You might know Allen Guindon as an easy-going English teacher, but did you know that he has been in over 5 different types of bands within 35 years? Teachers spend a lot of time in the classroom teaching, grading, planning, and more, but that’s not all they do. Many have side hustles, hobbies, and unexpected skills that students might not have guessed. From musicians to small business owners to bikers, you may be surprised by how South teachers spend their free time.
Teachers who rock
Abby Gaul, who teaches U.S. History, can play three musical instruments (piano, mandolin, and guitar). Recently she’s been writing her own music and plans on releasing music soon! As mentioned before, Guindon has been in a band since he was 17; From country to rock, he’s been in it all. Fun fact: he’s had the same drums since 5th grade. How do their skills help them in the classroom? Understanding that learning something new isn’t easy, and takes time. Knowing what it’s like to be new at something helps understand students. “If you aren’t striving to understand why you’re doing something, the what and how become just ‘things’ you do,” said Guindon.
Business owners and side hustlers
From knitting headbands for her son’s hockey team to an online business, Raven Lempke, a special education resource teacher, has been knitting for over 10 years. Her custom headbands and water bottle holders turned into her own small business. Starting a business isn’t easy but it’s definitely a learning opportunity. Lempke has learned a lot from this small business/talent, from having patience trying to learn new patterns all the way to doing taxes.
Adventurers — My own teacher is a home brewer?
Mick Hamilton, who teaches biology, can make his own beer at home. As someone who loves to make things and experiment, he’s used this talent in the classroom by doing root beer float experiments with students. Many students might not expect this, but some colleagues enjoy this talent. S.T. Jamison Jr. co-teaches 9th and 10th grade English, and believe it or not, has done a 40-mile bike ride, twice. He enjoys taking rides on his bike in the springtime when the weather is nice. Jamison pushed his limits and learned that you can do more than you think and that pushing yourself is good.
It turns out teachers aren’t just educators; they’re musicians, entrepreneurs, bikers, and even brewers. Outside of the classroom, they pursue their hobbies that make them even more interesting. Teachers have lives too and might even be cooler than we think.
