Sponsored by Erik M. Kupka, Attorney for Ingram, Zelasko & Goodwin, LLP.
Andrew Archer grew up as a Navy brat due to his father’s position in the U.S. military. “I never really lived anywhere for more than three years at a time,” Archer shares. The longest he has ever resided in one place was the four years he spent in Pullman, where he attended college at Washington State University.
After graduating from WSU, Archer thought teaching would be a good use of his English degree. “I needed to figure out what I could do with an English degree and decided to give the teaching route a shot,” he says.
After a few classes and student teaching jobs, he came to love it and is glad he chose English as the subject that he teaches. “I like being in a classroom where discussion can change a person’s mind,” he says. “I tend to dislike there only being one correct answer and only one or two correct ways to get that answer.” He is also an avid reader and a good writer, so it was a natural fit.
With a job opportunity in Grays Harbor, Archer packed his bags and headed for the coast. He couldn’t be happier where he landed.
“[At North Beach Junior/Senior High School] I have a lot of freedom with how I teach,” he says. Due to all of the positive feedback from students, he is able to run his class the way he feels is best.
For Archer, being able to customize his classes and provide one-on-one assistance to his students is a privilege. Coming from California where classes were much larger, Archer says the difference in class size is a difference he’s happy about.
When he’s not in the classroom facilitating discussions about classic literature or teaching his students how to write compelling essays, Archer, who holds a black belt in karate, can be found in a different type of classroom teaching martial arts. He also enjoys computer games and Live Action Role Play. “I’m a huge nerd,” he claims.
As the youngest teacher at North Beach Junior/Senior High School, what Archer lacks in experience he more than makes up for with enthusiasm and dedication. He has a wonderful reputation school-wide and his sarcastic sense of humor creates a relationship bridge between himself and the students. A well-respected student among students and staff alike, North Beach Junior/Senior High School and its students are lucky to have Archer as a part of its English program.
