We tend to forget that teachers are humans too. We believe that they have no lives outside of the classroom. Wrong. They have their dislikes and regrets, as well as things that make them happy.

Here’s some insight on Mr. Highducheck: not only does he teach U.S. History, he also coaches the Cross-Country team. I took it upon myself to interview Mr. Highducheck in hopes of understanding who he is deep down, getting to know him better, seeing him more than just the man who drones on and on about history.

First, I wanted to figure out why Mr. Highducheck become a history teacher. He says it’s because of his love for history and his fascination with the past. It’s great to know that he loves what he does. However, that wasn’t enough for me. I wanted to know why he liked his job so much. He claims that teaching history is his passion–there is nothing else he’d rather do.

Mr. Highducheck also coaches the HMSA Cross Country team, a group of kids he says are one of the reasons why he loves being a teacher at HMSA.

I wanted to go beyond the surface: “What’s your biggest regret?” Mr. Highducheck regrets not listening to his elders when he was a kid and not taking advice from others.

Going off regrets, I then continued: “What piece of advice would give to your high-school self?” His advice is simple and short: Slow down and enjoy life more.

I wanted to know what type of person Mr.Highducheck was, and of course, your choice of weapon totally speaks a lot about you, right? Anyway, I asked him what three items he’d use during a zombie apocalypse. I expected a more thought-out answer, but he surprised me with a blunt response. His answer demonstrated his practical personality that is always straight to the point:

“ I am going to be truthful here. Other than weapons, I don’t have an answer to this question. I don’t watch these types of ridiculous programs and don’t even have the first clue how to kill a zombie. Furthermore, aren’t zombies impossible, so how would this ever happen? Sorry I am such a buzzkill on this question.”

We all know Mr. Highducheck loves football. In fact, he makes it very clear in the beginning of the year. He loves going home and watching football. Don’t be surprised if your essay takes forever to grade if it’s football season! So, when asked what item he could not live without, of course, his answer was the television. How else would he watch his football games?

To end the interview, I asked him: “What do you think makes a student successful?”

He replied with detailed advice:

“Organization and balance. You have to plan things out and keep organized, so things get done on time and you are not putting everything off until the last moment. You never do your best work when you are rushed. Similarly, you need to have balance. You need to balance work and play. Too much work and no play leads to getting stressed out and too much play and no work leads to bad grades and log entries.”

Mr. Highducheck is a true renaissance man. There’s more to him than the hour-long lectures he gives in class. He’s far more than just the age-old history he teaches. He, too, is a person.

Thanks for tuning in to today’s inside scoop on Mr. Highducheck. Make sure to be on the lookout for more juicy interviews with the teachers you know and love!