1. What is your favorite part about being a teacher?
“I get great satisfaction from the fact that I influence people who are about ready to go out into the real world. I want you guys to be prepared…as prepared as possible and I think I play a positive role in that.”
2. What is your least favorite part about being a teacher?
“When I was a student I used to think teachers focus just on teaching but there are other things that go into it, like meetings. We have a ton of meetings. I’m not saying meetings are bad but, it takes up time. In the city there’s a lot of bureaucracy, too…I would rather spend time teaching you guys because I know it’s beneficial.”
3. What is a funny experience that you have had while teaching?
“I was teaching the Renaissance in the city and we had three students who had just come from Nepal and I showed them a picture of The David and it was the first time they’d ever seen a naked male before… It was a little embarrassing because they kept giggling and I had to explain to them, you know, biology class. So there you go, there’s some science and social studies, too. That was quite funny.”
4. Why economics?
“If you would have told me 11 years ago, when I was in school to be a teacher, that I would be teaching economics, especially AP Macroeconomics, I would have said ‘You’re nuts! It’s boring, it’s graphs and numbers and it’s boring. Why would I do that?’ But I kind of fell in love with it. I read Naked Economics [by Charles Wheelan] and [I realized] that this stuff impacts us more than any other subject. Every day we deal with it and I should understand it and have my students understand it so they’re prepared for whatever life brings them – like supply and demand charts.”
5. Do you remember what you got on your AP Macroeconomics exam?
“Actually, I don’t think I took AP’s. I was your prototypical ‘do awesome in regents, too scared to take an AP’ [student]. Going back, I wish I did. My wife took 1,000 AP’s and she got to graduate college a year early. Me on the other hand…was fine with getting 90’s in my Regents class and dominating there. Every year they recommended me to go up to AP history and I said ‘I’m good.’”
6. What was your most embarrassing moment?
“Student teaching. Greece Arcadia. We were talking about immigration and I was showing the Titanic movie and I slid across the desk – cool - like I would normally do, and the whole thing just fell. Everyone starts laughing and I just get up and say ‘I just wanted to show you how fast the Titanic sunk, like the desk.’ But that was kind of embarrassing because I broke the desk by sliding across it…but I played it off.”
7. If you could give any advice to incoming AP students, what would it be?
“Trust me. My class is hard but we’ll do it together. Pray. Prayer is important [and] you’ll do OK.”
8. What was the best part about college?
“I was a dork. I studied constantly, I worked, I saved money. It was kind of boring. But the best part is just learning new things. Halfway through my time in college I switched majors. I wanted to be a lawyer but then a teacher. So, I got to see two different groups of people. But…college helped me get where I am today.”
9. What is the ugliest item in your closet?
“2 years ago I went to Goodwill. There was an “Ugly Dress” day or something. There was a really ugly pair of pants – plaid – they look like a carpet from the seventies.”
10. If you could be anything besides an economics teacher, what would you be?
“I would be a general manager of a major league baseball team. That’s my life goal. It’s all about economics, trading…”
11. What was your first job?
“I worked at Greece Ridge Movie Theater picking up popcorn. I met my wife there. Her first day of work, I trained her behind the concession stand. Then I started to woo her. The rest is history.”
12. What is your proudest accomplishment?
“I’m going to go with my 2 kids. Inside of school, it’s when you guys graduate. But as a dad, every day they smile and say ‘daddy’ that is probably my proudest moment. But I do like to see you guys cross the stage.”
13. If you could meet any historical figure, who would it be?
“If I could, I would go back and see my dad again. I lost my dad when I was 24, almost 10 years ago, and I wish I could just talk to him again, kind of say ‘Hey, look! I’m here now, I’m teaching, I have 2 awesome kids.’ It would be meaningful for me to have a conversation with him again.”
14. If you could choose a name for yourself, besides Scott, what would it be?
“I get the name Steve a lot. I don’t know why, but people call me Steve, randomly. I don’t know if I like that but… it’s better than ‘not-so-wise.’ But I would like Luke, it’s actually my Confirmation name.”
15. What did you study besides economics?
“Political science, a lot of history, and education classes – that’s what I got my Masters in – how to teach adolescents.”
16. What is your favorite vacation that you’ve taken?
“Now, if my family doesn’t see this, New Orleans [with] Mr. Oberst and Mr. Ambrose was a great time. I learned so much [and] people were so nice down there.”
17. Do you have any family traditions?
“Christmas Eve dinner. We do a lot of fish. My mom used to do it but now we do it at our house. It’s bigger than Christmas in my family.”
18. What is the best part about being a parent?
“I love it when I get home and they come up and give me a hug and they say ‘Daddy’s home!’ The next thing they say is ‘What did you bring me?’ But I disregard that part because it’s so nice to see the smiles on their faces. They’re pretty awesome. I don’t know what life would be like without little ones.”
19. Do you know any life-hacks?
“Position yourself next to the smart kid. Become their friend.”
20. Do you know any jokes or puns?
“I use the expression a lot: you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink. I always tell people ‘I’m pouring water on your head now, why aren’t you drinking?’”
by: Jasmine Benjamin
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