Thunder Lips

About Mr. Leonard

• Mr. Dick Leonard is a father of three: Me, 21, my brother Zane, 19, and my youngest brother Jake, 17. • He’s been married for 25 years, also to a teacher, Tracy. • He’s been the head football coach at Arlington Local School. •He’s the AD there, as well. • He has 3 siblings, 2 sisters and 1 brother who looks a whole heck of a lot like him. • He grew up in Upper Sandusky, Ohio where he was an all Ohio football and baseball player. • He went to the Bluffton University and played football and baseball there, as well and got his degree in Education. He then came here to Bowling Green State University where he got his master’s and started teaching at Arlington Local and has been there ever since • He’s a great dad, loyal, hard working, and one of the most selfless people I know. • He loves to be outside, playing with his chickens, mowing the yard, or sitting around a campfire. • Hunting, fishing, camping, and football are just some of his hobbies.

JakeMe Zane

One of my dad’s greatest strengths is his ability to interact with people. Because of this, as a father, he’s extremely easy to talk to. He’s so supportive and, if you ask him, he’ll say that his greatest accomplishment is his kids and his marriage. He’s a family man first.

His wife, Tracy

Favorites

Some of his favorites, besides his family, are his chickens. He goes out to the barn in the mornings and actually talks to him (apparently they lay more when he does ) He also loves coaching. It’s one

of his many passions. And he’s quite good at it.

He never misses a Detroit Tigers game.

His favorite movies are the Rocky movies, along with the Star Wars movies. He could watch them on repeat. Deer hunting is how he

spends his free time, during season.

My family goes camping every summer in Canada. This is my Dad’s favorite place to be.

HUMORMy Dad has a very outgoing personality and goofy sense of humor. He tries his best to make his students at ease and feel comfortable. He always starts the first day of classes by walking in the room and saying “THUNDERLIPS. IN THE FLESH, BABY!” which is a line from one of his favorite series, Rocky. He does the flexing, makes it sound intimidating, all that jazz. His easy going personality is contagious and makes everyone feel at ease when they’re in his classroom. He’s the type of teacher that doesn’t get mad that often, but when he does, he’s mad! Also, at the beginning of the year, he shows embarrassing pictures of himself, sometimes his kids, to warm up to his students. Like this one

Dad and his brother Dean, fall 1965

Teaching PhilosophyMr. Leonard’s teaching philosophy deals with humor, and making sure the kids enjoy what they’re learning. He has them choose what books they want to read and write about. He has them creatively writing about whatever they want at least 3 days out of the week. He incorporates himself in his lessons, goofing around while teaching. He wants his students to learn, while not really knowing they’re learning.

Why I Chose Mr. Leonard

He’s a lot like me; so our philosophies are similar. I respect him and value

his opinions about the school system and teaching as a profession

He’s more than a teacher; he’s a mentor and his students respect him. I can only hope to be that influential.

He’s my Dad

He teaches in a same size school I want to teach in

His students have had the highest reading testing scores in Arlington.

Some Facts About Me• I’m a lot like my dad. I’m sort of goofy, once you get to know me, and I use humor to make other people more comfortable. • I really recently just decided I don’t want to be a teacher. • I am a lot like my mom, so my dad and I get along real well; I’m definitely a daddy’s girl.• Bruce Springsteen is my favorite musician, followed closely by Justin Bieber. • My favorite animals are dogs and pigs.• I’m terrified of birds.• I’m a Michigan wolverine fan. • I snort when I laugh.• My family means the world to me.• Disney movies are the best.• Thunder storms relax me.

• I’ve had the same three best friends since I was 1. • My home is my comfort blanket.• I love being from a small town.

1. What challenges did you face throughout your first year teaching?

a) How to handle disrespectful students. The teacher with great classroom management will have fewer problems, but their will be a few students who will “test” a new teacher. Another challenge was devising ways to challenge the very good students and help/remediate struggling students at the same time.

Question 1

Question 22. What were your expectations for your first year as a teacher?

a) I wanted to improve my students’ performance. I wanted to see how much they could do that first day and then compare it to how well they do at the end of the year.

Question 33. How did you set up your classroom so it was a good learning environment for your students?

a) Traditionally with desks in rows. My classroom is/was used by several different teachers throughout the school day, so my room needed to be useful for all those teachers. I did put my own touches on it, however. I like laughing. I like to use humor, so funny posters were on my walls. Funny posters that were universally related to the school system. I also put up posters of some of my favorite things, to help the kids get to know me a little better.

Question 44. What were some changes you made after your first year teaching?

a) I think changes come from confidence. The first year I was somewhat nervous and wanted to stay 2 to 3 weeks ahead of the students.. The second year I felt much more confident and relaxed. However, striving to improve instruction is and should be a continual goal of a teacher. My first year, I was nervous. Nervous about my students liking me, nervous about my colleagues liking me, nervous that I wasn’t going to do a good job. After you get that first year under your belt, it’s a lot more routine and more comfortable.

Question 55. Throughout your career, have there been times when you wanted to change your profession? Why?

a) I really haven’t wanted to change professions. However, like every other American, I do wish compensation/salaries would change/increase as job demands increase. I have a family. Two, soon to be three kids in college, and I will be the first to say I wish I could give my family more, my salary doesn’t allow

that, however, so if I would ever want to change professions, it would be to be able to help my family even more. Don’t get me wrong, I love teaching, and money isn’t everything for me, but it’s a nice bonus in reward for doing what you love

Question 66. How do you deal with those certain students that don’t show any interest in reading/writing?

a) I have students complete interest inventories. Then we go to the library and check out material that interests them. I

provide 10 to 15 minutes each class period for SSR (silent self reading) and students read the material that interests them. This helps engage stubborn readers. It gives them a chance to read what they want, so they’re in charge of the material. It puts the ball in their court. It works.

My favorite book, Wuthering Heights.

Question 77. What is your favorite part about your job?

a) I genuinely like kids. I enjoy the students. I still get excited when students experience improvement, and master skills. The reason I went into teaching was because of the kids. Being able to watch them finally figure something out, that’s the real reward and my favorite part.

Question 8

8. If you could go back in a time machine to your first year teaching and tell yourself one thing that you didn’t know then that you know now, what would it be?

a) Maintain a “professional line” between yourself and the students. Caring for and mentoring students is important, but maintain a “professional line”. It is easy for young teachers to want to be friends with the students which isn’t always a bad thing as long as you maintain a “professional line”.

Professional

Inappropriate

Question 9

9. Is the teaching profession beneficial to your social/family life?a) Sometimes friendships can be strained

when a friend’s child is one of your students. It’s hard to draw that line between friend’s kid, who, at least in my experience, is a lot like my own kid, and student. It’s just establishing that line and maintaining it. Leave school at school. My family means the world to me. For my family life, the teaching profession is great. I get the holidays off with my kids and wife, I get to spend my summer with them vacationing, I make it to all of my kids sporting events, it couldn’t be anymore beneficial to my family life.

Question 10Would you encourage or discourage a senior that’s on the fence whether or not to go into teaching?

a) The profession is going to experience some substantial change in the near future. I expect the demands and expectations of teachers to continue to increase and I do not believe salaries will keep pace with the increases. I also believe teachers’ careers will be longer in terms of years then current practices. It would be difficult for me to encourage a “fence rider” to become a teacher. However, I wouldn’t encourage who is uncertain about a profession to enter that profession. My daughter, for example, has been questioning going into teaching for quite some time now, and I’ve had a difficult time keeping my mouth shut and my opinion to myself, but I’ve let her know exactly what I just said. I keep it neutral. I’m Switzerland.