A Conversation With Omar Piña and Anthony Lecheler: Being a Male Teacher at ND
Transcript:
MAYA ANING, HOST:
Hello Crown and Shield viewers!
My name is Maya Aning, and I am a senior here at Notre Dame where we produce The Crown and Shield. I have been part of this group for 4 years and am super excited to partake in this special issue. I had the opportunity to speak with two male faculty, to get the inside scoop on how they feel about working at an all girls school and being outnumbered. First up, I got to speak with Mr. Piña, the new PE teacher, cross country and track coach, and new assistant athletic director. As it is his first year at Notre Dame, I truly wanted to get to understand the new male perspective on empowerment in women's sports, and other questions you will later hear. Take a listen.
OMAR PIÑA:
Say it again. Okay. I am here with, uh, Omar. My name is Omar Piña. I am the PE instructor here, head coach for cross credit team, track and field. And how long have you been working here for? Since like August. So this is your first year at Notre Dame? Yeah, this is my first year at Notre Dame. Yay. Six months, hopefully, I think six or seven around there.
Yeah. Good stuff. Okay. Yeah. Um, now onto the questions. How has becoming a male coach at an all girls school taught you about empowerment and what are your thoughts on women in sports? Yeah. I feel like that question is such a great question. Thank you. Um, 'cause the way I see it, I, I, I didn't really, when I first came in, I didn't really see it as an all girls school.
I mean, it is an all girls school, right? Yeah. But the way I saw it's more of a private school. Yeah. Um, because for me, I went to public school my whole life and the notion that I had as a. Like going in public school to private is like maybe the students are like, you know, think they're all that. Right. Not humble.
Yeah. And so just coming and working here, like I would always see the building, I went to San Jose State so we'd always like to pass by here and you know, it was just thought it was just a building, but Right, right. Seeing that inside this small square rectangle, there are a lot of, uh, young women who are wanting to have goals, dreams.
And who are more dedicated than the public school students in a way. Mm, yeah. Yes. Although it is like you do have to pay for your education. At the same time, you guys also like to care about your education. Right. It's not like, oh, my parents paid for it and it's whatever, you know? Yeah. There's a sense of gratitude there.
Yeah. Yeah. There's a lot of gratitude and also a lot of humility. Um, the fact that like. Like you, you guys don't like, you know, the unity that you have helps you guys bond together and everything. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And so you guys all, you know, it's not like it's a group where it's like freshman, sophomores, juniors, or like different groups and different schools.
It's just more like, you all know each other. You, y'all help each other. And so for me it wasn't less of the gender, it was more of like how strong is all your community. And so seeing that, that. You know, and now coming into the gender aspect, it's like seeing that it's all girls and the camaraderie and everything.
It's just so nice. 'cause it's like, I don't know, you didn't think about that. You know? And so coming in as a male teacher, it's like, I can help. I learned a lot, um, on how, um, these students react in sports and teaching and a bunch of other things. And so like. The way they think it's different, the way they react to certain stuff, it's different there.
It's more emotional, which is good. Um, because you can express yourself and it's, I feel, I'm so happy that most or the majority of students are comfortable expressing their emotions with me. And so that helps me be a better coach and a better, um. Teachers and stuff like that so that I can empower them in that way and whatever.
I know and I learned to help them and, and I get to like being creative with it and thinking outside the box Yeah. To see what is best for them. Yeah. And so that's, that's something pretty cool and unique. And then also having it just being one gender. It allows me to focus more and learn new things that I like when I go to practices, research, uh, stuff that I need to do.
But it's more based on just females instead of males. Um, because with having a co-ed school or just all males, I already know, you know, how they react. I kind of know what, how they think in a way. Um, co-ed is like, okay, well you have different coaches, so you focus on this, I'll focus on that. But this one is like, okay, it's a new, new thing that I've never done, and it's just nice to be able to.
Embarked on this journey, and it's just cool, I think. Yeah. I mean, it's like, it's not only that you're just learning, but I mean yes, you're teaching other students Exactly. And, it's great because they're learning as well. And so I can edit this if you need to.
Yeah, I need a, yeah, yeah. So yeah, like you said, like it's really, it's really good to, um. Like us, we learn. We learn both them and, and myself and, and it's really, it's really cool. Yeah. Every day is not the same, which is the best part. And what I was saying was not only like a teacher, like you're teaching what your students need to take away, but you're also taking away like a bunch of stuff.
