Mr. Cluver joined us at Dee-Mack this year, and it’s already been a fantastic time packed with new memories and strong relationships. Although he’s only just come to Mackinaw, Mr. Cluver is not new to teaching by any means. He’s been in education for 32 years now, first at Moroa-Forsyth, and then at Watseka for another 10 years before arriving here. At Dee-Mack, he teaches Algebra 1 & Trigonometry, and he coaches Boy’s Basketball. Even though he went to college to teach Physical Education, he’s been teaching math for all those years instead. He noted, “I went to get my degree in P.E., but I haven’t taught P.E. since my student-teaching!” Partially, he credits his high school math teacher (and track coach) for this love of the subject. He was inspired by his ability to get students in class wanting to figure out the problem even if it wasn’t easy. The idea of making school captivating and fun is a big point for Mr. Cluver.
He stands on the idea that his favorite thing to teach is not math or basketball itself, but rather helping the students through difficult processes of learning these things.
“For me, it’s not just about the material. Or it’s not just basketball, you know? I enjoy teaching basketball and I enjoy teaching math, but it’s all about the way to help and teach how to have some grit and perseverance and fight through adversity. Because sometimes learning something new is ugly, and the biggest thing is being able to make a mistake and understand that making a mistake is what helps you to get better. That’s the whole purpose, right?”
Mr. Cluver’s love for helping people understand things also coincides with his favorite teaching memory, which he stated was “Watching the lightbulb come on for students and seeing them realize that they can do it.” As a high school student, he was very much a “give respect when respect is given” type of person. In college, however, he stated that he “completely flipped the script. I totally refocused, and I think a lot of that had to do with maturity.” Now that he’s gone beyond his years as a student, his advice towards us all is to “try to live in the present, and to take on the challenges of that— to realize that everyone can do more than what they think they can.”
Fellow staff and students all had similarly positive things to say about Mr. Cluver. Including:
“He’s a caring guy who puts his players first.” – Tkye Albritton & Coen Gilbert, basketball players.
“He’s been a great addition. I like having him in my hallway and teaching the freshmen with him.” – Ms. Tompkins
“I really like his teaching style and the way he’s always encouraging us to do more and be positive.” -Ethan Juneman
Outside of school, Mr. Cluver enjoys outdoor activities like golf and fishing, as well as spending time with his family and reading comic books. He noted that his go-to comic book characters are Batman and Spider-Man. Additionally, when prompted with “If I wasn’t a teacher, I…” Mr. Cluver stated that he would be a detective! He said he’d always enjoyed detective stories and TV shows, and solving puzzles is part of why he enjoys math.
As some rapid-fire personal favorites, Mr Cluver stated the following:
- Color: Blue
- Musical Artist (right now): 5 Finger Death Punch
- Movie: Avengers: Endgame
- Book: The Stand by Stephen King
- Sports Team: Seattle Seahawks (NFL), Indiana Pacers (College Basketball), & San Antonio Spurs (NBA)
- Classroom Essential: Dry-Erase Markers
- Snack: Ruffles Potato Chips
For Teacher Appreciation Week, be sure to express gratitude to teachers like Mr. Cluver, and all others that you see throughout your day! Even if math isn’t your favorite subject or basketball isn’t your favorite sport, you can still love the teacher. For me personally, I enjoy talking to Mr. Cluver about our shared passion for comic books (which you can read all about in The Comic Corner). Because of that shared interest, I’ve learned so much about a teacher who I otherwise have no classes with. There are some truly great people at Dee-Mack High School; don’t let them go unnoticed!
