Farewell to Mr. Walkner
November 30, 2020
Watch the interview here.
How long have you been teaching?
This is my 34th year in District 155, and I taught one year in the Milwaukee Public Schools before that.
Why did you choose to teach?
I’ve always loved to read and write, and I hoped to help others find their voices as writers.
What’s your best memory at CLC?
My two best memories at CLC revolve around my family:
- Meeting my future wife (her first year here; my second).
- Our two children walking the halls and graduating from CLC.
What’s one thing you love about teaching?
The “It” Moments: When students get “It” — when they trust themselves enough to share original thinking in their own voices.
Give a piece of life advice.
People are not data; they’re stories. Please take time to listen to others’ stories and to tell your own story. Stories matter.
What’s a funny memory from CLC?
I have hundreds of funny memories, but two make me laugh out loud whenever I think of them:
- The time He-Man, Skeletor, and Kevin invaded my classroom.
- An ongoing discussion of counter clutter.
What will you miss the most about CLC?
Unquestionably, my friends. They are the best of the best, evoking the Hearts and Minds of life changers.
What one book should all high school students read?
The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien
If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?
I want to spend time with my wife in small villages throughout Tuscany, Italy.
Who had the biggest influence on you as an educator?
My dad, my grandfather, and dozens of my colleagues over the years — many of whom I still work with daily.
If you weren’t a teacher, what would you be?
A travel writer.
What are your retirement plans?
My wife still gets to teach for another year and a half, so I will spend that time cooking, reading, writing (hopefully!), hanging out with my children whenever possible, and possibly teaching myself to play the banjo. Once she has retired, we will travel and enjoy our years together.
