By Tom Nader

Publisher and Editor

The “Coaches in the Classroom” feature is a weekly series that spotlights and celebrates coaches throughout Portage County, who spend their days in the classrooms and hallways leading today’s student-athletes to be tomorrow’s leaders.

JOHN MISENKO

Today’s spotlight is on Field High School’s John Misenko, who is a Social Studies teacher at Kenston High School and is in his fourth season as the Falcons’ girls basketball head coach.

• School district?: I currently teach at Kenston High School. My first teaching job was at Maple Heights High School (3 years).
• How long have you taught at Kenston?: 19 years.
• Classes taught?: World History (9th grade), U.S. History (10th grade) and Government (11th grade).
• What made you want to become an educator?: I majored in History at John Carroll University and realized that I didn’t want to be a lawyer, librarian or historian, so I looked into education. I love teaching and also wanted to coach basketball, which seemed to go hand in hand.
• What is your favorite part of your job?: I enjoy interacting with the students every day. You never know what your day will bring, and I like that about my job. I also really like my colleagues. We have a great staff at Kenston.
• What have you learned about being an educator that you didn’t know before you started?: I think the main thing I learned is that every student is different and one of the most important aspects of teaching and in life is relationships. You build relationships by treating people with respect, by being a good person and by doing your job the best you can.
• Which teachers influenced you to go into education?: I don’t want to name anyone specifically, because I feel I was blessed to have many great teachers and coaches since my elementary days at St. Monica’s Grade School in Garfield Heights — to everyone at St. Peter Chanel High School. All of them impacted my desire to learn and my coaches impacted my fire to love sports, which led to me coaching.
• How do you apply some of your coaching to the classroom?: Coaching is part of teaching. In the classroom, I think an important aspect of coaching is motivation. I try to motivate my students every day to want to learn and to do the best they can.
• How do you apply some of your classroom to your coaching?: I try to be a good listener and communicator, which is important in life, especially in teaching and coaching. I also think that trying to make information relatable is also important. Coaches have to be able to teach their players how to run plays, learn the skills/fundamentals of a sport, how to watch film and how to manage their time, while being good student-athletes. I think good coaches are good teachers.
• What is the funniest thing that has ever happened in your classroom?: I can’ think of anything specific, but I am sure I have spilled things on myself or tripped. I think laughing is important. You should laugh at yourself. You can’t take things too seriously. Kids say funny things all the time, which is funny. I laugh everyday.
• Mentors in your building who have helped you along the way?: I would consider Pete Thompson a friend and mentor whom I work with every day. We both teach American History and Government and talk and collaborate every day. He has helped me to be a better coach and teacher, and I appreciate that.