Steven Kunz spends five days a week teaching groups of teenagers how to use the pythagorean theorem and how to plot a line using y=mx+b. He is one of the newest math teachers on the scene, beginning at Jacksonville High School only last year ago. Most high school students never take the time to get to know their teachers. Some students hardly even associate teachers as actual human beings who have a life outside of high school, but we all know this is not true.

Mr. Kunz began his career after graduating from the University of Illinois Springfield. He chose to become a teacher because he always enjoyed working with kids and he really wanted to make an impact on students, preparing them to be ready for life after high school. He chose to teach at the high school level because after trying to work with elementary aged students, he decided he liked the maturity level of high school students better. When asked what personal strengths he found especially helpful in his teaching he said, “I keep myself organized, manage my time wisely, and I try to be as patient and positive as possible with every student”. Mr. Kunz described his teaching style as having good relationships with his students and encouraging them to meet their full potentials. Mr Kunz’s philosophy towards being an educator is helping people to not only learn what they need for just one test or worksheet but for his students to become lifelong learners.

Mr. Kunz teaches in order to get his students ready for the next step in their lives. When asked what the greatest success in teaching is he answered by saying, “The most rewarding aspect of teaching is getting to see my students walk across the stage on graduation day.”