Background:

Mr. Mete is a Humanities teacher in the Senior School, who has taught at Vancouver College for four years. He was kind enough to share his unique experiences. He attended a Catholic school for elementary and high school in Niagara Falls, Ontario. Previously, he worked in several industries, such as factories and restaurants. Afterwards, he got an associates degree from Langara College, later transferring to Simon Fraser University where he did a Bachelor of Arts in Geography and History. From there he went to UBC to do his Bachelor of Education. Since then, he has taught at schools such as Sir Winston Churchill in Hamilton, St. Thomas More and Vancouver College.

Mr. Mete: “You can chase money, but if the passion isn’t there it’s miserable.”

Interview:

Why do you like the Toronto Maple Leafs so much, even though they are commonly seen as a trash team by outsiders?

“Everybody hates on the teams that are the best, so that’s a given… Toronto Maple Leafs are everything to [Toronto].”

Why do you like hockey so much?

“[Hockey] was just ingrained in my culture growing up… It was something you grew up as part of and it became part of my being as a person.”

What was your favourite highschool to teach at?

“I liked Sir Winston Churchill because it was rewarding to help students on the fringes to succeed because they don’t see the potential in themselves… Students who worry about not having food on the table or wearing the same clothes, and I was able to impact them.”

What was your most memorable moment from high school?

“Our high school hockey teams were some of the best times there. We had a great team that was supported by the school community, which is nice. You are around the guys that you grew up with. Still get on the ice with them today.”

What is the best part of high school?

“Making those lifelong friendships and spending those quality moments at games with each other… It was more about the connections I made. [We are] still good friends and talk a lot.”

Do you have any advice for students that may be suffering from stress about their grades, considering you failed a few courses in highschool?

"I failed grade 10 Math several times.

I see our students struggling with getting a mark lower than 95 and it really affects them, but at the end of the day there are always different ways to get to universities, a direct way with marks and experiences but there are also ways around it where you can upgrade or transfer. The path to getting where you want to go is not always a straight path and you have to be open to that.

For those who are stressing because of poor marks, the stress has to be there, but you can minimize that stress by understanding that it is not the be all and end all, there are still different avenues to explore.”

Do you think that education is the way to move up in the world?

“It certainly is a key to success; I’m not saying that the only way to move up is through education, but it opens so many doors for you.

We’re going through education inflation where it seems that everybody has a degree nowadays… So if it can set you apart or keep you on pace, then yes it is a key to success, but not the only key to success.”

What made you decide to become a teacher?

“I had a few teachers that were able to connect with me through whatever way they were able to. They are the ones that I still remember to this day… It was those teachers that made connections with me, and saw the potential and being disappointed when you let them down that made me realize that all students should have someone like that who asks why you didn’t hand something in, to try to get you to do the right thing.”

If you were to go back to your high school self, what would you tell your younger self?

“I would tell myself to get a little more serious, don’t take everything as a joke, don’t rebel so much against teachers and others, take the advice from people who are really looking out for you, they always have your best interest in mind.” 

When did everything become serious?

“It was after working a few jobs; I worked in a factory for a year. It seemed like a very negative atmosphere; people were not happy with their lives and they were only doing the job because it paid well. I was young enough to realize that I couldn’t see myself doing that; I needed to better myself.”

When you were working at the factory job did anyone push you out of the industry or did you come to the realization that you needed to quit by yourself?

“You know there was one guy actually, he pushed me out because of a comment he made. We were sitting in the lunchroom and I was talking about maybe one day starting a business or doing something else and he said, “Buddy, you’re a lifer here, you’re not going anywhere.” And when he said that, it was about six months into the job, I realized I wasn’t going to let that happen. If that’s your perception of me, I need to better myself and get out of here.”

You didn’t want to be around these people who viewed you in a way you didn’t agree with?

“Yeah, I didn’t agree with their view and I couldn’t see myself in that role. The thing is the money was fantastic at that time as well, but the passion wasn’t there and you can chase money but if the passion isn’t there it’s miserable.

It's funny, while I was in university I bumped into that guy and he said the factory had closed down. So, it made me really thankful that I was able to get out of that situation and pursue my dreams.”

Do you have any comments or words for Toronto Maple Leaf haters?

“I think it's time you stop viewing the Leafs through the green-coloured glasses that the Vancouver Canucks put on you and realize that the Leafs are great and really are fun to watch. Enjoy supporting the next Canadian Stanley Cup winning team.”

Thank you for the interview.