Ashley Daley – OwlFeed

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#BeAnOwl

Mr. Jeff Olson is a widely known name on the Agua Fria campus. As a fourth-year teacher at our favorite school, Olson has become quite accustomed to the meaning of #BeAnOwl.

Mr. Olson graduated from Brentwood Academy (high school) in Brentwood, Tenn., and attended Baylor University in Waco, Texas. Although Olson attended some of the best schools, he is not a stranger to being the outcast.

“At the time, I thought because I was the poorest kid in the wealthy suburbs, I was like ‘Oh, I must have it pretty hard,’” Olson said. He really considers himself at home when he communicates with his students because he thought the same thing, but now he does not believe in ‘feeling sorry for yourself.’

He realized very quickly that it was easier to be thankful for what you have. He found himself taking any scholarships he could to get to help attend Baylor University. Olson ended up having a hybrid major in English and neuroscience. He also took the time to study abroad in Japan, an experience he wouldn’t trade for the world.

Olson started out wanting to be a DJ, “but it did not fulfill my want to contribute to society,” Olson said. He began working as an after school tutor for a local community center and realized that teaching would be the best path for his future.

“[In my AP English class] I chose books about choosing to view others as people rather than choosing to view them as non-player characters in your life’s video game,” Olson said.

Olson also is a second-year math teacher at Agua Fria, who teaches Geometry and honors pre-calculus.  He enjoys that his students go through the process of picking and choosing what is relevant and useful to their lives. “It makes doing my job easier if I can help guide their likeliness to enjoy math as much as I do,” Olson said.

He does not only use math to be a math teacher, but also uses his skills to teach things like computer design, which he taught in California over the summer (Mr. Olson’s summer class was highlighted in an article on Fusion.net). He found the skills he learned as a math teacher/student really helped push his work and influence how he taught.

To him, being an Owl has a lot to do with how respectful he finds our student body. “The best of the Agua Fria School district is already on campus,” Olson said. “We as a student body defy the labels giving to us amongst the community.” He finds this empowering considering he had to do the same when he was younger.

Mr. Olson looks forward most to the students that seek new information and are excited to learn the new curriculum. These students work hard and are willing to find reasons to do the work, a skill easier said than done.

Olson is not only a teacher at school, but he is also a mentor, Cold Water Comedy improv coach, ex-DJ,and world traveler. His world experiences have made him an all-around great person to teach the students at the school he loves. Even if you do not have his class, say, “Hi!” Mr. Olson is not a teacher or friend you will forget.