Go! Fight! Swim!

Mr. Till, a gentleman with multiple teaching credentials, was an inspirational instructor that I studied under during my junior and senior years at John F. Kennedy High School in north Orange County, California. Of all the teachers at Kennedy High School, it was Mr. Till who taught me about self-respect. Mr. Till related to me as an artist before asserting his position as a teacher. He read his own poetry to me after I had shared one of my private poems. I started writing my personal journal when I was at Walker Junior High School. I would not share this with anyone else. Mr. Till somehow sensed my insecurity about others reading my work. For this reason, Mr. Till encouraged my creativity.

Mr. Till's involvement in the theater, sports and English departments revealed his enthusiasm towards the student population. His long hours on campus identified his devotion to other faculty members, parents and school board administrators. I never participated in one of his English class lectures but some students claimed he made studying Shakespeare entertaining. In the spring of 1986, with intuition and authority, he rearranged his hectic schedule and invited me to his office for a private talk. Mr. Till's emotions were always genuine and the tone of his voice instilled concern. His physical stature was strong without being menacing. His eye contact was direct but not overwhelming. Mr. Till told me about building a positive reputation. He also shared techniques about improving my self-esteem. Each of his suggestions were admirable and logical. From that moment on, I was inspired to be a more passionate artist.

Coach Till, who lead the water polo team to an Anaheim union district championship, was my favorite teacher for many other reasons. His devotion to hard work embedded the invincible attitude amongst the senior water polo players. When a few freshmen water polo players wanted to quit the team, Coach Till denied them that option. He redirected the frustrated young polo players by using patience, logic and emotional songs. At one September 1985 practice session, Coach Till brought a large yellow boom box to pool deck. He inserted a cassette tape into the device and pressed play. Moments later, the song Eye of the Tiger blasted into the atmosphere. As a result, the inspired freshmen water polo players rushed back to the deep end of the pool.

His inspirational episodes were written about in the June 1986 edition of the Kennedy High School student newspaper. A small group of students affectionately referred to him as Mr. T. When Paul Grover, a water polo player, was in a bicycle accident Mr. T started collecting donations. The theater department always needed custom sceneries and Mr.T lead those construction projects. Many students utilized Mr. T's office whenever they needed to escape a bully's threats. His constant and dependable attention towards the needs of students made him the adult many high school kids wanted to trust.

In addition to Mr. Till's high level of student involvement, he was unofficially drafted as the campus psychoanalyst by the 1987 drama department. My favorite teacher answered the avalanche of questions when Carrie Dunham revealed her teen pregnancy to a few girls in the show choir. Again, Mr. Till's office become an alternative sanctuary for students to meet, question, cuss, and discuss any underground news. If the rumors got too outrageous, Mr. Till had the ability to clarify situations between students and parents. At a football game, two troubled teens were about to fist fight. Instead, he organized a boxing match between the two boys. Mr. Till always seemed prepared for conflict resolutions. His practical lessons about disagreements filled my private journal.

I haven't thought of Mr. Till in over 20 years. Of all the many reasons Mr. Till was my favorite teacher, his casual communication style left a poignant impression in my mind. He was a gentleman of talent and integrity. Over the decades, his high personal standards toward education were rewarded and recognized. His tolerance and profound compassion changed my perspective while attending John F. Kennedy High School.