Walking into portable 14, I was taken back by the positive energy of Mr. Cockle. He welcomed me in and seemed to be very excited about the interview. I then sat down and asked him a few questions, such as where he had worked before working at Emerald Ridge. Before coming to ER, he worked at Puyallup High School,  where he taught Avid and English for eight years. During his last year at PHS, he worked as the “social-emotional learning teacher on special assignment” (SEL TOSA), which oversees homeroom activities and connects students with counselors and social workers. I asked him how he felt about working at ER. He said he loves the welcoming energy from the students and staff. With ER being so close to home, he likes that he can ride his bike to school. Something that he also mentioned was that he loves how teachers and staff make students feel like school is a place they belong. He stated, “I want students to feel like they have their place at ER,” and he wants to focus on helping students connect to school better.

After talking with him for a while, he disclosed that he would like to start an E-sports team; he believes it would be a huge opportunity for students who already indulge in E-Sports already. I then asked him about what school he graduated from, and what he enjoys doing. In 2008, he graduated from PHS and has lived in the Puyallup Valley his whole life. He enjoys hiking, biking, and competitive gaming, specifically Super Smash Brothers Ultimate. He loves hanging out with his two kids and going on dates with his wife. Some of his hobbies include retro video games and old-school Nintendo’s like N64 or Gameboys. He likes to fix broken Gameboys and then turn around and sell them or keep them to himself.

What inspired you to become a teacher, I asked. “Initially, I wanted to teach AVID and became an AVID tutor, but after a couple of months of tutoring, I realized I needed to teach.” Through his master’s program, he went on to teach English, because he was the most experienced in his class. Some classes he taught include AP Seminar, AP Literature, and English 10 and English 12. Later after teaching for a while He originally attended Peirce Community College and then transferred to Pacific Lutheran University (PLU). While attending PLU, he got his bachelor’s degree in comparative religion because he found it extremely fascinating. He then returned to school and earned an Automotive Repair Technician Certificate at Clover Park Technical College. After all that, he still didn’t know what he wanted to do, so he returned to PLU and got his Master’s in Education.

Finally, I asked him “What is some advice you would like to give to the students of ER?” he answered with his advice, “If you give a bit of yourself when trying to get involved, get to know people, or do something at school. You’ll get a lot back in return if you give a little bit. You’ll gain more in the long term by just trying this much.”