At Pottsgrove High School, many teachers have left a lasting effect on their students, but Mr. Mellor, a classroom history teacher and former coach here at PGHS, stands out in inspiring students and leaving them with lessons that will continue to follow them after high school.
“At the time, we thought he was being hard on us, but now I realize he was teaching us perseverance, both on and off the field.” says Emily Vishio, a former student and team captain of the Girl’s soccer team, “a lot of things he had said in the huddle, during games, or at practices have truly taught me things about life- Moments I will probably never forget.”
Mellor coached the girls’ soccer team for 12 years before stepping away in 2023 and has been a history teacher at Pottsgrove for 14 years. He steps into his classroom, Starbucks coffee in hand, ready to project a meme and daily quote on the board to start his class. “Mellor’s quotes are one of my favorite things about his gov class”, says Junior Ella Catanzaro. “No idea where he gets them from, but they always made me laugh”.
“Venti cold brew with half and half is my go-to,” says Mr. Mellor. Starbucks is somewhere he often goes, as coffee is a Mellors morning ritual. Other things Mellor enjoys include traveling, playing soccer, and reading news articles to keep up with the happenings in America. He says that staying updated on the current state of America is important in his profession and enhancing his teaching abilities in history.
Mellor’s involvement in Pottsgrove High School doesn’t stop at being a former coach and history teacher; he is also an advisor for Color Day and PGEA vice president. When asked about his passions, he says that teaching has always been in the picture, “I’ve always enjoyed working with kids and I also value a good work-life balance, so high school teaching has always been the plan”, but Mellor can’t say the same about soccer, “I’ve played soccer all my life but I never really wanted to coach”. Even though coaching wasn’t part of his original plan, he says that it has only helped him in life and especially in his career. Mellor expressed that coaching helps him relate to students and has improved his classroom management skills.
Mellor expressed that teaching, and his career in general, has taught him a lot: “ It’s made me realize that not a lot of people truly value the importance of education”. He quoted a popular quote, “Those that can’t do, teach.” Mellor stressed that teaching is “doing” and that it is an important profession worthy of appreciation. With that said, Mellor left the interview by giving some advice: “It’s time we value educators and education as a whole.”
