Andy Nydam worked his way up the ranks of the automotive
industry as a mechanic, a service manager and an operations manager. He
also taught night auto apprenticeship classes at South Puget Sound
Community College for about 15 years.
One day, someone at church mentioned that North Thurston High School in Lacey was looking for an automotive instructor.
“I asked them how much it paid, and I wasn’t at all
interested,” Nydam said. “Then the perfect storm occurred, and three
weeks later, I was teaching at North Thurston.”
That was 30 years ago.
This week, Nydam will retire from Olympia High School, where
he transferred 18 years ago. He said he’s doing so because the time is
perfect: Nydam turns 62 and a half, and he reaches the coveted 30-year
mark in the teachers’ retirement system, on the same day.
“If that’s not the planets aligned,” Nydam said with a chuckle.
Initially, teaching wasn’t something he thought of as a
long-term gig. Nydam said he figured he’d return to the automotive
industry after a year or two.
“I had some really good job offers from a bunch of corporations,” he said.
But it didn’t take long before he realized that the challenges
and rewards in the classroom couldn’t be matched with climbing a
corporate ladder.
He recalls feeling an instant connection with the kids in auto shop.
“I went to school because I was supposed to,” Nydam said. “I
saw 30 kids just like me. … That became my goal: How on earth do you
engage these kids?”
Nydam developed a reputation of explaining complicated and
technical material with real life stories and funny analogies, said Mark
Emmons, one of his former students who is now an instructor of advanced
automotive at New Market Skills Center.
And it didn’t hurt that Nydam’s passion for all things auto and science seemed practically contagious.
“I really loved his class so much, and it just resonated in
me, I wanted to be in auto,” Emmons said. “You could tell he was really
excited about teaching. He made us all feel like we were somebody, and
we had a place – a family.”
In 1988, Nydam added material science to his workload at North
Thurston. The career and technical course teaches practical
applications of chemistry through different materials such as glass and
plastics.
“It’s one of the fastest changing fields, and there is so much
to learn,” he said. “In material science, you can dig deeper and deeper
in any area you want, and you’ll never hit the end of the tunnel or the
ultimate knowledge.”
Nydam has helped develop material science curriculum that’s
used in classrooms, and he’s lectured all over the United States and
Canada for the past 20 years. Nearly every material science teacher in
the country has either been trained by him, or somebody he’s trained.
“I just feel so blessed that I was the right geek, and in the right spot, at the right time,” he said.
It doesn’t matter if he’s giving a lecture at the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, or if he’s leading a beginning
automotive class with freshman who don’t know what Phillips screwdrivers
are, Nydam has a skill for presenting information in a way that’s
comfortable and relevant for his audience, said North Thurston auto
instructor Brian Stretch.
He said Nydam is a nurturing teacher who taught him to always try to see the potential in every student.
“He is brilliant,” Stretch added. “You can’t have a conversation with him without walking away smarter.”
Nydam taught material science at River Ridge High School in Lacey for three years before moving to Olympia High School in 1994.
His material science courses at Olympia High School have
traditionally pulled in a diverse mix of students – including those who
are on the academic honors track, and those who are more apt to take
vocational education classes, according to principal Matt Grant.
“Andy teaches like no other teacher,” Grant said. “He may be
the best I have seen at integrating hands-on experiences, scientific
methods and narrative stories.”
Recent Olympia High graduate William Hoza said Nydam stands
out from other teachers because he embraces creativity and isn’t afraid
to let kids learn by making mistakes.
“By giving kids the freedom to do just about whatever they
wanted with incredible equipment, chemicals, tools and materials that
are found in his classroom, Mr. Nydam gave students opportunities to
create the contents of their imaginations that are unheard of elsewhere
at the high school level,” Hoza said.
Nydam said he’s enjoyed his job so much he doesn’t feel like
he’s really “worked” in a long time. He said one of the best perks of
teaching has been watching students go out into the real world and make a
difference.
“There’s nothing wrong with people outdoing the teacher, in my opinion,” he said.
For example, one of Nydam’s students went on to become one of
the world’s experts in Nitinol, a material that’s used to create heart
stents. Others have gone on to build their own companies, or make a
great living in auto and material science industries.
“I’m bragging, but I have absolutely some of the most amazing
kids in the world,” he said. “I could go on and on about (their)
successes. Some of the kids have gone on to do really, really well.”
Nydam’s said he doesn’t really have any hobbies or family
obligations, so his retirement plans include teaching at six colleges
this summer and working with Everett Community College and the Snohomish
School District on a materials-based curriculum.
He’s also going to spend a week a month doing workshops for
Ohio State University. He believes the pendulum is finally swinging away
from being based on standardized test scores, to the side that allows
kids to get more hands-on learning experiences, and reaches the
“kinesthetic learners,” as he says.
And he wants to be part of that shift in education.
“I’m stepping out of teaching kids, and into teaching teachers,” Nydam said.
lpemberton@theolympian.com 360-754-5433
www.theolympian.com/edblog @Lisa_Pemberton
Read more here: http://www.theolympian.com/2012/06/21/2148361/retiring-from-his-material-world.html#storylink=cpyhttp://www.theolympian.com
Andy Nydam worked his way up the ranks of the automotive
industry as a mechanic, a service manager and an operations manager. He
also taught night auto apprenticeship classes at South Puget Sound
Community College for about 15 years.
