A teacher who’s also a student? That’s right – Meet Mr. Marc Ellis, Highland’s newest science teacher.
Not only is Ellis a teacher, but he is also a father, a student, and a dog trainer!
In college, Ellis planned to pursue a career as a veterinarian, getting his bachelor’s degree in bio-veterinary science from Utah State University. However, that all changed when he discovered his passion for teaching.
“I was a dog trainer at PetSmart for years and fell in love with teaching,” Ellis said. “Because really what I was doing is I wasn’t training dogs; I was teaching people to train dogs.”
While Ellis decided to switch career paths, he still has the same love for animals. He even breeds and shows Bichon Frises in local dog show competitions with his wife.
Using his love of teaching and his love of science, Ellis has made a career for himself, one that he’s passionate about. He’s so passionate about it that he balances being a teacher, a dog trainer, a father, and more, all while working to get a PhD in curriculum and design (specifically, in science education).
Knowing what it’s like to be both a teacher and a student, Ellis feels he can better understand and connect with his students.
“It’s a lot of work balancing everything,” Ellis said. “But I sometimes use that to talk to students about how even teachers have things that they have to do, and you have to work on managing assignments and staying on top of things.”
Ellis is teaching earth and space science and chemistry this year, two classes that he hopes students will enjoy and feel welcome in.
“I hope to build a classroom where students feel comfortable exploring science and building their understanding of the world around them,” Ellis said. “I want to help students to feel present in science and to help them feel like they can understand science, even if it is not a career they want to pursue.”
So far, Ellis is loving Highland and feels classes have been going well.
Prior to switching to Highland, Ellis taught at Glendale Middle School for several years. This means high school has been an adjustment for him. He was used to teaching multiple sciences in each class, as he introduced middle-school students to multiple fields in science, but now he gets to focus on just one in each of his periods. He teaches sections of chemistry and earth and space science. So, this has been a nice change for Ellis.
Beyond curriculum, Ellis has also had a good experience with the Highland community.
“I’ve appreciated how respectful students have been to me,” Ellis said. “I’ve also enjoyed the climate and the culture and just working with the other teachers. It’s been great.”
