"Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after."
-Henry David Thoreau
A few weeks ago my friend and retired colleague Steve was kind enough to take me and my fiancee’s son fishing at Trough Creek State Park. Noah and I have thrown in with the longtime teacher a handful of times over the years and he never ceases to amaze when it comes to showing us how to properly fish Central Pennsylvania’s beautiful creeks and streams.
I first met Steve Oswalt in the fall of 2002 when I started teaching at Altoona Area High School. The mullet-rocking member of the English Department introduced himself while he was sitting at his Principal’s Assignment in the old B Building and we hit it off immediately. After asking him how he was doing he cheerfully responded, “Fine as frog’s hair!” Steve has always loved a good idiom!
The former athlete turned coach has been a constant source of joy wherever he has gone and his love of rock ‘n roll far surpasses anyone I have ever met. That passion for music provided a soundtrack throughout his over 30 years in the classroom where he taught with the same contagious energy he displayed on stage as the front man for numerous local bands. From Paul McCartney to John Steinbeck, Marshall Tucker to George Orwell, Steve Oswalt’s range is truly remarkable. But of all the talents the man many call “OZ” has been blessed with, his ability to set a hook and land a fish is right up there.
The only fishing my siblings and I did growing up involved either a pond or a Great Lake. Not much to it—bait your hook, drop the line, and watch the bobber. Fishing streams on the other hand is a whole different beast, and just as he did so well in the classroom, Steve excels at teaching those willing to learn. Not surprisingly, he does so with humor, enthusiasm, and an ever-present smile. The ease with which my friend hooks a fish is the result of years of practice and is a skill set he teaches just as effectively as he did literary classics like Of Mice and Men. In fact, it might serve our purposes here to explain the method to his madness using a typical lesson plan format—the bane of every teacher’s existence.
Objectives
There is really no need to use the classic acronym SWBAT (Students Will Be Able To) like we do in the teaching business as my friend’s objectives are very clear at the outset of every trip. They are as follows:
Select a good fishing hole—Steve has identified many over the years.
Make sure all equipment is functioning and the bait is fresh.
Find a shady spot where the fish will be biting.
Procedures
Upon arrival, the teacher will show students how to properly bait a hook. For trout this usually consists of two different types of worms—one of which looks like those maggots often found in garbage cans during the summer—not my favorite.
Teacher will demonstrate how to effectively cast bait upstream, allowing it to naturally flow with the current.
Teacher will explain how to set a hook when a fish bites.
Students will then begin baiting, casting, and—hopefully—setting their hooks upon feeling that first nibble.
Teacher will demonstrate how to unhook a fish and toss it back in a humane manner. Whether or not the student gets to do this depends on the results of procedures 1-4.
Assessment
Much like he did in the classroom, Steve uses formative assessment or on-going evaluations to gauge progress. Instead of exit tickets, think-pair-share activities, or rapid review sheets, OZ has mastered recognizing weaknesses, poor techniques, and maybe most importantly, the frustrations being felt by his young padawan anglers. The ease with which he teaches is apparent through the joy he exudes the second he steps foot in the water. Steve doesn’t evaluate based on how many fish someone catches, rather, he does so based on each individual’s demeanor throughout the whole process. He’s tuned into each person’s experience.
You see, it’s not about how many trout or bass someone pulls from the water. Nope. For Steve it’s the gamut emotions experienced from start to finish that matters most. It’s about having a great time regardless. In Ireland, on any given night when stories, singing, and laughter are in abundance—whether with or without a few pints—one would say the “craic” was good. Well, when it comes to any situation that involves my pal Steve Oswalt, there is always an abundance of good “craic.” He is a master at the art of listening and making each person he encounters feel incredibly special. He’s quick to find the good in everyone he meets—a skill that seems almost obsolete today.
Watching Steve catch a fish—brook trout are his favorite—is something to behold. It’s effortless, with no thinking involved. Muscle-memory-reflex takes over and what you see can only be described as a work of art. At times I found myself just watching. Every single one of his senses seem engaged, and once he sets his hook—rest assured—he’ll be holding a fish in his hand within seconds. I, on the other hand, not so much. One might compare the sight of me fishing to a cat hacking up a fur ball—it’s neither pretty nor fluid. Hopefully after a few more sessions with Steve that will improve.
The metaphors and quotes that apply or pertain to fishing are many—one can spend a lot of time pondering how fishing reflects life and vice-versa. My favorite commentary comes from Henry David Thoreau of Walden fame who once stated, “Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after.” Well that is certainly not the case for my buddy Steve, who knows it’s about so much more. No doubt every day he gets to spend with a rod in his hand is one most would consider “fine as frog’s hair.”
-Tommy O’Sionnach
That sounds wonderfully efficient
You captured Steve O (AND)those damn lesson plans unbelievably well!