Mr. Weiss: Interview

Introduction

Andrew Berti, a member of the Monthly Panther, interviewed Mr. Weiss, a teacher in the History Department at The Browning School. Below are the questions that were asked at the interview and the answers to those questions.

Questions and Answers:

What school did you teach at before Browning?

“I taught at a school called City and Country School. It is downtown on 13th street.”

Follow-up question: How long were you at the City and Country School?

“I was there for four years. This is my fourth year at Browning and this is my tenth year teaching.”

What is your favorite food to make or eat and why?

“My favorite food to eat is fried chicken because it is delicious. It is crunchy, salty, filling, and it is great.” My favorite food to make is Asian stir-fries because it is fun and you mix up the ingredients a lot so there is a lot of variety; it is a simple technique. You can add different sauces and different vegetables. “You can experiment with different noodles.” I have not done a lot of Asian stir fries so it is exciting for me.

What is your favorite event in history and why?

“ I do not know if I have a favorite event in history. I think of moments when humanity has come together to accomplish something or has responded to something with kindness or care.” In my lifetime, the fall of the Soviet Union was a significant global event that impacted millions of people. Some of the topics I teach I really enjoy, for example, the American Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, and Athenian Democracy.

What did you want to be when you were growing up?

“When I was in fifth grade, I wanted to be a professional basketball player. I wanted to be in the NBA and I wanted to play point guard. I played soccer and tennis in addition to basketball. Then, later I wanted to pursue tennis, but I was not good enough.”

Who and what inspired you to be a teacher?

“My mother was a teacher and my ex-husband was, and is, in education.” He convinced me to become a teacher. I really liked tutoring when I was 18 years old. I moved to Ecuador and I taught English and that was my first teaching job. The main reason I went was so I could be in Ecuador. The teaching part was secondary, but when I got there I realized how much I enjoyed being in a classroom.

What are your hobbies now and when you were growing up?

I played a lot of sports when I was growing up. I loved to read and play video games. Now, I still like to read, I like to lift weights, I like to watch sports, and spend too much time on my phone.

What is your favorite book?

My favorite book is 100 Years of Solitude by a Colombian author named Gabriel Garcia Marquez. I have read it in both Spanish and English. Reading the entire novel in Spanish was a proud accomplishment at the time.

Follow Up question: Where did you learn Spanish?

I learned Spanish in school. I fell in love with Spanish. I thought it would be great if I could speak two languages and travel and be able to speak to people in their native language.

What is your favorite movie and why?

“My favorite movie has changed. Clue is one of my favorite movies, but it is also dated in some of its humor. Some parts make me cringe. I loved the board game Clue as a kid so I liked the movie, and it reminds me of being a kid again”.