Larry Anderson, German teacher

TKC: Do you have a favorite part of your job?

LA: I like interacting with students. Some think I’m an old curmudgeon. I like traveling with students. When we did GAPP exchange, I got to see the kids in a different light instead of in the classroom. We got to know each other much better, and built the relationships even tighter. 

TKC: Do you have any advice for students?

LA: You need to learn to advocate for yourself. That doesn’t mean be mean or aggressive, but ask questions if somebody doesn’t understand, ask, because I always tell them, ‘Look, I understand what it’s like in my head.’ Sometimes it comes out and may not be what I meant. And if you don’t understand that, we need to make the clarification. Something I would say is also don’t get so far behind. If you’re missing stuff, get caught up with it or talk with the teacher to try to get it to make a plan. Because the worst thing that I’ve seen happen that will just overwhelm somebody is to keep putting it off, putting it off putting it off. Then you have this massive amount of work to do, and it’s too much. And honestly, just to enjoy life, they need to work hard. And they need to enjoy life.

TKC: What made you want to be a teacher?

LA: I always knew [I wanted to be a teacher]. When I went to college, I tried a different route, which was not what I was.  Then I went back to what I originally started to do, which was to teach, and I really enjoyed it. It seemed to be part of who I am. I get along well with students. I try to see things from their perspective. [I try] to make it enjoyable and fun and not necessarily always boring.

TKC: What were you like as a student?

LA: I was quiet. I was hard working. I probably should have asked more questions than I did. But I just did whatever [teachers] wanted me to do. I tried to do well, understand that that was me not understanding. When I was in high school and college, I learned to like study groups. And I looked for the kids who were really well in the class. And I was like, ‘That’s my group I want.’ I pull my weight, but depending on understanding, they will explain that, ‘Oh, that’s what that is.’ That’s everything I would recommend to kids. If you’re not understanding something, finding someone who is understanding in work might be hard sometimes. Because you don’t want to admit that ‘I don’t know the answers to something.’ But it’s very helpful.

TKC: How has teaching changed compared to when you started at Kirkwood?

LA: There’s a lot more coming at [students] now than 28 years ago. 28 years ago there [wasn’t] a cell phone problem. Maybe I’m just holding on remember that but but it seems like that’s if there’s so there’s so connected to everything in the know now that it’s hard to step away from that to do the things that you need to do to be successful at schoolwork. But kids have always wanted to know that you care about them. They always want to know that you’ve got their back if something goes down in the sense of ‘you know, okay, I get it. You’re having a bad day. I can empathize.’ In that respect, I don’t think they’ve changed.

TKC:  What is something your students would be surprised to know about you?

LA: Most students know I have a twin brother, and that I was one of nine children. You know, I love reading, [but] I talk about that all the time. I tend to be open and joking about all kinds of things, surprising things. I love baking, and with COVID that was hard for us to do sometimes. When we were in the foods unit I would make special cakes and stuff.

TKC: If you had to describe your career in a sentence, what would it be?

LA: I would say it’s been an exciting, exhilarating adventure. I’ve learned a lot about myself.