By Tom Nader

Publisher and Editor

Portage Sports proudly introduces its new series called “Coaches in the Classroom.”

The series will celebrate coaches throughout Portage County who spend their days in the classroom leading today’s student-athletes to be tomorrow’s leaders.

Today’s spotlight is for Crestwood High School’s Wanda Hoffman, who is in her 37th year at Crestwood as a volleyball coach and paraprofessional.

• School District: Crestwood.
  

  WANDA HOFFMAN

• How long have you been employed there?: 37 years.
• What class do you teach?: I started out as a varsity volleyball coach and a substitute teacher. Seven years ago, I was hired as a paraprofessional aide. Throughout those 37 years, I have also coached basketball and fast pitch softball at Crestwood.
• What made you want to become an educator?: I had some spectacular teachers and coaches while attending Crestwood. They have left a positive impact on me. It gave me a passion to give back to students and student-athletes.
• What is the favorite part of your job?: I enjoy making a difference in children’s lives. I like being able to challenge them to become the best they can be, help them reach their own potential and their own goals — and give them the ability to have confidence to stand up for themselves and make decisions for their future. It’s also the relationship that you build with your students, the memories that will last a lifetime.
• What have you learned about being an educator that you didn’t know before you started?: I realize that being an educator isn’t just about teaching the ABCs and 123s. It’s about listening and being there for the students. aMany are in need of care and help with what life throws at them. It’s not easy growing up in the world. You never know what they are going through, what struggles they are faced with and what support they have outside of the classroom. I was naive and just thought that teaching was only going to be educational, but it is so very much more than that.
• Which teachers influenced you to go into education?: Mrs. Hagan, Mr. Simon, Mr. Tausch, Mrs. Jurka — and there are many more.
• How do you apply some of your coaching to the classroom?: I feel that, just like coaching, you need chemistry with your athletes to get a positive outcome. It’s the same in the classroom. Working together and working toward a common goal. Everyone can be more successful working together and supporting each other.
• How do you apply some of your classroom to your coaching?: Understanding that everyone is different and everyone learns in many different ways is something that I took from the classroom to the court. You have to be creative in your approach to get each and every athlete to succeed. You cannot leave anyone behind.
• Funniest thing that has ever happened to you in a classroom?: There have been some very funny things that students have said that keeps a smile on my face and makes me laugh all day long.
• Mentors in your building who have helped you along the way?: Mrs. Stanley, Mr. McMahon, Mrs. Peters, Mrs. Feaster, Mrs. Combs — and, again, many more. We have so many wonderful teachers at Crestwood. We had six amazing female teachers that retired this past year and they were definitely women that I look up to.