Mr. Perdue

Where did you grow up and go to school?

I grew up in Miami, Florida. I went to a magnet school in Miami and I specialized in theater. So for all four years I was in plays and musicals or I did behind the scenes stuff, then I got my masters from Emerson College in Boston.

Have you worked at any other schools before?

Yes, I moved a lot, my first job out of school was at a middle school in Palm Beach for three years. Then I moved to Boston for graduate school, and taught college classes part-time. I then taught for two years at a high school in Palm Beach, and then one year at a charter school in Boston. Finally, I moved to Rhode Island and taught for two years at a high school in Providence and then moved to Westerly Middle School.

What inspired you to become a teacher?

My inspiration evolved and changed based on experience, but I’d say, from the very beginning I had a hunch that I wanted to be a teacher.

What's your favorite part of teaching at WHS?

Right now my favorite part is getting to know new students. I had developed a reputation at the middle school and even though I taught the 8th graders and a lot of the 7th graders would come up and visit. Teaching seniors is a whole new group so it's kind of cool to start over.

What are some of your hobbies and interests outside of teaching? 

Surfing takes up a lot of my life so that's my main hobby that I do. I also spear fish in the summer and I used to be a huge writer and I still read from time to time. Also, the gym has become another important part of life for me over the past couple of years.

What motivates you to get up in the morning?

Knowing that I have to go to work. It's an obligation and a responsibility that I have.

What's your greatest accomplishment?

I just won a surf competition in Malibu. There were 35 people in my division from all over the world and they were some of the best longboard surfers. So to even to have placed and gotten to the finals was a big accomplishment for me. I also published a book of poetry in 2013-2014, and transformed a losing soccer team (that was the worst in the state) to district and conference champions.

What is something most students at WHS do not know about you?

After my first year of teaching, I was 23 years old, and that summer I backpacked through Europe by myself for five weeks, And visited nine countries. I didn't have a plan or an Itinerary. I was just booking hotels one day at a time.

What is on the top of your bucket list?

Traveling to a remote surfing spot like Indonesia or Australia.

What are your upcoming plans?

My plan is to just spend fall at home with my kids, getting apple cider donuts, going to fall festivals and farms, doing that kind of cliche family stuff and slowing down a bit.