Like you're learning a lot more about like, yeah. Yeah. And that's great. So I mean, moving on to that next question, like, as a new PE teacher, what are you going to try and incorporate into your lesson plans to help Notre Dame students? In a way that helps them learn more about the real world in themselves.
Yeah, I love that question. You're powerful. Um, no, so that's a great question because for me, um, what I've been doing in my classes for physical education, the first, the first semester was kind of tough. Yeah. Because I was getting into this class where they already had a notion of how PE should be or how they thought it should be.
Right. Where it was more like, you know, relax. It's a class where you just, you know, have fun. It is a class to have fun, but coming in and then when, uh, Ms. Beck left, I, you know, I couldn't really do much. 'cause they were like, no, I just wanna do this. And I'm like, okay. So I just waited out and then I was reflecting on what I can do differently.
And so coming into the new semester. It was really great because I got to do whatever I wanted to incorporate. And so now every day I do like a motivational quote, a daily quote, um, from either a saint, uh, a famous person, someone that has like, you know, experience. And so I, I tell them, we go over the quote and, and then it's either empowering or motivational or something to learn, and then I tell them, okay.
Um, what does it mean to you? How can you apply it to today's class? Right. And so it is just another thing they can do. And then when it comes to activities, we make sure to actually include everybody and then make sure that everyone does it. Yeah. It's just not a full out, like working out, but it's just having fun.
And I tell them like, this is a space. Yeah, it's a space to relax. So a space to also let go of everything you're having, right? Like there's a lot of students who are stressed, who have exams, who have a lot of work projects and stuff to do. And just coming to this class of saying like, I can let go of all that and then just, you know, play sports and have fun or, you know, I'll learn a little bit, but then I can play sports after.
And so having that is so nice because you never know when one of those quotes could inspire somebody to do something or maybe learning how to play basketball when they didn't think they could. Um, it's just something that they can always take with themselves or, you know. Uh, like today we learned about the muscles and I learned when I was in college that slides and notes are not the best.
Mm-hmm. And so there's different types of learners. There's the auditory, um, the ones that do by touch, the ones that learn by visual learners and stuff like that. So, um, it's more like, here's the information and this is a better way to learn it. And they were able to adapt it better and it was nice.
Yeah, it was nice. And so now they look forward to every day of what we're doing the next day, what we 're doing the next day? Great. Even if I don't have, that's it planned fully, but you know, that's great because it's an engagement. Yeah. They're, they're, they're always wanting to know, you know, and then I always hear from their feedback, can we play this?
And I'm like, yeah, we'll do that. You know, but as long as everyone does it and we'll have fun, we all, you know. Yeah. I think that's really great that you get to do like a motivational quote. Do you like, like taking from the coach's perspective, do you think you would've done that with track and cross country or do you think I, I think I would do that.
Um, but then again. Where for PE it was easier because it's all new students and they didn't know Ms. Beck's teaching even though she was, she's a great teacher. Um, but they don't have that notion right here. I still have some students who are seniors and juniors who have a notion of the previous coach, and when I try to do something, sometimes they're not very liking it.
Mm-hmm. I don't know why, but it's like I'm trying to do something motivational and they're like, oh, you're trying too hard. Oh yeah. And so I'm just like, okay. Um, I'll just, I know I'll slowly build up to it, but maybe for sure next year I'm gonna do something like that. I have, you know, they cross country, they did so well.
Right. Um, for track or hoping to continue being undefeated and more than that. Um, but I just want them to. When it comes to motivational wise and, and track what I do in cross country as well, I do it individually. Mm-hmm. More than the group. Like if I know that, let's say certain group of people in the team don't want to hear that, I just go to the individuals that, you know, didn't have that opinion and they motivate them one-on-one or, or in the smaller groups and then, you know, 'cause they're the ones that are gonna be staying longer if I do continue and stuff like that.
So then I will be able to. You know, slowly adapt to it. Right. And, you know, be motivational, think ahead, you know, stuff like that. Right. That's great. 'cause everybody really needs that kind of source. Yeah. Like even if they don't. Um, so moving on as an athletics coach, working with our new athletic director, Yona Nash, what is essential about your teamwork that gets things done, shows your athletes that they can really accomplish anything?
