The CHIEF January 2019

Interview:

Mr. McElwee

By Joe Gilmor This year, PTHS welcomed one of its newest additions to the teaching staff: Mr. Thomas McElwee. Mr. McElwee graduated from Charleston (Illinois) High School, where he was involved with both the marching band and pep band, and was the editor for his school newspaper. After completing high school, Mr. McElwee pursued a Music Education degree at Eastern Illinois University. Yes, you read that right! After spending time studying abroad and meeting new people in college, Mr. McElwee taught high school band for several years before making the switch to English. So what caused him to make the switch? Well, according to Mr. McElwee, the answer is the students. Nothing puts a smile on Mr. McElwee’s face better than the joy of working with new writers. During our interview, he offered some sage advice for aspiring writers: “Read, read, then write about the reading, then write to write, then read about writing, then read your own writing, then cry about it, then edit it, then read again. Then repeat for seventy years.” Mr. McElwee loves watching his students develop throughout the years. He commented, “It’s so rewarding to be a teacher because the person we’re interacting with in their freshman year will often be radically different their senior year. Their interests and passions evolve, and teachers help spark that evolution. Knowing that we helped make that change is the best part of the job.” After spending a few years teaching at other schools in the area, Mr. McElwee arrived in Pontiac, where he has been influential both inside and outside of the classroom. Mr. McElwee is currently coaching the PTHS Scholastic Bowl team, and even stepped in to direct our school’s Symphonic Band when Mr. Schickel was unable to do so due to having surgery. Mr. McElwee says that he loves PTHS for its ability to provide all the opportunities that would often only be available at a much larger school while still maintaining the tight-knit community that is usually only found at much smaller schools. Needless to say, Mr. McElwee couldn’t be happier to teach at PTHS, and we students couldn’t be happier to have him!