Austin Heineman teaching at the front of his class. He’s a new English teacher at south. He teaches freshman and sophomore English. Photo by Andrew Washington

The Jag

One of the teachers at South has a terrible secret. What is that Earth-shattering secret? it’s that he plays Ultimate Frisbee that’s right, everyone, when Austin Heineman isn’t teaching English, he’s out in the field playing ultimate Frisbee!

Heineman got his start at Truman State University where he picked up said hobby and He’s rolled with it ever since. Heineman didn’t always want to be a teacher. At first, he wanted to be a pharmacist but when he realized how much math was involved, he decided against it.

He knew in high school he wanted to work in an office, but he didn’t want to do sales or accounting, He was going to do Human Resource, but when his school did a career day, he realized it wasn’t for him. During this time, he was also working at a summer camp to get his A+ hours, and that’s when he realized he loved teaching and interacting with students.

“As I got through college, I realized in my life I never felt like there was ever an adult that I could talk to or be real with my issues or concerns.” he said.

That’s his goal is to be a role model and an ear for students to vent to.

Heineman has found in teaching, “You learn things about how unique people’s experiences are and how they’d be good at stuff you’d never know. “

He learned this when he was a student teacher at South. He had a student doing the door decorations for Homecoming. It was also Hispanic Heritage month. So that’s what the decorations were. All the student had done during school was put the paper on the door and it stayed that way until the final day. When Heineman got there the next day, he was shocked to see the door completely done. Not sloppily or rushed either, it surpassed expectations. When Heineman asked the student how he did it, the kid said he had stayed there until around seven pm. Heineman was surprised they didn’t kick him out.

He didn’t always want to teach English he wanted to be a physics teacher. He started off as a Physics Mayjor he then changed to English due to his lack of interest and math. He knew he wanted to do a more writing-based subject. He went with English; He now works at south teaching Freshman and Sophomore English.