Growing up children are influenced by their elders which can affect the way they live their lives . For student teacher Mr. Curin, a major influence in becoming interested in teaching was both of his grandfathers who fought in WWII.

“History has always been a fascinating subject to me.  Both of my grandfathers fought in WWII and growing up listening to their stories made me curious about how the world stage came into shape,” said Mr. Curin.

While Mr. Curin has worked at Phoenix for two years now, he has created a bond with most of the Phoenix staff and cadets. This helps with his student teaching because he can have educational talks with other teachers or students for feedback on how he’s doing or on what he needs to improve.

“It makes everything easier.  Having a relationship with the students before stepping in front of the classroom helps to create a stronger relationship with the students.  Knowing the faculty and administration makes communication between the groups much easier. To be able to easily approach Mr. Stange or Dr. Mares about concerns and questions makes my life much easier,” said Mr. Curin.

He also has built strong connections with his wrestlers, having coached the team for two years now.  This year his coaching helped lead four wrestlers to state for the first time in Phoenix’s history.

In addition to helping his wrestlers become better, Curin thinks about becoming a better teacher. Mr. Curin has been following the shadow of Mr. McCabe, the Psychology and AP Psychology teacher for the Phoenix freshman academy. Mr. McCabe has been teaching for a while now.

“I’ve learned that it will take a long time to become a proficient teacher.  Watching Mr. McCabe teach is pretty amazing. He can lecture for a 90 minute period with no notes or supports and he doesn’t miss a beat,” said Curin.