Broadcast news, woodworking, and construction teacher, Mr. Joseph Jarvis has been a huge part of SWHS’ entertainment and news programs, giving students exemplary experiences for years.
Jarvis teaches Creative Woodworking, Do it Yourself Home Repair, Construction 1 & 2, Video Communications, and a technology education class for the alternative education program, but to the South Windsor Community he is more than just a teacher.
Outside of school, Jarvis owns a home renovation business, which keeps him rather busy. In what free time he does have, he likes to spend it playing games with his kids or carting them around to practices and watching their sports games.
Jarvis didn’t begin his career as a teacher. Previously, he was a firefighter and got his first college degree in arson investigation. He was a private investigator for a while with hopes of becoming a police officer and then an arson investigator. That all changed when he volunteered to help tutor an autistic high school student at Glastonbury High School.
It was there that he discovered a passion for teaching students and working in education. He quit his job as a private investigator and started working full time in the special education department in Glastonbury district as a paraprofessional.
“About a year and a half after that, I was pretty confident that teaching was what I wanted to do, so I enrolled in a teacher education program, got licensed, and became a high school teacher,” Jarvis said.
Jarvis taught history and social studies for almost 12 years before making the switch over to tech education. He enjoys all the classes that he teaches but says that his favorites are Broadcast News, Construction, and DIY.
“Those are the classes where I bring the most to the table as I have professional experience in the things that I am teaching,” Jarvis explained when talking to The Prowl. “These experiences bring a different perspective to my lesson plans and help me make them more genuine and authentic.”
Teaching gives Jarvis an identity that he is proud of, which he previously struggled to find. He loves that this job allows him to make an impact on young people and in the role he is currently in, allows him to share his passions with them. “Without teaching I definitely would not be who I am today,” Jarvis remarked.
Jarvis says that his favorite part of teaching does not happen in the classroom, but after graduation when previous students reach out to him and let him know that he made a difference in their lives. It shows how his impact on the student body will far outrun how long he teaches them, and feels lucky to be in a profession that offers such a unique and rewarding experience.
