Eighth grade science teacher, Mr. Foltz.
Ty Foltz, an eighth grade science teacher at Clarkston Junior High School, is kicking off his seventh year as an educator. In that duration, he has taught between both Sashabaw Middle School and Clarkston Junior High School.
Foltz came into the teaching world through his love for football. “I got into coaching first, because my old football coach, Coach KR, asked me to coach seventh grade football and I liked being around and helping kids, so that was my start to becoming a teacher,” Foltz said. “I then went to Oakland University and studied in the teacher program there.”
His teaching journey has had somewhat of a back-and-forth pattern. “My first teaching job was at Sash [Sashabaw Middle School] during COVID,” Foltz explained. “I got hired in December of 2019 and then COVID hit a couple months later, so that summer, I ended up being virtual for a couple months, and then I actually came back here to Clarkston Junior High to teach Honors Physics. The following year, I went back to Sashabaw. I did that for four more years, and then I wanted to move back to junior high, because I like teaching older kids, and now I’ve been here for the past two years.”
Foltz elaborated on his first day of teaching, explaining that he remembered being overwhelmed. “There’s a lot of moving parts being a teacher, lesson planning for the kids, especially at the middle school, you know?” Foltz said. “So definitely a little wake-up call was the biggest thing. There was a lot of work involved, and the kids can be [loud], so I had to learn how to balance those two things.”
When asked about what he hopes his students take away from his class, he replied, “I hope they have fun in my class, but are learning, too,” Foltz voiced. “But ultimately, I hope they learn to just be a good person. That’s more important than anything. I mean, science is science, is what it is, but just being a good person and treating others with respect is key.”
He reminisced about some of his favorite teachers, stating, “Mrs. Ankrom who teaches here, she’s one of my favorite teachers I’ve ever had. It’s cool getting to work with her now. Also, Mrs. Bowie, for sure.”
Foltz also reflected on what advice he would go back and offer to himself during his first year of teaching if he could, saying, “Just take it day by day and calm down because you can’t do everything all in one day, and you don’t want the kids getting too riled up,” Foltz explained. “I think taking it day-by-day is the biggest thing though, because you can’t predict what’s going to happen in class. It’s so true. Every class is different, so, be on your toes and switch it up if you have to.”
All in all, Ty Foltz is a committed eighth grade science teacher who enjoys building relationships and is dedicated to helping students become good people.