About the Teacher Mr. Andrew J. Kimmel This educator is also known as Mr. K, Doc, and Coach. On very special occasions, he performs as Jake Blues of The Blues Brothers.

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"Soul Man" by The Blues Brothers

(Song originally performed by Sam & Dave.)

Download Windows Media Player here if you are unable to hear music.

I understand that you may be interested in learning more about your teacher and the creator of this website. Perhaps you wish to know about the guy entrusted with the reading, writing, and social development of the 8th Grade Pre-Quantum Leap Team at Forest Glen Middle School. For example, is he strict? What are his credentials? What is his teaching philosophy? About the Teacher falls short of being a true autobiography; nevertheless, students (and parents) should find this page enlightening.

The 2008-09 school year will be my ninth at Forest Glen Middle School in Coral Springs, Florida. It will also be my eighth year as head of the Language Arts Department. Trust me. There is no more difficult position these days than coordinating Language Arts curriculum at a middle school or high school. It is a challenge I readily accept and actually enjoy, especially when the school achieves the kind of writing results it has the past several years.

In addition to my English certification (Grades 6-12), I am also certified in Journalism and have sponsored school newspapers in the past. I have taught many different levels of students, ranging from dropout prevention to gifted. You can say I have seen it all!

I always get a kick out of students wanting to know if their new teacher is mean. To begin with, I do not know of any mean teachers. Unfriendly? Maybe. Mean? No. Actually, I believe students commonly confuse the word mean with strict. There are, of course, many strict teachers who have firm beliefs in courtesy, respect, and cooperation. You can count me among them! On the other hand, my sense of humor is widely known. Be forewarned, however. Students who try to take advantage of my kind heart will quickly find themselves in the doghouse! For more information about my classroom's learning environment, see Team Rules and Procedures.

One of the most important elements of my teaching philosophy is emphasizing the Arts in Language Arts, something I believe has been lost in education in recent years. My class is not limited to reading and writing, although there can be no doubt they are focal points. My students' consistently high reading and writing test scores speak for themselves; however, I want students to explore ALL aspects of Language Arts. Comedy, drama, film, mass media, and public speaking are just as important in a well-rounded Language Arts education as reading and writing. KIMMEL'S KORNER and my interactive drama series, Doc Kimmel's Writing Clinic, help me to showcase those areas in a big way!

I have received many honors during a 24-year teaching career, including my selection as a finalist for the 2009 Broward County Teacher of the Year. This comes on the heels of being voted as Forest Glen Middle School's 2007-08 Teacher of the Year. It is a rare honor to be recognized by one's peers, and I am lucky to have it occur several times for teaching and coaching. My final school year at Westpine Middle School (1999-2000) will always remain a memorable one because I was also bestowed this great compliment by my colleagues. I taught for seven years at Westpine before deciding to become a Wildcat. Previous experiences involved both middle school and high school.

Although awards and accolades are wonderful, nothing tops being reminded of the difference I have made in students' lives. Baseball legend Jackie Robinson once remarked, "A life is not important, except in the impact it has on other lives." Well, I am truly humbled by the constant visits and emails from former students who wish to share the joys, successes, and even the occasional rough moments taking place in their lives. Many of them now attend prestigious universities or have already embarked on successful professional careers. They are symbolic of the primary reason I became a teacher in the first place.

I have also worked with athletes in several sports throughout my teaching career. Unfortunately, a move to Palm Beach County and department head responsibilities have limited my ability to coach these days. Coaching highlights include twice winning the Broward County Boys Softball Championship (1988 and 1993) while at Perry Middle School. In addition, I received 1987-88 Coach of the Year honors.

Fresh out of college in 1978, however, I actually spent my early professional years as a broadcast journalist, even performing sports play-by-play announcing. I had the opportunity to interview such sports icons as Muhammad Ali, Bob Feller, and Don Shula. Soon thereafter, I discovered how much I enjoyed educating young minds. 1978? It seems like, "A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away..."

I am not quite sure what the coming year will bring for this Language Arts teacher. I am old enough to possess traditional beliefs but wise enough to realize that change is inevitable. In the meantime, my short-term goal is to provide the best Language Arts education possible, while maintaining one of the county's highest standards. I hope you are up for the challenge!

Teacher's Favorites

Actor	Sean Connery		Sean Connery is the original James Bond and still the best one! A terrific non-Bond performance is his portrayal of a Russian submarine captain in The Hunt for Red October.
Actress	Natalie Wood		Although Natalie Wood is usually not mentioned in the same breath with other acting legends, she has always been a favorite of mine. After all, who could resist those beautiful brown eyes? Her drowning in 1981 was a terrible loss to the film industry.
Band	The Beatles		The most influential band in history! There is no debate here, boys and girls, so do not even try!
Book	Animal Farm		A multilevel reading experience!
Cartoon Character	Bugs Bunny		Sarcastic humor rivals my own.
Drink	coffee		The day does not begin without it!
Film	Goodfellas		There are many films I never grow tired of viewing. This is definitely one of them! If you watch the movie closely, you will see many co-stars from The Sopranos.
Food	barbecue		Meat, poultry, or fish. It does not matter. Everything tastes better!
Hobbies/Pastimes	music, movies, and sports		I try to make time for all three in my life. Golf is the most recent pastime, but mountain biking still is big with me. The trouble is I have difficulty finding a mountain in South Florida!
Literary Character	Ebenezer Scrooge		Some say a lot of Scrooge is in me; however, I would like to think I am slightly better looking than this guy!
Pet	miniature schnauzer		Rally's passing was a tremendous personal loss for me. I still miss him immensely.
Quote	Khan Noonian Singh (Ricardo Montalban) from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan		"You are in a position to demand nothing, sir. I, on the other hand, am in a position to grant nothing."
Song	"Soul Man"		It is tough to pinpoint one tune out of all the years I have been listening to music, but this one more or less has become my theme song in school.
Sport	baseball		The history of the game makes it special. Unfortunately, the knuckle-heads who took steroids tarnished the sport for years to come.
Teams	several		See links at bottom of home page.
Television Show (classic)	The Time Tunnel		I have always enjoyed science fiction, especially stories where time travel is involved. The Time Tunnel was my favorite television show while growing up in the 1960s. When both seasons came out on DVD, they immediately became part of my video collection.
Television Show (modern)	The Sopranos		A cleverly written mob soap opera with terrific music mixed in! The series finale will have fans debating the last scene for years to come. An upcoming major movie is a definite possibility.
Vacation	Cancun, Mexico		Beautiful beaches, great times, and special memories.
Web Site	You Tube		Other than working on my own web site, You Tube gets plenty of hits from me. Considering how much I enjoy nostalgia, this should come as no surprise. I have unearthed such gems as classic wrestling footage, vintage TV commercials and, of course, old television shows.
Year	1969		The Jets win the Super Bowl. The Mets win the World Series. The Knicks begin their championship run. And to top it all off, man walks on the moon!

 

© Copyright 2008 A.J. Kimmel