Elliott Hopkins has been a positive and impactful figure here at Ridgeview High School. Hopkins is most known for being a world history teacher and boy’s golf coach, but as of this school year he also teaches psychology/sociology influencing future psychologists and providing interesting courses for students.
Hopkins spent his high school years having a lot of fun whether in sports, with friends, or video games and experienced a comaraderie with his fellow classmates. But before he found his calling to become a teacher he described himself to be not the greatest student but with the help of one of his teachers at Centennial High School he found a love for one subject. “I had a teacher that I really liked and he made me love history. His name is Mr. Khulman and he is now a principal at Centennial High School,” Hopkins said.
The transition from History to psychology might come as a shock, but many students seem to enjoy Hopkins’ new class and what it has to offer. Being a teacher for Hopkins comes with many memorable moments, “Through a teaching standpoint when students start making connections with material and they get that Ah-Ha moment that’s a fun thing for me and also the goofy times in between when students get to be students and get to see their personalities,” Hopkin said.
Hopkins explains that when it comes to balancing his demands in teaching and his personal life “, There’s a lot of preparation that goes into teaching and I have a prep period so I try and do all my work and prep lessons so I don’t have to take any work home cause thats time for my family”, Hopkins said. It’s important to students to see the example Hopkins has set as a role model, “I actually had a former student reach out to me telling me their about to graduate from college in a major in psychology and I think that’s funny because I teach that now…but hearing them say I had an impact on them was a motivational boost for me because it makes me feel like i’m doing something right.”
Hopkins is one of many teachers here on campus that leave lasting impressions on students. A legacy Hopkins wish to holds is what he teaches in his class besides history and psychology which is to be honest and a productive member of society, “I don’t care if you go to college or not I just want to see students thrive in the workforce or in the academia and I just hope the skills I was able to impart with them in high school will serve them better in life.”
