Is it true you’ve been with Rockledge since it opening

I started teaching in 1968 when it was Cocoa High. I met my wife while she was a student there and she was the last class to graduate from the “old” Cocoa High in 1970. I married her after she graduated from BCC.

What is your biggest challenge?

There are many challenges to teaching, but for me the biggest challenge is for students to see how what they are doing in class has have real meaning in their life. I will always change my plans if a student asks a genuine question and I can use that question to teach some important concept.

What do you love about your job?

I love the interaction with the students. I enjoy talking with them, trying to teach them about science and about being successful.

What would most students  be surprised to know about you?

I was at Woodstock in 1969. My surf shop friend and I silk screened and sold Woodstock t-shirts. We made half of my first year’s teaching salary in 2 days of selling t-shirts at the festival.

What advice do you most often give to students?

Don’t be afraid – to try out for a sport or a play or to take a hard class or to try a hard problem or to challenge yourself.

What do you remember most about your educational experience as a student?

All I ever saw was the little bits of knowledge, not the big picture of how it all ties together. Now I see students so busy studying each test, that they don’t see how it is all connected.

How did you get started in the education industry?

After graduation, I and 2 college friends opened a surf shop in New Jersey. I was getting drafted to go to Viet Nam and got this teaching position and a deferment for teaching science in a critical area.