Mr. King pictured above

Photo Lauren McKinnon

by Lauren McKinnon

Mr. King is a teacher at Pembroke High School, specializing in history courses and a street law elective. He has been teaching for 27 years now. He has a background in coaching football at Hanover High School, driven by his enduring ambition to both teach and coach, which he developed during his college years.

The Titan Times recently interviewed Mr. King. Here’s what we learned.

Q: What is your favorite aspect of teaching?

A: “I look forward to challenging my students as well as receiving challenges on a daily basis. On top of that, my positive relationships with students makes my day better.”

Q: When did you realize you wanted to pursue education?

A: “I originally majored in history, however, I figured out I wanted to teach by sophomore year of college.”

Q: How do you foster relationships with your students?

A: “I am very interested in students' lives and so I try to make connections through both of our interests. They include interests from earlier in my life or currently.”

Q: What is one of your most memorable moments as a teacher?

A: “I don’t have a specific memorable moment, however, I appreciate the thank you notes I have received from students over the years. I save them on my desk or take pictures of the notes sometimes. I value little appreciations, such as a note or saying thanks at the end of class. I also love when students remember me from years past. One time I attended a Celtics game and a kid yelled down, “you were the man” and I found that memorable.”

Q: If you weren't a teacher, what career would you want to pursue?

A: “I would like to go into the criminal justice field as a US marshall. That was my dream. I also thought about being a professional announcer for sports which was more realistic and I almost applied as that major at Connecticut College.”