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Sam Beeson teaches at American Fork High School on Friday, Nov. 30, 2012. SPENSER HEAPS/Daily Herald

Wayne E Donnelly

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Sam Beeson teaches at American Fork High School on Friday, Nov. 30, 2012. SPENSER HEAPS/Daily Herald

Wayne E Donnelly

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AMERICAN FORK — American Fork High School teacher Sam Beeson is like an educational onion — with every layer that is pulled back a new one awaits. He’s spread his humor and passion for the English language to thousands of students and his affable nature makes him just plain likable. He describes himself as typically pretty easy going and unruffled.

“If I’m upset it’s because I’m absolutely starving, and then I get irritated like every idiot male,” the American Fork resident said.

Beeson’s favorite place is at home with his wife of 20 years, Sarah, and their five children.

“I love being with them,” Beeson said, “and for this little season, they seem to like me too. We try to keep it real with our kids. We tell them, ‘Just do your best and be good to people.’ “

This is not unlike what he tells his English students at American Fork High School, and he helps them continually find new personal bests.

“I really think that students will rise to the most arduous task if someone is smiling and saying, ‘No, no, no. Don’t complain. You got this. You’re smart. You can do this.’ Students are juggling eight classes and hormones. It’s not easy. They don’t need a taskmaster, just someone with high expectations, who looks them in the eye and asks how they are doing. I’m not trying to be the ‘Chicken Soup for the Soul’ guy for teenagers, but they want people to treat them kind of real,” Beeson said.

In addition to his day job, Beeson teaches night classes at Utah Valley University. He tries to emulate the best professors he had in college.

“They were very, very prepared but open to questions,” Beeson said. “They knew what was going on in society, culture and music. In any classroom teachers need to be so present. They need to be here, be here, be here, be here.”

The site ratemyprofessor.com holds six pages of recommendations for Beeson’s UVU English class, and the comments all sound similar to this one on page two: “My favorite teacher this semester and a top contender for my favorite teacher of all time. Does a great job of connecting with the students.”

Beeson has written three Christmas books and one Valentine book for children, which also have created connections for him. In 2010 when his book, “The Unvalentine,” came out he was invited for a television appearance. The show’s producers found out he was an English teacher and had that connectivity, so they invited him to come on the show once a month to share a grammar tip. He became known as “Grammar Sam.” They recently also invited him to participate in a monthly panel of three men called, “What is he thinking?”

Whatever Beeson is thinking on a daily basis goes onto paper. He began in 2006 to write four to 10 thoughtful sentences in his moleskin journals every day based on annual themes.

“In 2008 I wrote about my wife every day and then gave the journal to her for Christmas,” he said. “I kept it a secret all year and that scored me a lot of points.”

The 2009 theme was “Things that should be invented.” One day he wrote that there should be a game where people guess if their opponents are holding black or white marbles. Black requires the holder to answer a series of questions truthfully but white requires them to alter the truth. Beeson sent the idea to a publisher and the game White Lies is now on the market.

Beeson is no stranger to game creation. In 2003 he created a game called Grammar Punk, which is now used as grammar curriculum in thousands of schools across the country.

“It is the best way to learn grammar and punctuation if you are a struggling student,” Beeson said. “It got to a point where it was bigger than what I could keep up with. I signed it away to a capable and awesome woman in American Fork. Information about the game can be found at grammarpunk.com.”

Beeson credits his personality to his parents.

“My parents were in a rock band while I was growing up,” Beeson said “All six of the kids are outgoing, but I’m probably the most unabashed and unapologetic.”

Beeson has won numerous awards for his teaching, writing and games — no doubt influenced by his off-beat and quick wit. For example, in 2008, he won NPR’s “Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me” national limerick-writing contest on the topic of life in Utah.

“The limerick won me a seafood dinner at Market Street Grill with a bunch of drunk national radio personalities — and a fleece vest,” Beeson said. “My students heard the reading on the radio with me in the classroom. It was fun!”

Widely known for his funny public persona, it turns out that Grammar Sam has a serious side. His teaching spans from his home to public classrooms, to television screens to a religious arena. Becoming sober when asked what he wanted people to know about the real Sam Beeson, he responded with things that matter more than grammar.

“I’m trying to become more consistent with my public and private persona,” Beeson said. “I want people to know that I know that God lives. He gets me through the day. He’s blessed me with some talents and quirks.”

As a leader in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, those talents and quirks turn around and impact others, according to congregation member Sherman Robinson.

“Sam Beeson is smart and creative,” Robinson said. “He is inspirational as a bishop and always lifts and builds people. His style is very refreshing, unique and filled with hope.”

Beeson’s winning limerick

In Utah there’s one major theme

That every Beehiver will dream.

The theme, I submit,

Is to comfort’bly sit

At the top of a pyramid scheme.