For the love of sports, Mike McCluskie played every sport in high school and plays competitive sports to this day. His passion for the games led him to become a PE teacher at Churchill Academy, where he also teaches Algebra.
Coach McCluskie shares, “We didn’t have a sport at the school, so we decided to check interest in track and field, and more than 20 kids were interested. That was three years ago, and we’ve had a track team ever since (minus the Covid year).” He also says that becoming an Algebra teacher was by accident. “Being a special education teacher in a public school, I was doing a lot of inclusive teaching in a regular education classroom. I was fortunate enough to be in the classrooms of two of the best Algebra teachers I’ve ever known. So I relearned the subject, and when the opportunity arose here at Churchill to teach it, I took it. I’ve taught it for four years now and love it.”
Mike McCluskie graduated from the University of South Alabama with a degree in Special Education K-12. His degree allows him to wear many hats: parent, friend, counselor, and chauffeur, to name a few. Wearing all those hats has provided a chance to build great rapport with students, which enhances the learning process. He explains, “It’s not just a profession that stops in May when school is out. It’s a year-round job.”
In his classroom, Coach McCluskie likes to challenge his students and get their best results. In addition, he adds
“I like to keep them updated on options after they graduate from Churchill. I want kids to leave the school prepared for that next chapter in life, whether going to a four-year school, a technical school, or straight into the workforce.”
Coach McCluskie feels he will never officially retire but will find different avenues to use his ability to teach, whether tutoring or helping a neighbor’s kid struggling with algebra homework.
Mike has been married to Jennifer McCluskie for 30+ years. They live in Prattville and have three sons; Chris (30), Casey (28), and Kyle (26).
Author: Staff
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