I actually had a great middle school science teacher. He just stepped back and pointed to me when someone tried to bring up a religious argument which I logically dissected and then eliminated

I taught evolution as genuine science in 1967 at the high school level -- against the wishes of my principal,, and with no parental or community backlash. It can and should be done.

This is one of the reasons I contribute to organizations who support separation of church and state. I want schools to teach evolution.

On this one I was unusually fortunate.
Rural Alabama, I went to Daleville High School just outside the gates of Fort Rucker.
This would be one of the places one would expect a science teacher of the dumb ass creationist variety.
We had Mrs Gallo though, who was awarded teacher of the year award on the national level in the mid 1970's. She taught us both Chemistry and Biology both of which she did better than any other high school teacher in the country. Her classes were ranked at second year collage level, so by the time I graduated I knew all the phylums by heart, which dates me because the classifications have since changed to cladistics an improvement over the older Phylogeny.
I even made clorine gas in the lab so they evacuated the lab a month before I broke down the chemical formula C20H25N3O or LSD-25 and replicated it in the lab to the delight of my friends.
I remember red neck creationist attempting to argue with her, she told them point blank "This is not a theology class! I don't care what you believe! This is a biology class and you're responsible for this material. If you have a problem with that drop the class and pick up an easy elective but I'm not going to put up with theological arguments in my science class!"
She was one of my heroes.
I can still remember the valance numbers for most of the periodic table.

As for my middle school teachers, they were disappointing fucking Jesus freaks that never challenged our class once, pathetic stupid brain washed ass holes that freely allowed the class to wax theological instead of teaching science. Some were coaches for fuck sake.

Note: Sorry I had to edit a lot, auto correct is a fickle bitch.