Filmmaker Boettner visits Sisters classrooms

John Siegel Boettner, teacher, avid mountain biker, and filmmaker visited two English classes at Sisters High School last week. He graced the classrooms with his stories of an interesting childhood, and stories of how he is giving back.

Boettner started a program at Santa Barbara Middle School called Teen Press, where 6th- and 7th-graders learn how to conduct an interview. They learn all the fundamentals of how to talk to adults as well as how to research properly for an interview. Whenever the kids had an interview coming up, they would do research on the person that they were interviewing and would find out something interesting about them as an icebreaker for the conversation so the interviewee can connect to the kids.

The Teen Press has interviewed such people as Jennifer Lawrence, John Travolta, and James Franco, as well as the NAVY SEAL that led the Osama Bin Laden raid.

Boettner was in town last week as a short film on Teen Press was showing at BendFilm. The students got to see the film as part of his presentation.

Boettner was inspired to start Teen Press because he wanted to learn a different way to tell a story. He was inspired by film.

"We are prisoners of storytelling," he said. "We hear stories all around us whether we want to or not."

Boettner said that he has always wanted to work with kids.

"They see the world like it is new every day," he said.

He chooses to work among those who see the things in the world in a new way and have a different perspective on the world.

Sisters students connected with his presentation.

"What you said about taking the time to learn things about others and let them know that you care really resonated with me" said IEE student Johanna Geisen.

"Sometimes kids our age tend to get focused and stressed on the task right in front of them and they might forget the big picture" said student Jonny Gurney, noting how Boettner's presentation reminded him of the bigger picture and how to focus on the little things but to always try and see the value in what you're doing.

Boettner said there are no tardy slips in his classroom, as long as you have a legitimate reason for being late, something like stopping and saying hello to someone or something small; you don't deserve to be punished for bettering yourself and the world.

Through another program John is able to take his students on mountain-biking tours all over the world. In 2008 he took a group of students and mountain bikes to Rwanda to learn about the culture there and see the people of Rwanda after the genocide that occurred there in the 1990s. In the video that he showed of Rwanda, the kids seemed like the trip opened them up to a new world and culture. Since they were biking through the country they could be close with the people and were able to "get out of the car."

That is the phrase Boettner uses to describe getting out and really experiencing a culture and learning about a place.

"You brought to Sisters High School a new-found sense of discovery, and openness to the world around us," said student Ashley Adams. "You very much inspired me to "get out of the car,' and I am very appreciative of that."

John provided the class with a very different perspective on the world.

"Your presentation yesterday left me with a sense of renewed vitality and purpose in the world," said student Sophie Winter.