Starting as a pilot, Special Education teacher and volleyball coach Adrian Kuehn dropped his career to take a new route.
“I always thought I’d be a PE teacher. But, I first went to college to be a pilot. Then, after a couple of years, I realized that’s not what I wanted to do,” Kuehn said.
After returning to school to become a PE teacher, Kuehn recalled his high school experience when he volunteered in the Special Olympics. This led him down another path.
“I got to do more with the Special Olympics. That’s when I realized, I didn’t want to be a PE teacher, I want to do something [with] special ed,” Kuehn said.
After changing his major, Kuehn began teaching near Kansas City before starting his career at Clayton as a special education teacher and girl’s volleyball coach.
With his booming voice, Kuehn can be heard greeting passing students between classes.
“I like to know them outside of school. I think it helps kids have a safe space when they come to school because they know someone cares about them,” Kuehn said.
Kuehn believes that relationship-building is the key to being a good teacher.
“[When] someone is truly interested in [students] outside of their work it builds [positive] relationships,” Kuehn said.
Although he knew lots of people and was involved in many clubs, Kuehn viewed himself as only being extroverted with his friends.
“[When] I became a teacher, it was easier for me to say hi to people or get to know people that I didn’t know through volleyball or classes. I’ve met kids through other people, [and] feel like I’m bubbly and loud towards them,” Kuehn said. “Teaching has brought that [bubbliness] out.”
In his nine years of teaching, Kuehn has noticed Clayton has more privileges than other schools.
“Every year I find something new that Clayton does that other school districts don’t do. I hear through my family, and I’m like, ‘Man, we don’t have to deal with that at Clayton.’ Clayton has been so nice to us. I’ll never go anywhere else,” Kuehn said.
