By Leo Corman ’15

Matthew Parsons is a health teacher and track coach at Sherwood.  Parsons attended college in Frostburg, Maryland.  After teaching one semester at a middle school last year, Parsons entered the big leagues at the beginning of this school year.  The Warrior sat down with Parsons and asked him how his first full year of teaching went.

Why did you decide to become a teacher?

“I really like helping others, and I think that teachers can be role models and influence kids to be better people.  I want my students to ultimately make better decisions.  Kids want to make stupid decisions, that’s part of being young.  My main goal is to limit how many stupid decisions kids make.”

What has been the greatest challenge for you so far this year?

“I think that the greatest challenge, since it’s health class, is to find the balance where everyone gets involved and we have good discussions in class about serious issues, but without the kids feeling too comfortable to where they can just talk and not listen.  I have to hold the kids to high expectations, or they’ll try to take advantage of me because I’m a young teacher.  In track there are kids who like to see how far they can push me.  Teaching is the same way as coaching in that kids will test me to see what they can get away with.”

In what ways is being relatively close in age to your students a positive and/or a negative?

“I feel that the kids are close enough in age that I can semi-relate to them, and in class they’re pretty open and that leads to good discussions.  Since we’re talking about health and issues in their lives, I’ve been there before, I’ve seen kids get in a lot of trouble.  I tell them about my friends and the things they did wrong, things to try to avoid.  I went through all the same things that they’re going through now.  But there’s also a point where I think I’m so close to the kids’ age that they’re a little too comfortable in the things they say.”

What have you learned so far about yourself and about teaching?

“I’m preaching to kids about not doing drugs, not drinking, abstaining from sexual activities or at least being responsible, and it would be naïve to think that every kid is going to listen to those things.  For the most part, though, I think they do understand the big picture and why they need to make responsible decisions.  Maybe I am being naïve, but I don’t really want to change.  I’m very optimistic, and I want to believe that kids will listen to a few of the things I say and become better people.”

What is one piece of advice that you have for students?

“Think about the consequences before you do something.  Don’t make rash decisions without thinking about the consequences of your actions. You might make a decision now that may not be the most fun decision in the short term, but it could have big consequences if you make the wrong decision.”