Robertson Kitchen & Bath Teacher of the Month: Andrew Meister, Alliance Schools
NAME – Drew Meister
SCHOOL – Parkway Learning and Development Center, Alliance City Schools
RESIDENCE – Canton Township
HIGH SCHOOL ALMA MATER – Claymont (in Uhrichsville)
COLLEGE – LaGrange College (undergrad), Muskingum (graduate)
FAMILY – Wife, Deanne, a first-grade teacher; children, Steele, age 17, Makayla, age 15, and Zachary, age 12; and two dogs, CoCo and Riley.
WHAT SUBJECTS DO YOU TEACH? – English Language Arts (grades six to 12)
WHAT IS THE BEST PART OF YOUR JOB? – Making connections with the students and staff at PLDC has been really rewarding. I was a very late hire, so the support I have received has been critical to my effort to making a successful transition. We have a lot of good people in the building that operate with a kid-first mentality.
WHAT IS THE MOST CHALLENGING PART OF YOUR JOB? – More and more, data is a teacher's scoreboard, the administration's scoreboard, and the community's scoreboard. That being said, I am a pretty competitive person, so the challenges inherent in the profession motivate me to win the day. Why has this student missed two days in a row? How can I get this student to be motivated to write a fully developed paragraph? What are the numbers saying about my effectiveness? Am I devoting enough attention to Social Emotional Learning, and how do I measure a student's growth in that area? Effective teachers are taking these driving questions and turning them into action steps. That is all I am trying to do for the students I work with in our building.
WHAT SECRET TO SUCCESS WOULD YOU SHARE WITH STUDENTS? – Being resilient is a life skill that allows one to adapt, bounce back, and, most importantly, realize one's growth potential. I do not know that it is a secret, because we bring it to our students in one form or another every day.
IS TEACHING KIDS THE SAME TODAY AS WHEN YOU FIRST STARTED? – In 2006, when I walked into my first classroom, I taught the group. Today, we are hyper focused on the mission of teaching, supporting and growing every individual, which is the way it should be. Effective teachers strive to teach to the edges and offer students a customized approach to the learning process. Technology has helped us meet that need in many ways by blending creativity, innovation and learning modalities into the learning process. Think about the versions of learning we offer kids today – hybrid, remote, traditional, (College Credit Plus). I think the glass is only half-full in terms of how we are teaching kids.
YOUR STUDENTS WOULD BE SURPRISED TO KNOW THAT … – Only a select few of my students would know that I am on Townhall 11 in Clash, and I am the second best educator in the house! My wife has been a first grade teacher for over 24 years, and she is still bringing it every day for her students.
WHAT IS YOUR HIDDEN TALENT? – Regardless of how difficult the course is, I am pretty good at smacking a golf ball off the slimmest of trees. I guess graphic design comes pretty easy to me, whether it be instructional slides for class, social media posts, or t-shirt designs. As for a true talent, I am more inclined to say I just work hard at figuring it out.
IF YOU WEREN’T A TEACHER, YOU’D BE … – My dream gig would be manager for Indiana University basketball and Coach Mike Woodson while revitalizing our family farm in Indiana in the offseason.
AFTER A LONG DAY AT WORK, WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO RELAX? – Playing 9-holes, with my wife in the passenger seat of the golf cart shopping on her phone or scrolling through her teacher sites. She usually doesn't see the horrible shots, and I get to embellish, just a little, on the good ones she might miss.
This article originally appeared on The Alliance Review: Robertson Kitchen & Bath Teacher of the Month: Andrew Meister, Alliance Schools
