Mr. Curtis

Many teachers have joined the Lindenhurst High School staff, and Mr. Curtis, who is a social studies teacher, was kind enough to say yes to being interviewed. This is his first year as a teacher, and always puts in the most effort into his lessons to ensure his students understand the material. 

1. What subject or subjects do you teach this year?

I teach 9th grade Pre AP World History I and 12th grade Government and Economics.

1. What college did you attend? 

I attended SUNY Oneonta 22’. 

1. What inspired you to teach the subject that you teach? 

I have always loved history and learning how the world works since I was little. I was always watching history movies and documentaries as a kid. In addition, some of my personal heroes come from history. 

1. How long have you been interested in teaching the subject you teach? 

I have been interested in social studies content since I was very little, probably since 5 years old.

1. Have you taught at other schools before coming to Lindenhurst? 

 I have only student-taught at Riverhead High School and Lindenhurst Middle School before this job.

1. What are your hobbies and interests? 

In my spare time I love to box, practice jiu-jitsu, run, spend time with friends and family, and go to the beach.

1. What is your favorite movie or television show? 

I have too many favorite movies. My all time favorite is Avengers Endgame and I happen to be a huge Captain America fan. I also love the Rocky/Creed series, The Office, and Stranger Things. 

1. What do you like about Lindenhurst?

 Lindenhurst is much larger than my high school was where I grew up. So it is nice being part of such a large place where there is clearly a lot going on. I also find that there are many friendly people to work with.

1. What are your goals for teaching?

 I hope, for myself, to become better at finding ways to engage students and get them to think deeper. The most simple, yet complex, question is “why?” Why is a statistic the number that it is? Why is a specific event important? Why did a student come to the conclusion they did? I want to advance the minds of young students who will one day contribute to this world and be able to help them in developing the necessary skills to be successful in life. I also hope to build helpful relationships with my students so that they may look at my classroom as both a place to learn and a place with a friendly face where they belong.

1. How does teaching impact your personal life?

Being that it is my first year, I am super busy. I am always up late making the best lesson plans I can in ways that I think will be most beneficial to student learning while trying to keep it as lively and interesting as possible. I have also learned a lot about how people learn. Many students are on different levels of skill and some need work in areas that others may not and that is okay. Most importantly, I have learned a lot about myself: how to lead strongly and with compassion, how to find different ways to break information down for students, and personal organizational skills. I have further respect for teachers because it is not an easy job, but helping students learn and providing them with basic life skills is incredibly rewarding.