Leave the poor girl alone! You are evil!” He exclaimed in a silly voice,“You can call me Dr. Evil! Mr. Miller demonstrates great amounts of sarcasm. This instance really showed how he likes to push people out of their comfort zone.
When asking students about Mr. Miller I realized that most of the students who have had his classes have the same impression. Those who do not dare to enter his classroom and somehow avoid it still have the same scary impression of him that was passed down by the upperclassmen like hand-me-down shoes. Kylee Wolf said, “At first I was nervous for Mr. Miller's classes, but now that I have been through them I realize that he wants to see us get better and improve.” When Jessica Much thought of Mr. Miller, she thought of a saying that he has plastered in our heads and on his wall. The saying, “Hard work works,” is what she thought of and she said, “I could not agree with that statement any more.” She added, “He is also mentally sharp!” Taking Miller’s classes takes effort and persistence, but the end result is worth it.
When talking to Mr. Dustin Richters, one of Mr. Miller's colleagues, I asked how Miller differs from most teachers and he said, “I believe Mr. Miller has higher expectations for his students due to the fact that he primarily teaches seniors.” He not only teaches kids the curriculum for the class, but how to navigate the real world. Since Mr. Richters has known Mr. Miller, he has been the same ever since then and has not changed. He acts the same in school as he does out of school. He is very true to himself and does not have any filters. Mr. Miller demonstrates success and he portrays that in his classroom to also lead his students to success.
Mr. Scott Miller is usually a class favorite. He cares about the growth of his students more than we know. He stands up for what he believes but will gladly admit when he is proven wrong. He brings out the best in his students and I think that is a very important goal of his. Miller always provides us with a safe learning environment and tries to set us up for success, but when we fail is when we learn the most. He stresses to us to never be afraid to be wrong. The quote on his wall, “Doubt is not to be feared but welcomed,” screams at us everyday as we are scanning the walls during class. It reminds me to not be afraid to fail but be eager to fail because that is when you learn the most. Mr. Scott Miller is a remarkable teacher and person.