Brian Snyder has been teaching for a total of 17 years, with 16 of those at Fredericktown!
Mr. Snyder wanted to be a teacher ever since his junior year of high school, where he knew he wanted to pursue a career that could empower others and show them their full potential.
However, before being set on teaching, Mr. Snyder seriously considered joining the Air Force, which is ironic because the superpower he’d like to have is this: “I’ll take the power of flight because airplanes are expensive.”
One of his favorite teaching memories was from a few years ago, when a student, Titus Krabill, unexpectedly created his own geometric theorem in the middle of a lesson. While Mr. Snyder was teaching, Krabill suggested, “What would happen if you just connect those two points?” Mr. Snyder confidently told the class it would not work, but when he showed them why, it came as a shock to him that it did, in fact, work!
After this, he and the class derailed from his carefully planned lesson and started exploring why Krabill’s idea succeeded. Mr. Snyder says this was one of the most spontaneous, surprising, and rewarding teaching moments of his career.
Mr. Snyder participated in wrestling during high school, and intramural ultimate Frisbee while he attended the University of Toledo.
During the summer, Mr. Snyder claims he doesn’t know what “fun” is, but if he did, hiking the Appalachian Trail would be at the top of his list.
Mr. Snyder also doesn’t have time for many hobbies, but he loves tinkering with technology in his free time.
If Mr. Snyder could go anywhere in the world, he’d explore the Egyptian pyramids in the Giza Necropolis.
When it comes to meeting a historical figure, he’d want to meet Archimedes of Syracuse. But for a historical time period, he’d go back to the Jurassic Period, as long as he can get back safely!
Mr. Snyder would like to advise teachers and students to look at the Serenity Prayer: accept what cannot be changed, change what can, and take the time and care needed to discern the difference.
