Mr. Teutsch: Celebrating a Decade of Growing Green
- ooiu 123
- Jun 2, 2022
- 2 min read
Mr. Mark Teutsch, a teacher of 15 years in Deerfield’s Science Department, plans to retire upon the conclusion of the 2021-2022 academic year. Departing with immense gratitude for students that have influenced his career, he leaves Deerfield with the intention of either fully retiring or transitioning to a new category of work.
“The reason why I’m seeking to retire at this point is it feels right. In all my life, I’ve tried to respect the feelings that I’ve had, to move […] to those feelings,” Mr. Teutsch reflected. During his tenure at Deerfield, Mr. Teutsch has felt inspired by student leaders that have sat in his classes, and he has undoubtedly inspired students himself.
Additionally, Mr. Teutsch has played a key role in the development of Deerfield’s greenhouse. He has spent countless hours planting various vegetables and flowers to turn the place into a highlight of the campus.
Jarvis Shema ’23 will have the privilege to sit in Mr. Teutsch’s final class of Honors Biology at Deerfield. Shema praised Mr. Teutsch for being “a teacher who goes above and beyond to ensure each student is understanding as best as they can while also ensuring each student is enjoying the class.
Indeed, Mr. Teutsch has played a significant role in developing the Science Department’s Research Program. He has credited past and current students for their roles in launching this program from the ground up. In particular, he recalled, “Caroline Skillman ’19 was able to show that seizures in individual flies could be rescued by medicinals. Annabel Gerber ’20 and Sarah Wright ’20 followed up with the molecular investigations of the signaling processes that were occuring in these flies. Juliette Lowe and Rosa Sun ’21 took these investigations to a new level for me during COVID lockdown.”
Deerfield’s vibrant and intellectual community has left a mark on Mr. Teutsch that he will carry with him into the future. The Academy will greatly miss Mr. Teutsch, and his positive influence on the learning environment here will linger for years to come.