By: Leslie Lopez
Mr. Hopkins, a U.S history teacher, has been teaching at Eisenhower High School for nineteen years and has not taught anywhere else. He got his teaching credentials and his bachelor's degree at the University of Northern Iowa, as well at the University of Azusa Pacific. He expressed his thoughts about how college was a lot of fun because he was involved in several clubs, one of which was the theater. At some point in his life, he had also thought of becoming an actor, but decided against it because in the majority of his life he was mostly interested in being a teacher.
Mr. Hopkins was encouraged to begin his teaching career because of a program called Upward Bound, which changed his perspective on education. His interest in becoming a teacher started when he was in 11th grade. Since then, he has always wanted to help students appreciate the importance of their education. Mr. Hopkins was inspired to teach U.S History because of his passion for learning about the past. His family members also had careers that involved history.
The best part of his job is meeting different students each year, watching them interact with their families, and growing up. The worst part of his job is trying to help a kid that does not realize their full potential. He comments on how happy he is with what he has achieved in his time here at Eisenhower. He loves his job and he has for almost twenty years. What Mr. Hopkins finds most frustrating about his job is the way the school system teaches politics; the restrictions that won’t let him teach in a way that he feels is beneficial for himself and the students. A final thought he would like to leave his students with is, “Don’t get discouraged, stand firm, and press on.''
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