Of the three science classes Mr. Patrick teaches, Physics is his favorite. Photo by: Maggie Morrow
By Maggie Morrow
Mr. Paul Patrick has been teaching for twenty years, spending eighteen of these at PHS. Not only does he teach various classes in the science department, he is also very involved in athletics.
Mr. Patrick is a graduate from the University of Michigan and IUSB, and then went into teaching twenty years ago. His first thoughts were that he might be an athletic doctor for college or professional teams, preferably college; however, after four years of undergrad, he was ready for a break and realized that med-school was not the best place for him. “I knew from an early age I would enjoy teaching and I have. I never considered changing and never considered teaching at another grade level other than high school,” he says.
As for why he chose science specifically, it just suits him well. “With a pre-med background I had all bio, chemistry, and physics pretty much covered. I could teach any of those subjects and there was a demand for those areas at the time I was getting out of school. In physics we crash cars in lab every other day for academic purposes, pretty much a simple decision.” His early love for physics may explain why he most enjoys teaching his Physics classes. “The labs are fun and I get to use some math which were always fun classes for me.”
Though the labs may be his favorite parts of Physics, they are not his favorite aspects of teaching as a whole. He admits that he enjoys the department he works in, and that the teachers are all very kind and easy to work with. He also greatly enjoys “being around kids in the classroom and in the extracurricular activities.” Since coming into teaching, Mr. Patrick has been very involved in high school athletics, which have given him some excellent memories over the years. He coached boys track for eleven years, has been coaching football for 19 years, and is currently working on his seventh year as the girl’s head track coach. “I don’t know that I have one single [favorite] memory. I have good memories of students. If you mention a certain kid’s name I’m sure I’ll have a positive reaction. I have great memories of our ‘98 football team, or final four basketball teams and being able to watch our boys and girls win state championships in basketball a few years ago was fun. I’ve enjoyed all of my track teams, especially the 2008 NLC meet with four conference champions but those events were all special because of the kids and people I coached with. I don’t judge things on win or loses and I don’t remember only the “A” students. Being apart of kids’ successes as they grow is rewarding.”
Somehow, through his busy schedule, he is able to find time for the things that he loves outside of school. “I run too much,” he says with a smile. Mr. Patrick has completed eight marathons, and has two more scheduled for 2011. “I do some woodworking, more in the last few months. I like making furniture. I’d like to get good enough that I can sell it someday, maybe retire early,” he adds jokingly.
He also spends as much time with his family as possible. He admits that his three daughters and one son are a handful, but loves them nonetheless. “Having a boy at the end is a spark after having 3 daughters in a row. Nick is the only other guy in the house so we spend time trying to avoid the girls,” he says with a smile. “I look forward to having Abby, [my oldest], here in the high school next year and a lot of her friends. I’ll have a child in the high school from next fall through the spring of 2023. It should be interesting having them here after being able to teach for 20 years and be able to be ‘away from my family.’ Now work and family will be in the same building.”
Mr. Patrick does not let anything bring him down. He faces obstacles daily, but never loses sight of what is important to him. “You need to work towards your potential. That same advice works for adults as well. ‘Did I do the best job i could do today?’ If the answer is ‘yes’ then you should have no regrets but if you answer ‘no’ then you shouldn’t feel bad about the outcome if it isn’t what you wanted. We can do our absolute best at everything but we need to for the things that are our highest priorities.”