A Valparaiso High School English teacher, Matthew Thomas has walked a path that taught him the changes of life and embraces the challenges of teaching his students not only English but how to navigate life.
Growing up in Valparaiso, Thomas has always been intrigued by the differences between teaching styles and their impact on groups of students.
“The teacher had a tremendous impact on whether they were going to bring the good or bad out of the students. The same was true for coaching,” said Thomas. “In hindsight, I don't think I was a very good kid. I was impulsive and sometimes I lied and cheated. So having a competent, engaging teacher who could channel that energy and also teach me right from wrong was so important.”
Thomas is adherent to the idea of instilling belief into his students because he knows that all of his kids can improve and be the best version of themselves.
“Another thing, from an intellectual standpoint, was that I developed this belief that I could eventually learn anything as long as I was willing to put in the long hours. I thought of the brain as a muscle that just needed to be trained,” said Thomas. “Now they call that a growth mindset. We didn't really have any terminology for this concept back then, but someone obviously instilled this in me. But this is a huge part of teaching; the belief that all your kids can learn. It gives you hope that they'll eventually get it.”
A graduate of Indiana University in Bloomington, Thomas began his teaching career at Clinton Prairie School Corporation in Frankfort, Ind. He eventually came back to Valparaiso Community Schools and has been teaching there for 24 years. Formerly the head varsity coach at Valparaiso High School, Thomas had to step away to focus on teaching.
“Managing teaching and coaching was tough, especially being an English teacher. I had about 150 students in a typical year. Let's say I assign a short essay that takes 10 minutes apiece to grade. Do the math. That's 25 hours of grading,” said Thomas. “I either had to start cutting corners as a teacher or as a coach, and I just wasn't willing to budge on either. That's on me though. Nobody forced me to be like that. Life became much healthier when I quit being a varsity coach and started coaching my daughter and son and their friends at the elementary and middle school levels. I loved it, but they're getting older now and it's time for them to have new coaches. We have great coaches in Valpo, so they're in good hands. This August, I decided to take at least a one-year break from coaching. This will be my first break in 25 years.”
Thomas’s life has changed due to teaching, and he loves helping students with more than just school problems.
“I just kind of expected teaching to be a lifestyle. If I explained the issues my students are dealing with, most of Valpo wouldn't believe me. That's why faith is important, just to believe things can and will get better,” said Thomas. “That's also why laughter is so important, not just for the kids but for the teacher too. Kids are hilarious, far funnier than most adults, so that's a definite perk. It's important to take the job seriously but not yourself too seriously. It's ok to make a fool of yourself; I do it all the time and the kids love it.”
After countless hours of stressful grading, Thomas continues to train his brain with books and enjoys the thrill of riding bikes.
“I used to be a runner, but the injuries piled up so now I'm a cyclist. I plan on racing bikes this spring when I'm not at my son's AAU basketball tournaments and my daughter's track races,” said Thomas. “I like to read, mostly motivational books, biographies, and realistic fiction. I like to laugh and am an avid 'The Office' fan.”