One of English teacher Colin Smigelski’s favorite quotes is from Theodore Roosevelt and it states that, “Nothing worth having is worth having easily.” It is not just something he says, it is something he brings to his classroom everyday.
Smigelski joined UACHS in February hoping to get back into teaching after working for Lowe’s for a short while. Driven by his love for literature, English teacher, Colin Smigelski, knew he would become a teacher in order to pay it forward.
“It was probably just my love for literature to start with,” said Smigelski. “I was going to school to learn about the history of language, language, arts , English literature, going into other literary forms…”
Smigelski’s love for reading and writing didn’t come naturally. In middle school, he struggled with English.
Going to school and learning about the history of language, English literature, and the arts all fueled his fascination.
Two of his teachers inspired him to become who he is today. Those major influences were his high school English teacher and his college history professor. Helping him discover new things and grow. He recalls a moment with his history teacher that changed his outlook forever. He told him that he was there in order to, “to learn how to learn.”
His experiences as a student shaped how he teaches today. Inspiring kids to push through challenges and to never give up.
He instilled this into his lessons, not only teaching his kids that this could be used in school but it can also be used in the outside world.
“I don’t believe that any student is bad,” said Smigelski. “We go through a time in life where we just need to learn to change.”
Smigelski cares for his students and wants to give back anyway he can. Using what he learned from his teachers and books.
In high school Smigelski loved what he called epics, like Lord of the Rings and the classic Grimm Fairy Tales. He tries to encourage students to read amazing books like “Fahrenheit 451” and “1984”.
“It’s okay to question people in power,” said Smigelski. “I want students to enjoy stories and see reading as more than just a chore or an assignment.”
