DAVID MARQUEZ

Middle School North 2024 Teacher of the Year

GRADE 6
6 Years of Teaching; 6 Years at Center Grove 

Love what you do and do what you love - I am a teacher because I would not be here today without the guidance and support I received from my wrestling coach and teacher. My father passed away from esophagus cancer when I was in the 6th grade and the years to follow were an undeniable tough time for me. Similar to a match, my coach and teacher were always in my corner! He was the positive role model and father figure that I needed during a pivotal time in my life. After graduating high school, I was uncertain on what career path I wanted to take but I did know that I wanted to be the person that he was for me, for somebody else. 

Teaching is both rewarding and challenging. My job as a teacher is to not only teach the content but also get my students to believe that they can do the content. My classroom is a safe, collaborative environment where I challenge my students to push themselves. We work daily on building our confidence and growth mindset. 

I am not a coach who teaches but a teacher who coaches. Being a teacher allows me to give back to the sports that gave so much back to me. I enjoy coaching football, wrestling, and track as it allows me to be a positive role model for young men and women. Through athletics, my student athletes are able to gain lifelong skills such as hard work, exercise, self-confidence, humility, respect, self-discipline, toughness, and goal setting. 

Teaching is important because my students need to feel safe, valued, and seen. My coach would often tell me that he was proud of me and sometimes that was all that I needed to keep going.