Many students have a beloved teacher they are going to miss and remember after graduation. These students will be able to visit said teachers during the following school year, but this is not the case for those individuals who want to visit Mr. Cliff Halverson next school year. Mr.Halverson, a science teacher will be retiring this year after 23  years of teaching.

Mr. Halverson was raised in Minnesota and moved to California for college. His first career was farming. He had a catfish farm where he fed, raised and sold catfish.

He first started teaching here at LBHS in 1995 teaching AP biology, chemistry, and physics. Mr. Halverson credits fatherhood as having the biggest influence on becoming a teacher. Being a parent has been interesting, rewarding, and challenging for him. This challenge pushed him to improve his teaching methods because he always wanted to be a great teacher. He loves teaching because of how good it makes him feel.  Halverson is very proud of being a teacher and of his students. He noticed how teaching provides good feedback because he can tell on the students’ faces whether or not they are interested or understand the topic.

One thing Mr. Halverson wished people understood about teaching is how much time students spend at school each week, year after year.  Students spend more time in school than interacting with their parents. This makes school important because it shapes the students since they were four to six years old.  He believes he impacted “Some students. Most already have their attitude towards school. It’s who they are, something that can’t change.”  For him to have students who learn and enjoy the subject is an amazing experience for him.

Advice he gives to new teachers is to make their classrooms a positive experience. To not to have just activities but to arouse interest and give students emotion about the lessons which builds their interest in the subject.

Something Mr. Halverson will miss about teaching is the annual ritual of getting to know his students and saying goodbye to them each year. All three of his own children graduated from Los Banos High School with positive experiences. He hopes his students will have these positive experiences too.

His best teaching memory was at the end of his second year where he thought to himself, “I could really do this.”  Teaching was discouraging at first, but with his own learning and experience, he saw how this career would all be alright.  Now, 23 years later, he is ready to move on to his next adventure.

Mr. Halverson feels retirement is the right choice for him at this time because his fire is not the same as it used to be. He is sixty- seven years old, and he does not have the same energy as he used to, which makes it harder to be a teacher. “It’s been a great run. I love working here,” said Mr. Halverson.  

Mr. Halverson plans to move near Salinas with his wife, spend a lot of time doing many activities such as singing chamber music, hiking, bird watching, and traveling. He has two children outside of the country, and he would like to visit them more often.

Teachers Praise and Send Wishes 

Mr. Bowen

“Every single time I observe Mr. Halverson’s class, he had several bleeding edge connections  to his curriculum. Also, he was a most excellent support for our department; he knows how to teach leaders. Every time I’ve had a problem, he was there able and willing to help!”

Ms. Fajardo

“…His teaching style is engaging, student-centered, and fun! He will definitely be missed!”

Marianne Peluso, office manager

“Mr. Halverson represents the children of the Captain Kangaroo era, 1955-1984, who taught and encouraged children to play outside. Happy retirement, Cliff!”

Best wishes Mr. Halverson.  We thank you for your support and continuous passion for science.  Your influence and leadership will be missed.

Stop by Room 405 to say your goodbyes to Mr. Halverson.