Greg Schade, the latest addition to the science department, is in his third decade as a passionate teacher, a passion he hopes to continue. This fall marks not only a pinnacle year in teaching for Schade but a newfound adjustment, transitioning from Parkway West High School, where he worked for 24 years, to Clayton.
“Coming here, I feel like a new teacher again,” Schade said. “It’s great how they do things, but I’m not as familiar with it as my colleagues. It takes a lot of time and effort to get familiar, on top of that, planning and being prepared.”
In just a few weeks, Schade has begun to feel a sense of belonging within the community at the high school.
“I like it a lot. This is a great place to work as a teacher because they set up teachers for success,” Schade said. “I heard of the teachers that I’m working with. [They are] very knowledgeable, great Physics teachers themselves. I knew I could learn a lot from them.”
Schade can be found golfing, fishing, or working on his ‘72 Corvette when he is not teaching. He is also one of the assistant coaches for the CHS softball team.
“I like coaching, [it’s a] neat way to get to know kids outside of class. I’ve coached my whole career. I’ve coached soccer in the past. I’ve coached golf in the past. I’ve coached softball at Parkway West for a couple of years, and now here,” Schade said.
He did not always plan to be a teacher. He started as a chemical engineer in the oil industry for five years before quitting to pursue his path as an educator.
“It never provided any personal fulfillment, it just wasn’t for me,” Schade said. “I kept thinking about becoming a teacher and talking to my wife and complaining, and she said, ‘Well, just go do it.’ So, I took the plunge and became a teacher. I never looked back.”
He found that fulfillment elsewhere, as Schade enjoys working with students.
“It Is truly fun for me. I get a lot of satisfaction helping the students to understand something they previously didn’t understand,” Schade said. “It makes me smile inside. I enjoy that [and] I always have.”
