From Concert Halls to the Classroom: Introducing Mr. LaVar

Although I’ve met many amazing people during my three years at New Rochelle High School so far, Mr. LaVar is the one who stands out the most. A few days into my freshman year, I was switched into his geometry class. When I walked in, I was instantly met with a welcoming smile. I quickly realized his contagious joy and engaging teaching style. Anyone who’s been a student of his knows how much he loves his job, and most of all, how he cares for his students as if they’re his own children. I had always despised math and dreaded going to class, and this was the first time that I genuinely enjoyed it, and looked forward to class every single day. I have been fortunate enough to maintain a relationship with Mr. LaVar over the years, and learn more about his incredibly fascinating life story. So when this year’s profile issue rolled around, I immediately knew Mr. LaVar was the perfect subject. 

Mr. LaVar was born in nearby Mount Vernon, New York. He and his three sisters were raised by their mom for most of their life, for their father passed when he was only eight years old. He moved to the Bronx very early on, where he attended Evander Childs High School. In high school, he played baseball, was the football quarterback, and sang in the choir.  

He grew up in the church, and has attended Grace Baptist Church in Mount Vernon since he was a little boy. Grace was where he first got involved with music. “I sang in church from the time I could breathe,” he told me. He and his choir traveled the country singing background for many famous gospel artists, such as James Cleveland and Shirley Caesar. Despite all of this experience, Mr. LaVar still hadn’t decided that singing was the professional path for him. His football coach told him about Oberlin College in Ohio, which is home to a world-renowned conservatory of music. He had never taken an actual voice lesson in his life, but got extra lessons from his school choral director, auditioned, and was accepted to the conservatory. While studying at Oberlin, he also played football and basketball, making him one of the few conservatory students who also played sports. His athletic coaches were some of the most influential people in his life, even more than his academic teachers. “Even now, I see myself as a learning coach,” he said. “Someone who has to motivate you, and help you to go beyond what you think of yourself. That’s where I learned my teaching style, from my coaches.”

 After graduating from Oberlin with a Bachelor of Music in vocal performance, Mr. LaVar went on to attend Binghamton University, where he earned his Master of Music and MBA in Arts Administration. Although he eventually became an opera singer, he had never even been to an opera or studied opera when he was young. The one thing Mr. LaVar does remember is singing the Mighty Mouse cartoon theme song in the shower when he was young: “I didn’t know what I was doing, I was just imitating sounds. I ended up singing opera and oratorio for 17 years.” 

During his singing career, Mr. LaVar sang at some of the most famous opera houses in the world, such as the Teatro alla Scala in Milan, the San Francisco Opera, the Los Angeles Opera, and the Opéra Bastille in Paris. He sang for presidents of countries, such as Thabo Mbeki, the second president of South Africa from 1999 to 2008. He even met his wife, also a singer, during this time, and the two of them traveled and sang together for three years before getting married. But even though Mr. LaVar accomplished so much, he knew that it wasn’t the right career for him. It was incredibly stressful and draining, and he would frequently get sick as well. “I was just following whatever I felt my gift was, you know. It was like God had given me this gift, and I was going to pursue it as much as I could,” he told me. “But to be honest with you, the people who are closest to me and loved me knew that that really wasn’t my passion… It was satisfying to sing all over the world. You’re singing in front of thousands and thousands of people, and you’re down center, and the lights are on you, and people are applauding. It was a wonderful feeling. But it really was just a job to me,” he admitted. One night, he told his now-wife that he wanted to be a teacher. “She’s like, ‘Wait a minute. You’re a principal artist singing all over the world. And you’re telling me you want to be a teacher?’ I’m like, yeah, that’s really what I want to do.” His wife was also part of the reason he decided to switch careers, for she unfortunately had a major stroke, and he needed to be able to care for her. These factors pushed him to pursue his true passion. 

