You can find Mr. Stock’s classroom in the English hallway in room 202, the same room he was a student in over 30 years ago! He has been teaching English at Pottsgrove for twenty-seven years and coached football with Coach Pennypacker. He teaches 12th Grade Honors English and 11th Grade Academic English.
Pottsgrove Alumnus
As a student, he played football, wrestled, participated in throwing in track and field, and played catcher and first base in baseball. However, his baseball career ended shortly after 10th grade to focus on football. He was part of Pottsgrove’s graduating class of 1995 and was also a finalist for the Color Day speeches. Although he lost, he was proud that his friend got it instead.
Education
After graduating from Pottsgrove, Mr. Stock attended King’s College in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. At King’s, he majored in Education, and “co-majored” in English, with a minor in History. He chose King’s College because it was far from home, but not too far to where he could go home when he wanted to. In Wilkes-Barre, there are a lot of things that you could do like skiing or fishing, which is another thing Mr. Stock really liked about King’s College. He could get a city feel with a country vibe, with a great campus and people on it as well.
Outside Teaching
Outside of teaching, Mr. Stock likes to listen to music, loves being outside, camping, kayaking, and watching any Netflix series that comes to mind. But most of all, he loves cooking. Cooking is his number one hobby, and it can always be smelled in his classroom after his lunch period. His favorite song is “Lateralus” by TOOL, but he loves a lot of 90’s bands and music. Some other bands he likes to listen to are Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Soundgarden, and many other grunge bands. He has been to many concerts, such as TOOL, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, U2, and The Dropkick Murphys. When asked who motivated him the most in life, other than himself, he said his kids, Brendan, Connor, and Nolan. They are his biggest motivation because of the passing away of his father when he was eighteen, and his kids keep him going to this day. Mr. Stock wants to set a good example for them, so he wants to be a good foundation for them.
Advice
Mr. Stock’s advice to students that he may have next year is to handle business first and have fun second. He says it’s important to get your work done when you can so you can have fun later. To seniors going to college, find a balance between sleep and studying. He drew a triangle to represent this, saying you can have two but not all three. To future teachers, he wants to tell them to find a new place… or have fun outside of work, and not to worry too much about it when you’re having fun. Lastly, to everyone: not to care about what other people think or feel about you, and to enjoy not only the big things but also the little things life offers you.
