Educator brings passion: ‘You want to enjoy what you do’

The Today’s Pulse found out more about the longtime educator, who teaches gifted students at Liberty Junior School.

Q: What has been your educational journey?

A: I have a bachelor's degree in education from Ball State University and a Masters in Special Education with a focus on gifted education from Xavier University

Q: Why did you become a teacher?

A: My father was a teacher; he had a tremendous impact on my decision to be a teacher. He loved his job, and he always told me, "you will work for a long time, you want to enjoy what you do."

I also was influenced by my world history teacher, Rudy Rudisell, my sophomore year at Sycamore High School. He was a wonderful teacher. He had passion, and the students loved him.

Q: What do you enjoy most about teaching?

A: Without a doubt the students. Some of the students I have been fortunate enough to have in class were amazing.

I enjoy watching students figure something out on their own or demonstrate passion as they argue a point in class. The students motivate me to become a better teacher each year. I want to challenge them to be the best they can be, so I have to continue to grow and challenge myself.

Q: What is the biggest challenge facing educators today?

A: For me, the biggest challenge facing education is trying to keep students motivated and engaged in their learning, trying to help students see the relevance in what we do in the classroom.

Q: What is your teaching philosophy?

A: My class syllabus at the beginning of the year has an old proverb, "Give a man a fish he eats for a day; teach a man to fish he eats for a lifetime." I use this as my philosophy of education.

My job is to help students learn how to learn, to try to create intellectual curiosity in my students so they get to the point that they are asking the questions regarding what they want to know about a subject.

Q: What is a favorite memory from your career?

A: I have many found memories of teaching: they range for meeting the wonderful people who have influenced who I am as a teacher, people like Gina Siefert, June Bell, Steve Cummins, to the amazing students who have been in my classroom.

One memory connects to what I enjoy most about teaching: the passion kids show regarding an issue. One of my favorite assignments I used to do was a NCAA basketball style tournament, in which students debated who was the greatest explorer in European History. Watching these students passionately debate their point is a wonderful memory, but I will never forget how later that day walking in the hall the students were still debating long after class had ended. This brought a smile to my face.

Q: What are some of your hobbies?

A: I like to spend time with my family, my wife, Breta, and two kids, Addison and Carson. I love to cook, and I am a huge soccer fan. I coach the varsity men's team at Lakota West and love the English Premier League. My team is Manchester United; I got the EPL bug from my former mentor Steve Cummins. His team was Man U, so Man U became my team.