Jeff Hoders

Mr. Hoders was a joy to interview. He was always energetic and attentive when we were asking questions. Also, he always had an answer to our questions and expanded upon them vastly. Mr. Hoders told stories, made jokes, and kept us interested the entire time. At home, he has three sons and a wife. As long as he enjoys his job, he will continue to do it. When Mr. Hoders is not working, he likes to spoil his grandchildren. He actually used to work in the apparel and textile industry here in Chicago for almost 17 years, but the company moved out of the city and is mostly offshore now.

Mr. Hoders works hard and efficiently, but he is not alone. Ms. Ellen Sandquist schedules most of his commitments. There are also other people that help him make his job easier that come in every day to sub. He works all over the building every day. He thinks it is very energizing to teach different ages. One day Mr. Hoders will be subbing in the Lower or Middle School, and the next day he will be in the Upper School. He says, “When you have the function of a self-contained classroom or a number of different classrooms, you’ve got to be on your game all the time.”

“[Teaching different ages] is actually very energizing!”

This is Mr. Hoders’ fourth year being a sub and he hopes to continue doing that work. He started teaching third and fourth grades, so he would prefer to teach in the Lower School and have a closer continuing relationship with the kids. He doesn’t have a favorite class or subject to teach. Mr. Hoders knows that whatever division he’s working in, he doesn’t get to fully engage and interact with the students so he doesn’t really form a bond with them like most teachers do. He also loves staying with a class for an extended time as a long-term substitute. He thinks being a daily and long-term substitute are two completely different experiences with their own pros and cons.

Mr. Hoders enjoys having his office in the Collab Lab. If he didn’t work there, he would love to have it in the science wing. That is where his office was during the second year he was here at Parker, which was quieter and had a window view. Because the Collab Lab has become a busier space, he still would prefer an office in the science wing. “Then my office would be closer to the cafeteria,” he said with a chuckle.

We asked about some challenging aspects of Mr. Hoders’ job, and he cited having to work with different age groups, needing to move around a lot and not having enough time for sustained interactions with each grade. Mr. Hoders does not remember the substitutes from his childhood well, which he attributes to the inconsistent nature of the job.

When Mr. Hoders first started teaching, he was a math and science specialist. When he came to Parker, he wanted to be a substitute so that he could sub for different types of classes and get the full teaching experience. He subs for multiple grades and classes a day. Usually, he gets to sub for all four sections if he stays the whole day in one middle school classroom. If the instructions aren’t clear from the teacher, then Mr. Hoders will often contact them. If they don’t reply, then he asks the students. Mr. Hoders has a three-strikes policy, and then you have to step out of the room.

“When I first started teaching, I was a math and science specialist. That is really my more go-to subject area.”

In addition to his daily substitute responsibilities, Mr. Hoders coaches 7th grade baseball, basketball and soccer, but he is going to take a break this spring. The go-to snacks for sports are anything that is in a bag, although he thinks that students should hydrate a lot more than they do. Mr. Hoders usually goes on the Middle School trips. For example, he went to the Indiana Dunes three times with the sixth grade and also went on some Parker Partners service trips. His favorite Parker Partners group to accompany is Feed My Starving Children.

For the most part, Mr. Hoders thinks the students treat substitutes just like the regular teacher, however there are a few who still think that it’s okay to mistreat substitute teachers. His hope is that they will learn to treat substitutes better. Mr. Hoders has subbed long term a few times and he thinks that these were some of the best teaching experiences he’s had. He wants to get to know the kids and to help them succeed.

Outside of work, Mr. Hoders has a wife and kids as well. His wife, who was a nurse for twenty-five years, wanted to get out of the hospital after they had children, so she suggested that he be a full-time or substitute teacher. Mr. Hoders was born in New York City and lived in upstate New York. He has lived in many places such has Maryland, Milwaukee and New Jersey (two different times). Mr. Hoders is an amazing substitute and great sports coach. He works hard during unexpected times, in school and out. Whether a teacher is sick or is having a family emergency, he is always ready to jump in and help out. Mr. Hoders will be the sub himself or arrange for another teacher quickly and efficiently.

Mr. Hoders is a really interesting person and plays an important role in our school. We enjoyed learning all about him and his work, and we are so thankful he interviewed with us!