Yeah. So I don't know if you know, but now I'm the new athletic director assistant. Oh, you are? Yeah. Okay. Congrats. So now it's more of a teammate thing. Uh, me and Elena, um, what we do is, since I was here around the same time she was, I got to pick up things that Right. You know, Ms. Beck left and, you know, you have to do this, things like that.
So being able to take that away from her mm-hmm. And be able to get that done. Um, and then that way she's less stressed at the same time. Um, that allows me to see students both in class, in athletics and in their day-to-day lives, right? And so I get to understand them differently. Like, for example, if the freshmen are in my PE class, they have a workout or they're really tired, and now I tell 'em like, okay, you know, just take a break or do your homework instead.
And then in, in class or in, on track, or take it easier, you know, I get to engage. I'm not like it. Because there's a lot of coaches that don't care that they just tell you, no, you have to do this, or else you're on the team, or you have to do this. Mm-hmm. And stuff like that. It's more like in cross country, there was a, there was a student who was really tired and just out of it, I just told her to take a nap in the van.
You know? And that for other coaches might be like, you know, they have to be working every day. But at the same time, it's like they need that recovery. They, and they need someone to understand. Right. And so, being able to work with Elena, she's. She's a great athletics director. She's done a lot of changes that are really good to the program.
And so just helping that in general is so nice. 'cause it's like I get to be a part of that and she listens to my ideas and I listen to hers and we get to do, we have so many things planned, so very excited. Yeah. Um, and then, yeah, I mean, just, just being able to empower everybody to be able to have them go through something and being a younger male teacher or, you know, figure here.
Right. Coming out of college, I understand. And have a better connection with the students in a way. Mm-hmm. Because then I can actually tell them like, this is how college is. Mm-hmm. And, you know, yeah. Not, and so it's just a great, great experience. Yeah. So kind of just like wrapping that up. So, uh, Notre Dame has the motto that teaches students to be lifelong learners.
So what do you hope to help students learn and leave Notre Dame with, and how do you personally, like what do you personally want to achieve as a coach and a teacher coming into this school and this program in athletics and teaching? I heard I've seen a lot of students who do not believe in themselves.
Mm-hmm. They have a limit. Mm-hmm. And so for cross country, I would, they would, I would tell 'em, I want you to do this. And they'd be like, that's too much. But it's more like, I try to find a way to have them believe in themselves. Mm-hmm. And then if I can just, you know, have them take that like, okay, I did it.
I believed in myself, I trusted the process, I trusted the coach, I trusted the teacher. Mm-hmm. And then I got here. Then I could do anything. You know, I could push even, like even if you don't want to be a college athlete. Mm-hmm. Even if you don't, whatever you, it's good for your health. It's good for everything but.
You can be like, very believe in yourself and just make sure that anything is possible, right? Don't limit yourself. A lot of us, we, have the idea of going to college and then after that we get a job and work the nine to five. Mm-hmm. But then you can actually instead do something different, be different and believe in yourself because no human is limited, no prison is limited and.
Anyone can do it. And that thing with females and males, everyone's equal. Everyone can do it no matter what. Just put your mind to it.
Yeah, that's definitely a great aspect, you know, being a coach, I mean, I've seen firsthand you very, like you really care about them. Students here, which is great. And I mean, you really do. And I mean, it's like that support system. Like, not even like only as a coach and a teacher, but you know, as a friend, as like an ad assistant.
Congrats again. Thank you. But yeah, yeah, yeah. It's um, it's really great to see the support that you're really having, like, like the backs that you're really having here. It's so nice. 'cause like some, even some other sports, um, like I do the taping for them or whenever they get hurt. Right, right. Um, they now come to me and they help 'cause we don't have an athletic trainer, but.
You know, it's something, you know, some other people are like, I wanna get paid for that, or I have to get paid in order and I won't do it. But for me it's more like, I care more about your health and if something is better to, you know, if I could tape you and support you in that way than you getting hurt and not being able to have fun in your sport for like three months.
Yeah. Well it's really exciting. I mean, having you here to appreciate it's your first year, I appreciate it, but I mean, we're gonna have a few more years with you. Hopefully. I personally won't, but, um, I'm excited to, you know, come back, be able to still see, like, all the stuff that you guys are doing. Of course.
