For this interview, I sat down with Glendale High School’s social studies teacher, Mr. Marcus Whithorne, to explore how he came into teaching, the challenges he has faced, and his passion for history. 

But maybe he had other dreams? 

With a background in baseball and a deep love for teaching, Mr. Whithorne shared his experiences, offering valuable insights into the life of a teacher and the impact of education on both students and instructors alike. He was born in San Diego, California, and he attended the University of San Diego, for both his undergraduate and graduate degrees. 

Why did you major in history in college?

So in all honesty, why I ended up selecting history as my major [was] because I got to college, and I think like a lot of people, you’re trying to figure out what it is that you wanna do. And I just kept finding myself signing up for more and more history classes, because those were the things that just inherently interested me more than anything else.

What were some difficulties you faced while trying to reach your goals? 

I think it’s something that every kid can relate to. I mean it when I say [that] I don’t know that I knew for sure what I wanted to do with my life. And so college presented me with, I think, the opportunity and the flexibility to try and piece that together. 

What other roles have you had at GHS? Mr. Livingston mentioned your love of baseball.

Up until I had a kid two years ago with my wife, I was the baseball coach here at Glendale High, and I hope to someday get back involved with the baseball team. 

But, you know, you only get to watch your kid grow up once. And so that was a promise I made to my wife long ago, that I would be there to watch our kid grow up. 

So that’s as far as the baseball career is concerned. I definitely had a baseball career down at the University of San Diego, coached there, and then was the baseball coach here for five years before hanging it up to raise a kid. 

Can you describe a typical day for you? Like how do you prepare for class? 

I think it’s very similar to probably every other teacher you’ve talked to. I plan a lot of things, at least like a framework or an idea of how I want…a week or a month or a unit of whatever we’re learning to do. 

But I think I take each day to try and make sure [that I can] make it more interesting. Or can we do something a little bit different that kind of fits the needs of whatever my specific kids are? Because every group’s a little different. 

What personality traits do you feel a teacher needs to be successful? 

It may be pretty straightforward, but I don’t know. I think you gotta be outgoing. You gotta like kids. I know that sounds strange. But more specifically, I know it sounds stupid, but you have to like kids. You have to enjoy being around kids and wanting to try and communicate information and engage with them. So I mean, that may seem simple, but [that’s] pretty much it. 

How emotionally draining is your job? 

I don’t know that it’s emotionally draining. I’d say [it’s] energy-draining…because you’re just around people all day long. So you get home, and then you’ve got a two-year-old at home, and it’s just energy draining. But emotionally speaking, I wouldn’t say so. Like I have a good time, [and] I enjoy my job. 

How has working at GHS influenced your life? 

I think it’s made me more culturally aware… I mean, again, I’m a white kid who grew up in Thousand Oaks, where we were generally just a bunch of other white kids, and I wasn’t exposed to a lot of different cultures. So Glendale specifically, and understandably so, has necessarily opened my eyes to understand, not only different cultures but things that kids are going through on a day-to-day basis. 

What advice do you have for our GHS students? 

Keep going to school, because real life comes at you…And I mean [that in] real life, everybody’s…in a hurry to grow up. Real life is real life. If you can delay it as long as possible…go to school, learn about stuff, and take your time. That’s it. 

Where do you see yourself in the future? 

In the future, I want to be teaching here as long as [GHS English teacher, Ms.] Holly Ciotti. Like, I want to be the historical version of Ciotti. I want to be forty, fifty years into this thing. I want to be teaching at Glendale forever.

As our interview came to a close, it is clear that teaching is more than just a profession for our beloved teacher, Mr. Withorne. He also has a genuine concern for his students and a commitment to their growth. He is a very interesting teacher, who tries his best to make his class more than just a history class, but a place where everyone is excited to go to and learn. We are grateful for Mr. Withorne and wish him continued success in shaping the minds of Nitro students in Room 4315.