“I’m 6 foot 7… but I was not a professional athlete, contrary to popular belief”
“What is your favourite high school memory?”
“Okay, my favourite high school memory. There are many, but the one that stands out for me is when I made a promposal, in grade 12, to one of my good friends named Nikola. She was obsessed with dinosaurs, and so I put toy dinosaurs in all of her classes, with a clue that led her outside to a hill, and up there I sang her a song while my other friend played guitar and the lyrics were asking her to go to prom with me. We are still friends to this day, and there’s probably a video out there somewhere, but I really hope it doesn’t get resurfaced anytime soon.”
Aw, Mr. Reardon is so sweet.
“That’s a great story! And what year was this?”
“This would’ve been, hmm, when did I graduate, 2011, so 12 years ago now.”
Woah, I’m in grade 10, so I was 4 years old when this happened!
“Why did you become a teacher?”
“I became a teacher because it allowed me to explore a lot of my interests. You know, I’ve always been interested in sports, technology, the arts, and English. There’s lots of different subjects I like and I’ve always been interested in teaching, and this gives me the chance to do all of that. But I think, more importantly, I really enjoy working with teenagers. I think they’re cool, I think they keep me up-to-date on what’s happening with the world, and I really like to help them out. I like to see them succeed and grow, and I like to create an environment in class where they can have a good time while still learning something.”
Seems like Mr. Reardon really loves the high school atmosphere!
“Can you tell us about your height and your pro sports career?”
“So, I’m 6 foot 7, so that means I’m 2 meters tall if we’re using that metric, but I was not a professional athlete, contrary to popular belief. I played volleyball in university, I went to Ryerson, which is now Toronto Metropolitan University, and I had a very enjoyable time playing there, and I’m happy that I still get to play now at MCI in the intramural league, and I get to coach, which is a new and exciting endeavor for me.”
I guess when you’re 6’7 you have no choice but to play on the volleyball team.
“When did you get so tall?”
“I think I was always, you know, in the back row of the class photo, but I really shot up when I was around 16. I’d say I had my big growth spurt and that’s when I entered my very lanky, awkward phase.
“So, you’re saying I have a chance?”
“Yes, everyone has a chance. Also, you’re not defined by your height. It’s just a number.”
Do you hear that MCI? Grade 10s, it’s going to be our year!
“What were your past jobs and why did you leave them?”
“The main job I did before teaching was TV producing. I know teenagers don’t really watch cable anymore, but I worked on some shows that they may have heard of, like, Breakfast Television, City News, Entertainment Tonight Canada, and ETalk, and I was a producer there. I would go out and produce shoots, do interviews with people, and work on things in the studio and I really loved it. However, I would say I love teaching more and in my video class I get to do a lot of things I love to do about that job while still fulfilling my greater purpose as a teacher.”
No way, a technology teacher that knows how to use technology?!?
“What were your hobbies and interests in high school?”
“I sort of dabbled in a few different things. I played sports, I was also in the band, and I was a bit of a music nerd. I did a video club and I also was in a few school plays, so I did a bit of drama as well, which was something that I miss at times.”
Seems like Mr. Reardon did a bit of everything in high school.
“That concludes all of my questions. Is there anything you would like to tell the school?”
“I would like to say thank you so much for the warm welcome this first semester. It’s always so nerve-wracking to enter a new school as someone from the outside, but I felt instantly at home, and that is because the students, the staff, and the greater community make this a wonderful place to be, and I am proud to call myself a Bear.”
I can definitely say I’m glad Mr. Reardon is now an MCI Bear too!