Yeah. So thank you. Thank you so much.
ANING: Welcome back! That interview was great to conduct to deeply see the impacts Mr Piña is ready to make here at ND. Next, we have a beloved math teacher, Mr Lecheler. I personally do not have a strong suit in math, I have always needed a tutor and those numbers and equations just don’t stick well. I wanted to interview this teacher because, while i have never been in his class, i wanted to see how he handles his encouragement and support to students like me, and how he battles teamwork to create that support system for students. Take a listen.
ANTHONY LECHELER:
Is this how you are, okay. This is how you start. Okay. So what is your name? Uh, Mr. Lechler. And, um, what, um, uh, sorry. Okay. What is your name? Uh, Mr. Lechler. And what do you teach? I teach math. I teach, uh, calculus, ab a, uh, BC and uh, yeah, those really count. Yeah. Yep. Yeah. Um, so how long have you been teaching at Notre Dame?
This is my 12th year at Notre Dame. Uh, and I've been teaching altogether for 17. Oh, and then I hear that your wife got to join this year. Yep, yep. Super excited and it is obviously awesome. She loves it. Miss ler. Yes. Loves, she loves it. So I love her. Good. Okay. So starting off with some main questions.
Mm-hmm. How do you create a classroom environment that encourages students to feel comfortable in their math abilities? Um, really it's, it starts with meeting students where they're at, if mm-hmm. Um, if we're so far ahead or behind, you know, students are gonna be either bored or. Too challenged and it's not accessible.
So really trying to make it, uh, accessible by making, meeting them where they're at and, and bringing that higher content, uh, to a level that is graspable that like, uh, especially in calculus, there's so much that. Like is taught at a high end college level, it can get hard. Um, how are we making sure that students can still access it and the language makes sense and the, uh, literacy is there to help support, um, that accessibility is, is important.
Yeah. That's honestly pretty great. 'cause I mean, as like I've been in math and it's just a lot of kids. Mm-hmm. You know, they don't get it or they kinda get slow with it or Right. They know they can get really far behind. Yeah. So kind of just like having that support there and Absolutely like it.
Teaching, kind of building that, that challenge of Yeah, we can, we can do this one. We can kind of block out some of those, uh, right. Lack of growth, mindset for growth mindset of, yeah, we can do this one. Um, and, and really being patient and, and working through the process with them yeah. Um, it is important for us.
Yeah, that's pretty great. Yeah. So, moving on, um, as a math teacher, how do you want to support your students, especially those who don't have that interest in math and like where their math is not their strong suit, what they're gonna major in? Absolutely. So it's one of those that I know that, uh, there's a lot of memes like, oh, I've never used algebra.
I haven't used algebra today yet, uh, type of thing. But it. Um, I think that it goes beyond just, okay. I haven't solved for x and Y. I haven't plotted points and graft lines and solved for a parabola. Um, there's a lot of just, uh, skills that aren't like content specific that grow in that math. Um, a little bit of that productive struggle and being able to, um, kind of stick through things that are a little bit challenging and hard.
Um, we can also think about, um. Just kind of using logic and reason, um, to do things. So, uh, even if it's not like, oh, I'm never going to use this, there's gonna be skills within that math, uh, class that will pop up. Right? Um, even like tech, I know that, um. Like Desmos is amazing and Desmos does a lot of good things, that eventually you're gonna run into something that you'll need to crunch numbers with.
Yes. Um, how are you using good tech to be able to decipher things? Um, even like the big ones are data right now, you know, how are you interpreting data in a world that is very. Untrustworthy at times with data. How are you being critical about the information that you're getting and processing? Um, so yeah, being able to support those are really important.
Um, so being able, like math, is important, right? Then to be able to bring those students into the fold of this, you know, even though you're not gonna graph a thousand lines every day, what does this actually mean? How can we make connections with that real world? Um, and you know, ma again, going back to making it accessible for students as well, so, um, especially if students that struggle with kind of that high end, being able to scaffold and support and, and really show, uh, yeah.
