Teachers can have a big impact on the lives of their students in more than just school work and lessons. The example that they set can be something that stays with students long after they graduate. Greg Uribe is a teacher and coach at Woodward High School and he says that he had some teachers that were big influences on his life.
“The teachers that had the biggest impact on me were the ones who didn’t give up on me because I wasn’t an ideal student,” he said. “The late Greg Sherman and Larry Koth come to mind. Saying that I matured later than most is an understatement, so their patience with me has helped create a tolerance for students who need a little more time to grow as individuals.”
Uribe teaches Geometry and College Algebra at Woodward, where he is a basketball and track coach. Greg also teaches a concurrent math class at Northwestern Oklahoma State University Woodward.
While every day brings new challenges, Greg says that he is proud to be able to watch the next generation of leaders grow and learn.
“I like being around the kids,” he said. “They frustrate me to no extent at times, but I love the energy they bring. I enjoy seeing them mature and grow as people. The kid you meet as a freshman is a total person you send out the door as a senior.”
When he is not teaching or coaching, Uribe enjoys spending time with his wife, Jessica, and their two kids, Anabeth and Greyson.
“I like to hang around the house and play with my kids,” he said. “I watch a lot of Mickey Mouse and Paw Patrol. And I get conned into taking my daughter to Starbucks a bunch also.”
