Kurt Hargis had eyes on different career goals.
But teaching kept calling to him.
Today, Hargis has been a teacher for the past 25 years, 20 of those at Destrehan High School where he teaches computer science. And while things could have ended up very differently, he’s quite pleased with the path he’s chosen.
“I was a history major,” Hargis recalled. “I didn’t have teaching in mind as a career, but I did have the chance to teach some classes and I realized I really liked it – I kind of had a ‘this is me’ moment.”
Nonetheless, he got out of the teaching game and went to work in private industry for a brief time.
“But teaching kept calling me back,” Hargis said.
For him, seeing things finally click for a student is a feeling that continues to fuel him to this day.
“I still get excited when you see the light bulb moment in a kid’s eyes,” said Hargis. “Especially now, teaching computer science – they’re trying a different process, working through it and then they get it. You can see it on their faces, and it’s the absolute best thing.”
Teaching is also a calling that he happens to share with his wife, Cristina – who is also a environmental science and geography teacher at Destrehan, educating her students just upstairs from Hargis as he does likewise.
“I always say that I’m a pretty good teacher, but the second best one at my address,” Hargis quipped. “We teach different subjects but a lot of the same students. So, if you’re having success with a student, ‘OK, how can I reach him?’”
Hargis has his own methods for connecting with students. One way is through humor.
“I use dad jokes a lot,” Hargis said.
Such as?
“What did the buffalo say when he went to work?
Bison.”
He also makes an effort to engage in his students’ interests and often to learn more about them, like listening to music they talk about, or debating sports topics – like the always popular Michael Jordan vs. LeBron James comparison.
Where does Hargis stand?
“Jordan, of course.”
That connection is important for Hargis, who says one of the chief challenges he faces simply comes down to wishing there were more time.
“Time is always the hardest thing. Getting to know a kid takes time,” he said.
By the end of the school year, his goal is for all of his students to believe in themselves and to have made strides they can be proud of.
“You try to find out where the kids are when you start,” Hargis said. “And if you don’t let them stay there, you’ve kind of succeeded. If you can help them move in a positive direction, you’ve succeeded … I think people are capable of learning anything they put their mind to.”
