Q + A: Math teacher Ryan Hern
Ryan Hern teaches a student how to do a math problem.
February 18, 2014
Tracy High School math teacher Ryan Hern, is not only a teacher, he’s a coach too. He is married to his wife Megan, and they have two kids, Travis and Jacob. His most recent read was a book from the Percy Jackson series, and he has a love for sports. Hern was a firefighter before a teacher, he chose to become a teacher because he liked the idea of spending more time with his family.
What is the most difficult part of your job? “Not having the same discipline outlets that we had in years past like the support room. This is hard because many of the kids that want to learn are prevented.”
Best trip you’ve ever taken? “The best trip I have ever taken was Hawaii, specifically the island Kauai, I really enjoy the beach and scuba diving.”
Favorite sport and team? “My favorite sport is baseball and my favorite team is the San Francisco Giants, Go Giants!”
What do you like to do on your free time? “I like to hang out with my family, ski, and camp.”
What are your current goals? “My current goals are to continue to get better with the current technology trend and be able to apply it to my classroom.”
What college/s did you attend? “I did my undergradate education at CSU Stanislaus and got my B.A. in Mathematics (2003). I got my Masters in Education and Technology at Grand Canyon University (2009).”
What made you want to change your career decision into becoming a teacher? “The idea of more consistent family time sounded appealing. The fire department had me overnight (sometimes multiple nights) and on many holidays.”
If you could change something about education, what would it be? “Class size, smaller classes to focus on everyone, and obviously make the budget not an issue.”
What drives or motivates you, a quote to live by? “I’m a math geek! I still think learning is super fun, and a quote to live by, ‘Never let yesterdays disappointments overshadow tomorrows dreams’.”
Do you have a bucket list, what are some of the top things you want to do? “I want to ski in Aspen, scuba dive the Great Barrier Reef, and a lot more.”
What is the best advice you could give to a student? “I would say, always try, never give up, another quote, ‘You’ll always miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.’ It’s a good sports and math quote!
What do you want students to take away from your class? “What I would like students to take away is that high school is more than just the classes they take, school is also about extra-curriculars.”
What made you want to be a coach as well as a teacher? “I have a love for sports, whether playing them or coaching them, I’m in a happy place. Coaching and teaching are not all much different from each other. In fact, it seems that out on the playing field, goals and motivation is at their highest levels.”
