Best of Flyer Flash: Teachers as Teens

Photo Courtesy of Tammy Miller

Teachers as Teens

by Isabel Sneddon

Reporter, Flyer Flash

This article appears in the January 14, 2013 edition of the Flyer Flash.

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For most students, imagining their chemistry or history teachers in high school is an unfathomable thought. These people who stand at the front of the classroom each day preaching their deeply studied subject, reprimanding slackers for procrastinated homework assignments and studiously marking up our end of quarter finals with their esteemed red pen. So, when students see that teacher pacing the white board, lecturing their class that they too were once a teenager, it is common for students to roll their eyes at their presumed made up stories of adolescence. Heck, it is difficult to imagine teachers having a life outside of Dixie High’s hallways. But, believe it or not when the final bell rings each weekday at 2:45, instead of miraculously vanishing until the bell rings the next morning the teachers go home to a life outside of the school. And even more surprising they WERE all high school students long ago, (in some cases very, very long ago.)

Focusing on these two specific teachers, let’s go back in time and have a blast from their pasts. Even more unexpected than their drastically changed hairstyles was that both were actually well liked during their high school careers.

Starting off with Mr. Eric Christensen’s earlier years. According to his lovely mother, “Eric always had a lot of friends. He was cool! Always bringing a big group of kids home from the school day, And he seemed to be the planner or ring leader of the group.”

As she goes on to describe her son. The previously commonplace image of a lerpy, already balding teen slowly morphs into a more athletic version of Mr. Christensen.  “He played TONS of sports. Tennis, basketball, baseball, football, he liked them all. He also was pretty popular with girls. He dated, not a lot, but he went to his fair share of dances.” So despite his notably sarcastic personality, and now his frequent, boring reading assignments, Mr. Christensen was once a very normal, average teenager believe it or not.

Moving on now to renowned math teacher with his once unruly, massive mop of hair, Mr. Casscade McConnell. One of the most surprising new facts about McConnell, other than his swanky head of hair,was the adorable anecdote his mother shared with me about one of his dates. “He was, and is kind of a “gumba.” By that I mean he likes to do cheesy things. Once he rowed a young lady across a small pond, to a candlelit dinner on the other side.”

Apparently he was very popular in high school, especially with the ladies. “He dated VERY regularly, and with many young ladies, not just one.” McConnell the math whiz was also a secret stud. The other side of high school Casscade Casanova was the impeccable genius student. He barely missed being selected Valedictorian of his class, but left high school extremely well liked by every other student, due to his well-honed women skills as well as his high IQ, polite manners and welcoming hear. According to his mother, McConnell was “an amazing kid, full of integrity and a tremendous amount of character.”

And those were merely tiny pieces of the very relatable teenage years of Mr. Christensen and Mr. McConnell. If you have any further question on teachers’ pasts, try asking them yourselves. And maybe, if you’re lucky they will be willing to answer.