High school is an important part of everyone’s lives. You’re learning new things, you’re making new friends, and experiencing moments you’ll never forget. High school science teacher, Drew Shaul, is always sharing stories about his high school experience with his students. He shares what it’s like being a teacher and why he tells his students about his experiences in high school.

 “This is definitely the age of students that I enjoy working with the most. As for becoming a teacher, I always had this drive to be the kind of teacher and role model that I had growing up, and mesh that with being the type of person that I needed when I was growing up.“

 Shaul became a high school teacher because he wanted students to have someone they could look up to and consider a role model. Someone they would someday like to be as well.

 “I think they enjoy hearing some of the stories. It’s part of my process of building relationships with students and letting them see me in ways other than being their teacher.”

 Shaul wants his students to feel close enough with him to be able to go to him with any problems they may have because he understands what they’re going through since he went through the same thing himself as a teenager.

 “It’s the first time in your life where you actually start thinking about what you want to do after high school and transitioning into adulthood. A lot of who I am today, is because of the teachers and coaches who mentored me through high school.”

 High school has a very big impact on students for many different reasons. For Shaul, it was realizing that high school was the point in your life where you start thinking about what you’re going to be doing for the rest of your life after you graduate.

 “I was pretty outgoing as a student. I was a clown in class sometimes, but not enough to actually get into trouble. I really focused on getting good grades and playing sports.”

 Shaul describes himself as the high school student that he was. He understands that the students want to have fun and laugh in class but they also should focus on being a good student and not getting into trouble.

  “My wrestling coach was amazing. He was a very positive role model in my life. He helped shape me into the person I am now. I had a great relationship with him in high school, which has continued to this day. He’s a principal now, so we talk about school and things like that. He has always helped me out whenever I needed him.”

 Many students have an adult they look up to in their life. For Shaul, that person was his wrestling coach. He was someone he could go to with any problem he had.

 “It’s awesome. I truly enjoy teaching and coaching the same group of student athletes every day. It’s funny sometimes, because I’ve been through the same things and try to help them out with my experiences and knowledge, and they still don’t listen. I guess I was the same way when I was in high school. Stubborn.”

 Shaul describes his experience as a teacher. When students come to him with a problem, he feels that he can help them get through it because he understands exactly what they’re going through. He feels that he is a teacher that can be very relatable to his students.

 “I always want to learn and be better at what I do. That’s a trait that has gotten stronger for me since I was in high school. I think I’m more focused now that I’m older because I know exactly what I want to do, and am always working toward those goals.”

 Since Shaul has become a high school teacher, he feels more motivated now to achieve his goals rather than the goals he set for himself in high school. He is more driven to achieve his goals now that he knows what he wants to do for the rest of his life.

 “Being able to build relationships with students, and having a solid knowledge of what you are teaching. You can know everything about a subject, but if you can’t build a relationship and bring your knowledge to their level of understanding, then it will be very difficult to teach them.”

 Shaul describes the traits that a good teacher should have. He believes that teachers should build relationships with their students so they feel more comfortable with their teacher and they have no problem asking questions or asking for help with things other than school.

 Shaul’s co-worker and friend, Brett Barbarick, shares what it is like working with shaul when they coach wrestling together.

 “He’s a good guy. He’s caring, He’s light-hearted. I think he connects really well with students because he still gets a lot of their humor and what not.”

 Barbarick also agrees that Shaul is relatable to the athletes and students.

 “His role, he’s given some athletes to work with on the varsity level but his main role is developing our underclassmen and working with the JV kids and keeping those guys out because a lot of those underclassmen end up being work out partners for upperclassmen, varsity guys and so it’s not always the most fun thing to do, come to practice, and work super hard and then get beat up by an older guy in a wrestling room. So, he helps our program by teaching those guys, keeping them with it, and showing them that there is a light at the end of the tunnel and that you one day will be that.”

 Barbarick shares how Shaul ties in with the wrestling program. He motivates the athletes to keep going and to work harder because the athlete will have a great outcome in the end.

 Sophomore, Devon Jones, shares what it’s like being in Shaul’s class.

 “He is really interactive, captivating, and he teaches really well.”

 Devon enjoys being in Shaul’s class.
 Shaul’s stories and jokes have encouraged and motivated his students and athletes to work hard. He hopes that the experiences that he shares with them makes them feel comfortable with him and make them feel like they can come to him with any problem they may have. Shaul is more than just a teacher. He’s a motivator, a role model, and a friend to his students.