From swimming pools to baseball fields, grade 4 homeroom teacher Ryan Blohm always found joy in working with kids, and those early experiences shaped his path into education.
What follows is Ryan’s story, in his own words:
I always liked working with kids. When I was younger, I taught swimming lessons, umpired baseball games, and spent a lot of time in activities where I was surrounded by children. Teaching came naturally from that passion.
I decided pretty young that I wanted to become a teacher. After my first year at university, I knew education was the right choice. Both my parents are teachers, and seeing their joy and the impact they made influenced me a lot.
The hardest part of teaching is balancing so many different personalities in one classroom. Every student learns differently, so I try to mix things up—activities, brain breaks, hands-on lessons—and always connect the material to real life. My goal is to make learning fun and meaningful.
Some of my best memories come from school trips. In Egypt, I went with students to the pyramids; in Beijing, we climbed the Great Wall. Those kinds of experiences stay with students for life. I also love when older students come back years later and still remember the games or activities we did in grade 4. Those moments mean a lot.
If I weren’t a teacher, I’d work in sports—maybe as a general manager building a team, or in an organization that connects with fans. And when I retire, I dream of working at a golf course, so I can work and play at the same time.
At the end of the day, what matters most to me are the connections. Every class, every student brings something unique, and those relationships are what make teaching such a rewarding career.