Enriched Biology and Human Anatomy teacher Jeff Krause is retiring after serving as Edina High School head volleyball coach for nine years and teaching science for 36 years. “I’ll miss the opportunity to dispense my bits of wisdom now and again,” Krause said.
He first decided to become a teacher because a counselor made him do an interest inventory assessment in school and it recommended a career in education. “It said I was a ‘helping person,’” he said. But beyond the assessment, he just liked working with students. “I don’t have any kids of my own, and I enjoy interacting with young people,” he said. “They bring a lot of energy that you can thrive off of. They’re fun to tease, they’re fun to work with, and they’re fun to teach. They tell funny stories every day.”
Before deciding to teach science, Krause wanted to teach history but found the memorization of names, dates, and places boring. “I found a love in science because of a class I was required to take in college called Human Biology,” he said. “My professor, Dr. Calvin Fremling of Winona State University, brought in something called a pluck. He proceeded to go through each of the different parts of the animal, tell us what it did, and blow up the lungs with air so we could see how large cow lungs were once inflated. And I said I wanted to do that.”
After leaving EHS, Krause hopes he is known for his dedication to teaching and cooperation. “[I hope colleagues remember] that I was a caring, committed, and collaborative person who enjoyed working with others,” he said. “I was trying to teach kids to become better stewards of not only the environment, but also to become wise consumers of information and to learn to take care of themselves mentally and physically.”
Krause’s colleagues say they appreciate his thoughtfulness. AP World and AP Psychology teacher Madelynne Steenwyk said that Krause lends her dissection trays for AP Psychology and sends her interesting articles that are helpful resources for students. “He really shows care for the wellbeing of the school and goes out of his way to provide resources for teachers,” she said. “He has been nothing but kind to me, and I wish him the best.”
His time at EHS was filled with memorable moments, like when Krause and a now-retired science teacher exterminated mice in a storage room with their feet, or when he accidentally blew up a mortar and pestle while teaching chemistry, leading to bloody hands and a gunshot-like sound so loud that the principal ran into the classroom to see if he had been shot. “I always wanted to start the year off with a bang,” he said.
During Krause’s first year of teaching, a student brought a stolen, loaded .357 firearm. “We were baking cookies that day. Meanwhile, the police were standing outside the door waiting for this child,” Krause said. “They could have come in and had some cookies.”
Although Krause has had many interesting memories at EHS, he is ready for retirement. “It’s time. I don’t find the same enjoyment in school in general that I once had,” he said. “I am hopeful for change. I might be gone, but I’ve been trying to push initiatives over these past few years. The pace of evolution is too slow for me. I’m not talking about natural selection.”
Krause hopes that over the course of his career, he gave some students a love for science. “I don’t see myself as an inspiration, but I know a lot of my kids have gone on to work in the biological field,” he said. “It’s been wonderful to keep up with them.”
Krause hopes that students never stop asking questions, enter the world with an open but cynical mind, and challenge adults to become better people. “For teachers, expect to work hard and learn how to lean on others,” he said. “Be collegial. Be open to change. And for crying out loud, your kids have something to teach you, so be willing to learn those lessons too.”
This piece was originally published in Zephyrus’ print edition on May 20, 2025
