32 members of Northwood’s staff are specialized in the training of both the mind and the body as they spend their mornings teaching in front of the board and their evenings coaching on the sidelines.
Being a teacher-coach gives staff members the opportunity to share their knowledge and pursue both passions of education and sports.
“I originally came to Northwood just to be a history teacher, but then I saw that there were openings for coaching of volleyball and football, and I had always liked those sports and been interested in coaching,” history teacher and boys volleyball coach Brendan Geck said. “I took the jobs and it’s really great to be able to work with both my athletic and academic interests.”
Time management is essential to the productiveness of being a teacher-coach, and balancing time is one of the greatest struggles of juggling both aspects of their jobs.
“Both things are important to me and I love both jobs,” math teacher and head girls volleyball coach Nicole Grau said. “But I also know, kind of like for the students, that grading and math is the priority. Not to say my team isn’t a priority, but I do have to remember that teaching is the most important thing.”
Teacher-coaches have found that the most effective way to manage both parts of their jobs is to use any time they have in between classes or during quiet times in practice to do some work and finish their tasks as well as manage time according to the priorities of that day or week.
Despite the struggles with maintaining the extra workload, these staff-members find working in both areas a valuable way to create unique relationships with students on and off the fields and courts as they are able to watch their student-athletes pursue their passions.
“Doing this really helps me understand the students and form much better relations with them,” science teacher and co-head cross country and track coach Megan Stuart said. “Being a teacher and coach really allows me to do my job better and form lasting connections with my students and athletes.”
