By Jay Simon; The Whetstone

 

Q: How long have you been teaching?

A: I have been teaching for about seven years at college.

 

Q: How have you changed your style of teaching over the years?

A: Less provocative. I’m a little scared students will be scared or that they are too sensitive nowadays. I will say that I am better at teaching, though, I’m more comfortable.

 

Q: What have you taught at Wesley and what are you currently teaching?

A: Currently EN100, it is a college writing class where I generally teach freshmen.

 

Q: What rewards do you usually get from teaching?

A: I get to laugh all day. Talking out loud and lecturing helps clarify my thoughts about the world. Students keep coming up to me from past years. One student tried to give me a hug and I put my hand in front of her face and stopped her because I was scared.

 

Q: Where did you go to school? What was your major?

A: Undergrad was at Seton Hall. Major was communications with a minor in English. Grad school I was at Villanova.

Q: What drew you to this field?

A: I hated all my teachers. I really only liked one or two them. I love speaking, reading, and writing and it seemed like a good fit for me.

 

Q: What was your worst and most interesting job as a student?

A: The worst job I had was selling windows from door to door. I had to go to shitty houses and say, I noticed your house is shitty, you should get these windows. The best job I had, though, was washing dishes at the elder home. I got to flirt with all the nurses, have “me time,” and no rules.

 

Q: Born and raised?

A: I was born in Englewood, N.J., and I was raised in New York. 

 

Q: Favorite movie? Why?

A: Good Will Hunting. I like movies about tortured geniuses, they always interest me.

 

Q: Favorite book, poem, or screenplay? Why?

A: The Prophet, and Paradise Lost. The language is an amazing achievement of our species.

 

Q: Favorite music or artist? Why?

A: Tool the band is one of my favorites, and probably heavy metal. But I do like other artists like Mos Def, Tupac, and Big Pun, even though he has to have oxygen on stage with him when he performs.

 

Q: Anything interesting facts about yourself?

A: I can write cursive backwards perfectly without any mistakes. I can also pop my thumb out and back into place. Oh, and you also might just be sitting next to the most amazing musician right now.Â