Here's that entry point and, and we can do math, we can do Right. Some of those harder things, um, as well. Yeah. 'cause I mean, like a lot of us, they're gonna go out into the world and even though like, you know, you might be like a journalism major. Mm-hmm. You won't be doing math. I mean, like. You have taxes, you have all these stuff that you're definitely gonna like, need a little more than a calculator and stuff.
Yeah. Math doesn't go away just because we want it to. Right. And, and, and that like, there are so many equivalencies, um, of like language and whether it's English or foreign language or modern languages, um, you know, there's a lot of good skill that comes. You know, I took Spanish in high school. I don't speak very well, but there were a lot of lessons that I took from learning Spanish, uh, that I, I'm able to apply and, and, and grow too.
So it's not just about the math. Right. The math does set the framework for them for sure. Yeah. Like, it helps you get there, right? Yeah. Yeah. All right. So, um, as a whole, like including the entire mathematics department, how do you all teachers work together to create a student support system?
Tutoring wise? Mm-hmm. Or just in the classroom? I think that it really helps us. Connect well with each other. Um, so even though we're like in different classrooms and different spaces, uh, we do try to make time just to check in with each other, um, to see what is going on in their classroom to support one another.
Um, so if I have a question like, something I'm teaching just isn't landing or something that I'm, I'm working on, I need a little support on. I know that I can go to my fellow math teachers, even science teachers are, you know, outside of the math department, um, to really bounce ideas off of.
And, um, I know there's a lot of trust between us as well, which is so important, um, that, you know, we, we all have our strengths. Yeah. And, uh, and. Areas to grow in. And I trust my colleagues enough to be able to say, oh, I know that you're working on this. Can we try something else? Can we work on something because I trust them that, you know, we're pulling for the same good.
And like their, their insight is valuable and, and helpful in coming from a good place. Right. So, and that's important that one of those lifelong things too, of surrounding your yourself around, uh, good people. Yeah, and I mean, like, you know, I mean. Like, trust is a very core value. Mm-hmm. I mean, you need to work like, even like, not even as a teacher, like in work everywhere, it's like trust is a very like, strong corley thing that it's like you guys bounce back on, like, on top of each other.
It just really works like a Right. And it helps that we're, uh, sociable as well. Like we, we, um, you know, can chat outside of work too. Mm-hmm. And um, you know, uh, whatever is going on in life and all of that too. We are, we're there for each other as well, so it. Kind of transcends the classroom, and that's really helpful as well.
Yeah. Um, so yeah, knowing that they have our back, I have their back and willing to Yeah. Um, support each other through it all too. Yeah. For better and, and, and the challenges as well. That's great. That's really important, honestly. And then, closing it off, I mean, Notre Dame has the motto that teaches students to be lifelong learners.
Mm-hmm. What do you hope to help students learn and leave Notre Dame with, and what do you personally want to achieve? Um, so. For students and help students learn, um, as being adaptable and being able to, uh, see, yeah, it's not just, Hey, I'm, I can do this problem outta the book, but how, uh, how am I taking this out in the world and how am I impacting the world?
Um, and, and bigger places and spaces. So yeah, maybe they aren't going out and doing calculus on the daily. But they're, they're being equipped with, as I said, those, those problem solving skills, those, uh, critical thinking skills, right, that will, will carry through throughout life and, uh, and, and so many different aspects of it.
Um, and then, uh, what I personally want to achieve, um, is really, I, maybe it's, maybe it's a big, grandiose plan of just making the world a better place and doing it through teaching and, and, um. Giving students that access to see themselves in the math classroom or see themselves. Um, and, and encourage them to become, um, who they wanna be and who they can be.
And if math is a part of it, great. And again, if not, it's just one of those, like there's, I, I hope that there's gonna be some things that they can take outta my class, um, that they can use down the road math or not. Whether it's just like, oh, uh, you know, I really connected with other people. I learned how to trust other people.
I learned how to, uh, ask for help if I needed it. Um, or had that support in that math class, is so important. So I think that's what I'd want to personally achieve too.
Yeah, that's really great. That is, and your insight on this has just been super, super helpful. So thank you so much.
ANING: As I am wrapping this up, I would like to thank Mr Lecheler and Mr Piña for their availability and openness to this opportunity. It was great to be able to get their inside information on how they contribute to building a good environment whether it is in the classroom or on a field. Thanks again, Mr Lecheler and Mr Piña, and see you next time!
