By Abhi Srinivasan
I remember the very first time I met Mr. D in my chemistry class. I was sitting at the back of the classroom, worried about beginning my morning with the complex lectures of Chemistry. However, as Mr. D began his passionate lecture on atoms, I quickly grasped everything which was surprising to me, and that was enough for me to know the kind of teacher and person he is.
Mr. D is an active member of the East community. He is the advisor of the ‘Hands around the world’ club and when I asked him about it, he said: “The hands around club is a club I advise where students will identify needs around the world or in our own backyard and come up with ways to help, whether that be through fundraising or direct service. So, we often sell things like baked goods and cookies and stuff like that to help kids around the world”.
Fascinating, I thought. To do something that is completely different from what you teach is truly the mark of a teacher that goes above and beyond. That club is lucky to have his expertise!
Before Mr. D was a teacher, he was a stay-at-home father and a grant writer for municipal projects. Additionally, he taught at Kenmore West High School (Oakfield) and Alabama school, which are in the Genesee County of New York.
Many ask why he chose to be a teacher and so did I. Mr. D said that, “When I was in high school, I had a couple adults who paid special care to me to help me make it through high school. I was not a great student when I was an adolescent. I had a hard time finding myself, determining my identity, and I had a couple adults that helped me. So I wanted to pay it forward.”
That was such a simple but a powerful reason explaining why he chose the profession of a teacher. This small story of his reminds me that a small moment of spark is more than enough to decide the entire course of your life, just like it did for Mr. D.
Chemistry, the scientific study of matter. Why would anyone choose to teach it? Mr D replied, “I’m laughing at the question. I love all natural sciences. I’m always fascinated about why things work, why things are. I’m kind of analytical as well in my mind so I think I like to teach students how to do the, to think about the world differently. How to think about the world differently.” Additionally, Mr. D will be teaching physics next year.
As a student studying these subjects, I know how complex and hard it can be at times. So to think that Mr. D also went through learning these subjects, became an expert in it and is now able to teach complex concepts in a fun and simple way is very inspiring.
What makes teaching at East different and what’s your favorite part about teaching at East, I asked with excitement. Mr. D replied, “I really love the cultural and social diversity of our school. It’s literally my favorite thing about this school. The cultural and social diversity of the population. How I get insight about the way people of different backgrounds are thinking, what affects them, how things affect them differently, it broadened my mind and horizons in ways that I never imagined.”
As someone who was born in Dubai (UAE) and raised in an Indian household and now living in the USA, I know exactly what he means.
Being a teacher is not an easy job and when I asked Mr D what are some obstacles he faced. He said, “I think it was probably coming to the school and with the open environment and the high level of standards and expectations on the students, the intensity, the schedule was challenging to get used to. So I think I’ve gotten used to it obviously and become conditioned to it, but I think this transition to the school is a bit of a challenge at first.”
The core values Mr D abides by are respect, compassion and dignity. When I asked him what he wanted to teach his students, he said, “I want the students to recognize that they’re super important, irreplaceable people. I think that what I want for them is beyond what is taught in the classroom, what they’ll be tested on. They learn to treat each other with dignity and respect and learn that they’re worthy of dignity and respect themselves. I was cared for very much by my parents, but I struggled to find value in myself outside of that household. And I kind of lingered and I didn’t want to be so deep, but I wasn’t like the best student. I wasn’t the best friend. I wasn’t always nice or kind. I’m glad I was able to grow out of it and learn better from the teachers that I had in my high school experience.”
This made me further wonder how he was when he was a teenager and how his childhood was. He said, “I did not like school as a student. I wasn’t a great performer. I was lazy. I didn’t find value or interest in it really. I was preoccupied with figuring out who I am and where I fit in the world. So it was one of the least interesting priorities of mine.”
Some of the details in his story were surprising to think about. I assumed that everyone would have loved him in school for his kind nature, and that he was very popular for many good reasons. But finding out that even Mr. D has weaknesses and learning to grow from them is something that helped me remember that nobody is born perfect.
Outside of school, Mr. D spends a lot of time exercising, meditating and is also a regular volunteer at his church. His favorite sports are football and hockey; he passionately follows the Bulls and Sabres. He also enjoys playing with his neighbor’s chunky cat, even though he is allergic, showing me his jovial and childish nature as well.
Finally, I asked him his goal in life and his response was truly motivating. He said, “I want to be somebody that’s remembered as someone who knew how to love.” At the end of the day, humanity above all is what he believes in and this response just confirmed that.