Contreras makes history at NPHS
Behind the mind of government economics and psychology teacher, Micheal Contreras, there is a complex world traveler and engaging storyteller who is constantly bridging the gap between the past and the now. Contreras was not always a social science teacher here at NPHS, but was inspired to come back to education after a near death experience. “I worked in another career and made a lot of money at first, but didn’t see the impact of it. Then one day I was riding my bike and I got hit by a car. And sitting there, I just been to two funerals for two people who are in education. I saw how many people came and how much they impacted others. And so when I got hit by a car, I thought, if I would have died, I would die with a lot of money in my account, but I made zero difference in people’s lives. And so that’s how I came back to education; it keeps me young, and I enjoy it. I don’t have everything that I want, but l have everything that I need,” Contreras said.
Since becoming a teacher, his experiences have influenced the way he cultivates a positive environment in the classroom. “My favorite part about my job here is the students, just the daily interaction with students, getting to know students, getting to help them, whether it be directly with the subject matter that I’m teaching or just indirectly through life skills,” Contreras said. His main goal is to get students to branch out and explore the world around them. “I try to get them to enjoy not the moment and the people around them, but to take that attitude and go forward and not have any regrets. I want students to travel. Just leave the country. Bring your passport and be ready at the drop of a hat to travel,” Contreras said.
His love and admiration for travel bleeds into his fascination with historical storytelling. “I’ve always liked history because it’s stories about our past. We learn about history, but we don’t really know the real truth, because none of us were there. We’re all reading these accounts of what happened together. You can piece things together and find the path of history,” Contreras said. With vast knowledge and passion for history, he finds ways in his free time to incorporate it with the people he loves most. “Me and my son recently went to Gettysburg and Bull Run then Fort Sumter. We do civil war reenactments, so from the bottom up, I was dressed as a soldier,” Contreras said. If he could pick any other profession it would be centered around his admiration for historical portrayals. “Essentially I was like a mini docent for the day, so I just thought that would be fun, because you could live in a different part of the country, and I’m just being, basically being a mini teacher,” Contreras said.
Contreras’ strong connection with students and the NPHS community is a reflection of his love for being in a school environment, influencing the people around him and sharing his love for historical comprehension. “I really want to make them [students] understand even from very early that I care about them [not just] as a learner, [but] more importantly about them as a human being,” Contreras said.
