“A hundred times every day I remind myself that my inner and outer life are based on the labors of other men, living and dead, and that I must exert myself in order to give in the same measure as I have received and am still receiving.”
Albert Einstein
For our September Teacher Spotlight, we interviewed Tim Blok.
What grade(s) are you currently teaching?
I teach Conceptual Physics, Applied Chemistry and AP Physics for 10th, 11th and 12th grade.
What do you enjoy most about teaching science?
The new students and changing the way they see the world.
What do you enjoy the least?
The last day of school.
What’s your favorite element?
Ti (Titanium). It was sourced in the USSR by the CIA to build the SR-71. It makes for a good story.
What do you love most about working at San Marin?
The great attitude of most of the students and staff.
Do you remember your first class? What was it like?
Yes! It was very scary actually. I was teaching science to 8th grade deaf students. Needless to say, we all did a bunch of learning that year.
What’s your most memorable teaching moment?
When I have students that come back to see me from college and thank me for helping set them up for success.
What was your favorite subject in High School?
US History and Physics. I had the same teacher for the two classes and I got to build things like a telegraph both for US history and physics.
What was your least favorite subject in High School?
PE. Nobody else wanted to do stuff but I wanted to play, run, and jump.
What’s your favorite thing to do outside of San Marin?
Support my kids, swim, and continue my work as an Ocean Life Guard for the State of California
What’s one weird or strange fact that people might not know about you?
I swam to Tom Sawyer island at Disneyland during my high school grad-night.