Mike McGiles has been an administrator at Jacksonville High School for ten years, but he has been in the field of education for over 26 years. He has taught math at Girard, White Hall, North Greene, and Chatham Glenwood. In addition, he coached football, basketball, and baseball. Mr. McGiles and his wife Joyce have two children: Molly, a freshman at University of Illinois and Jacob, a sophomore here at JHS.
Mr. McGiles says that interacting with students is his favorite part of his job. He attends as many JHS sporting events as he can and is a constant presence in the cafeteria and hallways. He seems to know every student’s name and is always quick with a joke. He does miss teaching math sometimes because he liked getting to know the students in a smaller setting and helping them learn. But we here at JHS would agree that he does a great job getting to know the students even at this larger level. Mr. McGiles really goes the extra mile when it comes to getting to know all the students. He does enjoy teasing students, but he is always there to help if students need it too. Not many people could fill his shoes.
Being a principal doesn’t leave a lot of free time. It addition to watching JHS sports, Mr. McGiles likes to relax by watching sports on TV. He really likes to golf too, but it is hard to find the time to play 18 holes. I asked him what he would be doing if he was not a teacher; being a sports agent or lawyer was near the top of his list. Growing up, he was also interested in becoming an architect. Speaking for myself, I am thankful that he ended up in education. Mr. McGiles is a welcoming, guiding figure for our school, and we are lucky to have him.