El Dios de Español: Señor Scott Scalici

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Ethan Dondonan

A beloved man by most, Senor Scalici teaches Spanish to the sophomores and seniors at U.A.I.S.

 If you can go back in time, what would you do differently in high school?

Senor Scalici: I would be a better student and get better grades, because I coasted through the material.   Also, I regret the way I behaved in high school.

What was your favorite part of high school?

Senor Scalici: Sports; I played football, wrestled, and ran track.  Sports allowed me to be supported by friends.

If you were able to, would you go to an IB school?

Senor Scalici: Now, yes.  At the time, no because I wasn’t into working hard and putting in effort into school.

Did you teach at a home school, and if so, how was your experience?

Senor Scalici: I taught full-day at Ford and taught half-day at Stevenson.  I enjoyed my time there as well as the kids there.

What profession would you choose if you didn’t become a teacher?

Senor Scalici: Web designer.  I had an interest in high school and made web pages for Ford.  I also majored in computer science for 3 semesters.

What do you most enjoy about teaching?

Senor Scalici: Interacting with kids and people.

 What is one challenge about teaching?

Senor Scalici: Managing my time; I have four to five classes to teach, coaching, parenting, and being a husband.

What led you to go to the college that you attended?

Senor Scalici: My cousin was at CMU, and I enjoyed the campus, which has a small foot-print.

What was a favorite/funny memory while teaching?

Olympics. I was overwhelmed by the spirit, plus I wasn’t expecting it from a small school.  I have a funny moment, but not appropriate for the newspaper.

 Who is a memorable student and why?

Senor Scalici: I can’t think of one, there’s stars in Spanish and kids I got along with because of AMES.

Recall a challenge that taught you something and how did you move forward?

Senor Scalici: I unfortunately had to deal with the death of a few students.  The community of each student helped me grieve and reminisce with the parents.

What are three things on your bucket list?

Senor Scalici: Travel to Italy, the Grand Canyon … I can’t think of anything else but travelling.

What places have you travelled to?

Senor Scalici: Spain, Ecuador, Costa Rica, and Jamaica

What is your favorite television show?

Senor Scalici: The Office

What is your favorite movie?

Senor Scalici: The Godfather

What is your favorite song and artist?

Senor Scalici: “Wish You Were Here”; Pink Floyd

What is something students don’t know about you?

Senor Scalici: I was afraid of taking Spanish in high school.  I just took it for the credits.