February Teacher Feature: Mr. Ray
Photo submitted from Mr. Ray.
Grace Strelow
February’s teacher feature goes to Mr. Joseph Ray, who has been teaching for three years, two of which have been here at Hamilton and his first year at Ronald Reagan High School. Mr. Ray teaches AP Psychology this year, but last year he taught regular Psychology and Civics and Economics. Mr. Heckman, a fellow teacher and friend of Mr. Ray, added, “Mr. Ray has been an awesome addition to the Social Studies department and to Hamilton. He creates a high energy and positive learning environment in the classroom which students love and in turn helps them achieve at high levels. Mr. Ray has a great sense of humor which he combines with his expertise of the content all to benefit students. His focus on building a positive classroom culture carries over to his football and track teams that he coaches. He is a perfect fit for Hamilton. The only weakness that he has is that he is a Nebraska Cornhusker fan but we are working on that.”
Mr. Ray also coaches football here, but originally he coached for the youth football program. He continues, “I was a student teaching at Reagan in Milwaukee and Coach Damato hired me to coach the 7th grade team (2018). The next year I got a job as the Defensive Coordinator at Grafton High School, where I met Coach Gumm. After that year I wanted to move to Hamilton for both coaching and school, so I came back and it just worked out that Coach Gumm got the head coach position at the same time. Since then I have been the Defensive Coordinator for the past two seasons. I also coach our linebackers and help with our SAS in the offseason. I have loved being a member of the team, and enjoy being able to work with the players and coaches each day.”
Coach Gumm says this about Mr. Ray, “Mr. Ray is one of the hardest working people I have ever been around. He invests a ton in his work because he cares so much about kids and them being successful. Our programs would not be where they are without Coach Ray and he is such an asset to our school district! NO better evidence than the growth of the boys track program, the football program, and the AP Psychology classes.”
When Mr. Ray isn’t teaching, coaching, or helping with other school activities, he likes to spend time with his wife. She is also a teacher and teaches 3rd grade in Milwaukee, where they live. Mr. Ray stated, “We love to play games, grill, go camping, and kayaking (none that you can do in the winter of course). We have a dog named Shiloh and spend a lot of time with our families.”
Keep reading to hear Mr. Ray’s thoughts on these questions:
What's your favorite age group to teach/coach (freshman, sophomore, etc.)
Juniors and Seniors.
What is one song you know all the words to?
A lot, but probably the one I am most proud of is “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”
If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?
Johnson City, Tennessee.
If you could go back in time, and change something that would affect you today, what would you change?
Invest in bitcoin.
What is the best advice you have received?
Don’t be an idiot.
What was the funniest/more embarrassing thing that has happened to you?
I did a race in high heels in high school to raise money for domestic violence victims, and I fell in front of my whole school…and lost.
If you had 100 million dollars, what would you do with it?
Buy a house for myself and one for my family. Then I would try and invest it.
What is the weirdest song you know all the lyrics to?
“TikTok” by Ke$ha.
What’s your favorite sport to watch? To play?
Favorite sport to watch is football, but I love playing racquet sports like tennis, badminton, and pickleball.
What is one superpower that you want to have? Why?
Ability to learn anything.
What is your favorite quote? Why?
“We are what we repeatedly do, therefore excellence is not an action but a habit.” I like this quote because it's a reminder that doing things the right way is not a “sometimes” thing.
If you could get rid of anything, what would it be?
My TA Pranav.
What do you hope never changes?
I hope that people continue to find ways to improve and make things better.
What weapon would you carry during the Zombie Apocalypse? Who would you team up with and why?
Ideally something semi automatic. I would probably team up with Mr. Neary because he’s slower than me.
What’s your first thought when you wake up? The last thing you think of before bed?
Just things about the day.
What mystery do you wish you knew the answer to?
Are aliens real?
Who has most influenced you to become an educator, and how did they influence you?
My dad. He was a teacher for a long time and I had a lot of teachers and coaches who frankly I didn’t really like, and would get frustrated having to go to class/practice every day with them. My dad encouraged me to become a teacher and to make sure kids actually enjoyed learning.
What would your perfect room/ classroom look like?
It would be outside or full of Nebraska and the Office decorations.
If you could change classrooms with one teacher at Hamilton, who would it be? Why?
I wish I could switch classrooms with Mrs. Swanson so I can be across the hall from Mr. Heckman. That way, I wouldn’t have to walk upstairs to bother him; I could just walk across the hall.
What is the best advice you can give to seniors going into college?
Have fun and get experience doing what you want to do, much more valuable than learning it from a textbook.
