By Laura Martens
Mr. Marshall is among many teachers joining our staff this year. He teaches Industrial Technology classes.
Q: Would you rather only be able to yell or only be able to whisper?
A: “Only be able to whisper.” “If you and I had a conversation, I could whisper to you and we could figure it out,” “but if I yell at you, you’re gonna be freaked out. So I’m not gonna get the results I’d like.”
Q: What made you come to our school district?
A: “I lived near DeWitt for the last 13 years and I’ve been driving to Bellvue and teaching for the last 11 years. So, now I live 8 blocks away compared to 45 miles away so I’m saving an hour and a half every day. My kid’s in the school district so someday in the future maybe he’ll be taking my classes.”
Q: What are your goals for the school year?
A: “My goal is to get the kids to understand the value of showing initiative, having work ethic, having pride, paying attention to detail, and understanding the value of hard work.”
Q: What would say a typical day looks like for you after school?
A: “Well, right now we’re in the process of selling our house and our property so I’m still working on stuff,” “I’m either mowing grass, or weed eating, or remodeling, or taking the kid to practice.”
Q: What would you want your students to know about you?
A: “That I care. I want them to do well in every aspect, not just in the trades but just in understanding how to be around people, how to be successful, how to be a good friend, a good family member.”
Q: What are three words to describe your high school self?
A: “I would say class clown, maybe a little distracted, and friendly.”
Q: Since you were a class clown and distracted, were you surprised that you wanted to be a teacher?
A: “That’s funny because I didn’t do well in school at all and even in college. I went to college and played baseball my first two years and I was required to be in class or I didn’t play and I had to get a C average. So, I did those things and then I went to UNI and I was supposed to play baseball there and I got injured so I didn’t play baseball and then I started to slack and my grades fell and I got kicked out of the University of Northern Iowa because of my academics. I went back to college 14 years later and got my degree,” “I went back with a different perspective and was on the Dean’s list every semester.” “I always wanted to be a teacher, even in high school I wanted to be in a position where I could with people and make a difference and still build stuff.”
Comments