Teacher Feature: Meet Mr. Olivola
Mr. Olivola isn’t your typical math teacher. While he is currently in his third year of teaching Algebra II/Integrated II at Reynoldsburg High School’s Summit Campus, he has a few hidden talents. If you ever get him on the dance floor at Prom, he can bust a move like he is playing Dance Dance Revolution. In fact, he is a big gamer, insisting that he had his photo taken next to some Nintendo characters that are on display in his classroom.
But that’s not what earned him Educator of the Month in Varsity Magazine earlier this year. We sat down with Mr. Olivola to find out more during Teacher Appreciation Week!
Teaching Philosophy:
“I think building morale and confidence is key, especially to become strong in mathematics. You need to facilitate a safe, warm, positive classroom environment, where it is OK to make mistakes. Student safety is my number one priority and I make my students know I am looking out for them from day one.”
His view on the Reynoldsburg Community:
“We have the best students, admin and staff anyone can ask for. The parents are amazing, and I can’t thank them enough for the support they show us. They are willing to stay on top of their child’s success in and outside of the classroom.”
His impact on students:
“I’ll never forget one particular freshman’s excitement when she received 100% on my Integrated II test. She was the last student to finish right before the bell rang and she used every minute of the test period to triple check her answers.”
His Role Model:
Mr. Olivola, originally from Northeast New Jersey, is also a huge sports fan, and cites former New York Yankee Derek Jeter as a role model. “I loved how humble and composed he was in interviews. He is appreciative of his fans and shows respect to his opponents, and believes in the team effort.”
One more thing…
You’ll probably see Mr. Olivola at the many RCS sporting events. He was in the marching band in high school, and basketball is his favorite sport. He writes articles for the Reynoldsburg athletics webpage and goes to as many football, baseball and basketball games as he can. You can follow him on Twitter: @Mr_Olivola and he also runs the @RBurgBaseball Twitter feed.
Posted: Tuesday, May 9, 2017