t’s late at night. You’re probably in bed, snoring away the long day. But ALHS teacher Kevin Gentz is probably up, either grading papers or working on his masters, which Riverland community college requires him to have for AP students to receive college credit.
Gentz spends 12 hours a week working on his masters. During the school year, he uses online learning. During the summer months, he learns on campus.
Gentz tries to get some family time in, too. He reserves one evening during the week for family activities, and one afternoon during the weekend. He still makes time here and there for family.
Many students have a lot of respect of Gentz. One of these students is junior Gretta Johnson.
“He is really energetic about things and he is a very positive person,” Johnson said.
Johnson has a lot of respect for Gentz as a teacher.
“I think he really cares if we understand it or not,” Johnson said. “He also brings humor to the class and I really like that because the class is more fun and it’s comfortable.”
Johnson also had Gentz as a track coach. She has a lot of positive things to say about him as a coach.
“He gives good advice to get better and focuses on things you’re doing right,” Johnson said. “He’s really dedicated to helping us get better too.”
Gentz does not think of his masters as a chore.
“In my math geek way, pursuing graduate level math is exciting,” Gentz said.
Gentz is studying the effect graphic organizers have on our learning. He will write his masters on the results. Gentz isn’t the only person in his masters class, of course.
“I think it’s really great that he is doing that,” Johnson said.
When Gentz was asked about his professors, he exclaimed,
“Oh Gosh!”
The professor lectures for three hours. In a graduate level class, you don’t get as much help as in previous levels.
“There wasn’t the greatest support.” Gentz said.
Gentz said the difficult part was the research. “It’s an action research project,” he said.
They identify a problem, identify a solution, and test it. Then they write about it. These writings can sometimes be the size of a small book.
One student, Suzie Marin, does not have Gentz for class, but still has gotten to know him.
“I think he makes things very relatable to the younger kids,” Marin said.
She had different thoughts about his personality.
“I think he is the most sarcastic person alive,” Marin said.
Gentz made it clear he’s not doing this just for selfless reasons. He’s excited to do some more math, and loves to learn.
Gentz is always ready to help students when they need it. He will talk to students on a personal level and relate to them.
“It’s very rare that I see him not happy or smiling,” Johnson said.
Gentz has been known to have a relaxed environment in his classroom, but also is able to get things done.
“He’s really good with kids and makes class fun,” Johnson said.