Degrees
Experience
What do you love about teaching?
Seeing the look on a student's face as he / she "gets it." You can imagine the lightbulb dangling above their head going on. I have a hand in shaping a young person's life, and maybe I can make a small difference in a positive way. What better way to share my love of Christ than helping young people see why the Bible is THE book of life and all the answers are contained therein.
What do you enjoy most about being at AHC?
Serving God and working with students. I love my time on the campus.
How did you end up becoming a teacher?
I started teaching adults in the police department, and acquired my teaching credential in order to teach classes that were accredited. When I was on leave from law enforcement work, I was invited to be a substitute teacher at AHC to fill in for a teacher on leave. God works in ways that continually amaze me. It was a good match, something I didn't anticipate. In the vernacular of the 'hood, "whodda thunk?"
How do you invest in the lives of young people outside of class?
I help when and where I can, I try to be a good role model. I am part of the Barton Reading program and tutor young students with dyslexia or other reading problems. I sometimes use my police experiences to help kids learn about life in the big city.
What's the funniest thing that's ever happened in one of your classes?
My students were dissecting fetal pigs. I had several young "diva" girls in the class. Perfect hair, perfect skin, perfect teeth ... you know the type. At the beginning of the dissection, they squealed "Ewwwww" and "Yuccch" in chorus but by the end of class they were totally into dissecting the organs of the speciman. I noticed a couple had stepped outside, and I assumed they were getting some fresh air. I went out to see if they were OK, and to my amazement found them jumping rope, except that instead of a rope they were jumping with an extended length of pig intestines. It was a scream.
Name some interesting places in the world you've visited
Skywalker Ranch, where George Lucas and folks make Star Wars, Indy Jones, etc. movies. Also, Death Row in San Quentin, L.A. during the King Riots, etc.
Name some interesting jobs you had before you became a teacher
Lieutenant in charge of a tactical. A LONG time ago I had to pose as an Asian tourist in order to arrest prostitutes. I also worked undercover as a janitor at one time, and did patrol work on Catalina Island.
What's changed most since you were in high school?
We teach kids how to respond to armed intruders. In my day, it was fire and earthquake drills.
What nicknames do you have?
Eltee (for LT=lieutenant), among my cop friends I was known as "Kongster" (Kong+monster)
Have you ever won anything cool?
An airline ticket, used it to go to Disney World in Florida
What's something random you collect?
Movie Props, I have a Star Wars Stormtrooper standing in my TV room.
What's the most exciting lesson you ever taught?
How God created a perfect universe in order that man could survive.