One day, someone at church mentioned that North Thurston High School in Lacey was looking for an automotive instructor.
“I asked them how much it paid, and I wasn’t at all
interested,” Nydam said. “Then the perfect storm occurred, and three
weeks later, I was teaching at North Thurston.”
That was 30 years ago.
This week, Nydam will retire from Olympia High School, where
he transferred 18 years ago. He said he’s doing so because the time is
perfect: Nydam turns 62 and a half, and he reaches the coveted 30-year
mark in the teachers’ retirement system, on the same day.
“If that’s not the planets aligned,” Nydam said with a chuckle.
Initially, teaching wasn’t something he thought of as a
long-term gig. Nydam said he figured he’d return to the automotive
industry after a year or two.
“I had some really good job offers from a bunch of corporations,” he said.
But it didn’t take long before he realized that the challenges
and rewards in the classroom couldn’t be matched with climbing a
corporate ladder.
He recalls feeling an instant connection with the kids in auto shop.
“I went to school because I was supposed to,” Nydam said. “I
saw 30 kids just like me. … That became my goal: How on earth do you
engage these kids?”
Nydam developed a reputation of explaining complicated and
technical material with real life stories and funny analogies, said Mark
Emmons, one of his former students who is now an instructor of advanced
automotive at New Market Skills Center.
And it didn’t hurt that Nydam’s passion for all things auto and science seemed practically contagious.
“I really loved his class so much, and it just resonated in
me, I wanted to be in auto,” Emmons said. “You could tell he was really
excited about teaching. He made us all feel like we were somebody, and
we had a place – a family.”
In 1988, Nydam added material science to his workload at North
Thurston. The career and technical course teaches practical
applications of chemistry through different materials such as glass and
plastics.
“It’s one of the fastest changing fields, and there is so much
to learn,” he said. “In material science, you can dig deeper and deeper
in any area you want, and you’ll never hit the end of the tunnel or the
ultimate knowledge.”
Nydam has helped develop material science curriculum that’s
used in classrooms, and he’s lectured all over the United States and
Canada for the past 20 years. Nearly every material science teacher in
the country has either been trained by him, or somebody he’s trained.
“I just feel so blessed that I was the right geek, and in the right spot, at the right time,” he said.
It doesn’t matter if he’s giving a lecture at the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, or if he’s leading a beginning
automotive class with freshman who don’t know what Phillips screwdrivers
are, Nydam has a skill for presenting information in a way that’s
comfortable and relevant for his audience, said North Thurston auto
instructor Brian Stretch.
He said Nydam is a nurturing teacher who taught him to always try to see the potential in every student.
“He is brilliant,” Stretch added. “You can’t have a conversation with him without walking away smarter.”
Nydam taught material science at River Ridge High School in Lacey for three years before moving to Olympia High School in 1994.
His material science courses at Olympia High School have
traditionally pulled in a diverse mix of students – including those who
are on the academic honors track, and those who are more apt to take
vocational education classes, according to principal Matt Grant.
“Andy teaches like no other teacher,” Grant said. “He may be
the best I have seen at integrating hands-on experiences, scientific
methods and narrative stories.”
Recent Olympia High graduate William Hoza said Nydam stands
out from other teachers because he embraces creativity and isn’t afraid
to let kids learn by making mistakes.
“By giving kids the freedom to do just about whatever they
wanted with incredible equipment, chemicals, tools and materials that
are found in his classroom, Mr. Nydam gave students opportunities to
create the contents of their imaginations that are unheard of elsewhere
at the high school level,” Hoza said.
Nydam said he’s enjoyed his job so much he doesn’t feel like
he’s really “worked” in a long time. He said one of the best perks of
teaching has been watching students go out into the real world and make a
difference.
“There’s nothing wrong with people outdoing the teacher, in my opinion,” he said.
For example, one of Nydam’s students went on to become one of
the world’s experts in Nitinol, a material that’s used to create heart
stents. Others have gone on to build their own companies, or make a
great living in auto and material science industries.
“I’m bragging, but I have absolutely some of the most amazing
kids in the world,” he said. “I could go on and on about (their)
successes. Some of the kids have gone on to do really, really well.”
Nydam’s said he doesn’t really have any hobbies or family
obligations, so his retirement plans include teaching at six colleges
this summer and working with Everett Community College and the Snohomish
School District on a materials-based curriculum.
He’s also going to spend a week a month doing workshops for
Ohio State University. He believes the pendulum is finally swinging away
from being based on standardized test scores, to the side that allows
kids to get more hands-on learning experiences, and reaches the
“kinesthetic learners,” as he says.
And he wants to be part of that shift in education.
“I’m stepping out of teaching kids, and into teaching teachers,” Nydam said.
lpemberton@theolympian.com 360-754-5433
www.theolympian.com/edblog @Lisa_Pemberton
Read more here: http://www.theolympian.com/2012/06/21/2148361/retiring-from-his-material-world.html#storylink=cpy/2012/06/21/2148361/retiring-from-his-material-world.html#storylink=cpy
Photos