Mr. LaVar then attended the City College of New York, where he earned his master’s degree in education. He says that teaching is truly the most gratifying thing he has ever done. “There are different reasons why people teach. But I really think it's something that I was born to do, because I truly, truly have a love of people. And I believe that knowledge is power, and the more that I can impart that knowledge on young people, the better world we'll have.” Of course, Mr. LaVar understands that teaching isn’t for everyone, and that it can be quite the challenge at times. “He's [a student] like, ‘Mr. LaVar, there's no way I could be a teacher… how can you deal with… all the behavior problems and kids who aren't motivated?’ I said, ‘because I believe in them’. And I believe that kids develop at different points in their lives. And that somebody's got to be there when they're ready to receive it.” Mr. LaVar also takes his role as a Black male teacher very seriously; studies have shown that only about two percent of teachers in the United States are Black men. “Very rarely do [kids] have a Black teacher. And for many students, I'm their first. Right? So I take that responsibility very seriously. Because not only am I teaching mathematics, I'm teaching them how to respect Black men, which means that I have to be a respectful Black man. And that's important to me,” LaVar said. He added, “...a lot of those kids have never had to deal with a Black man in authority… So I have to give them something that is going to be a worthwhile experience, and something that they're going to remember. And I'm hoping that they will carry those feelings that they have towards me toward other men, and treat them with respect.”  

Mr. LaVar believes that building relationships with his students is the most critical part of his job. He told me that many teachers hyperfocus on their students’ grades instead of truly getting to know them, especially when students misbehave or do not perform well. With these students especially, he said, teachers must make an effort to connect with them and understand why they are acting out or are not reaching their potential. “I always tell students that my first year of teaching, I was a complete failure… I thought that it was important that the students respect me. I learned very quickly, in one year, that it was more important that students liked me than respected me,” he said. “I realized, no, it's more important that you build relationships with your students, and then they will try their best. Because they don't want you to be disappointed with them. They don't want you to feel like they don't appreciate the kindness that you show them. So my mentality towards teaching is that students don't have to respect me. You don't have to like me. And I'm just going to love them whether they want it or not. There's nothing you can do about it. I'm just gonna keep loving you.” Mr. LaVar loves celebrating the ‘baby steps’ his students make. He also enjoys helping his students develop a growth mindset and look at everything as an opportunity to improve. Mr. LaVar says that the best part of his job is seeing his students’ progression, and hearing a student, to speak in metaphorical terms, who’s hand he’s been holding, tell him, “Mr. LaVar, I’m good. I don’t need you to hold my hand anymore.”

  Mr. LaVar currently teaches Algebra I and II as well as Geometry.  Prior to teaching at New Rochelle High School, he taught at the Eagle Academy for Young Men in the Bronx, and Frederick Douglass Academy II in Harlem. He says that NRHS has been his favorite because of the people, the diversity, and the joy among students. When I asked him why he likes teaching math, he told me, “Math is a vehicle. Math is logical. And I like being able to teach students how to think, how to think through problems that don't necessarily have to do with numbers. I'm trying to help you to organize your life, to organize your time, to solve problems. So I use math as a vehicle to help me communicate those life skills.” While he enjoys math himself, he knows that many of his students don’t, and probably won’t remember most of the material he taught after the school year ends. What truly matters to him is that his students apply the skills acquired to their lives going forward, and use them to become better people.

Work aside, Mr. LaVar is a husband and father. He and his wife have been married for almost 25 years, and have a son and daughter. His kids bring him tremendous joy, and he tells me that there’s nothing more important in his life than being a parent. When he’s not teaching, he’s serving his church, singing in the choir and heading the Production Ministry with his wife, which handles cameras, sound, and more. He also previously ran “G4G,” a mentorship program for young men in the church, and was an officer in the men’s ministry. His belief in God is very important to him, and being involved in church is essential to his family. In his free time, he enjoys watching WNBA and UConn women’s basketball games with his daughter. This is a common interest of theirs because Mr. LaVar’s daughter grew up playing basketball, and Mr. LaVar was her first coach. He also enjoys binge watching Netflix when he has time (which is rarely). 

When I asked him about his legacy and how he wants to be remembered, he said, “I think I sincerely want people to remember me as a kind and loving person who really wanted to help them become their best selves.” And if there’s any statement that concisely sums up Mr. LaVar’s character, that has to be it.