By Vivienne Frenz
Mr. Alter started his love of skateboarding at the young age of 12 years old and continues to actively board today. Most importantly, his character grew from that “wooden toy”, teaching him commitment, persistence, self-confidence, [and] expression, which he strives to impart on his students at Delavan-Darien High School.
“I started skateboarding when I was 12 and never really gave it up. It hurts more when I fall now.” – Adam Alter
You might have heard Adam Alter confide, “I care more about the learning aspect of the class than the grades.” This accurately reflects his deep commitment to his teaching. “Breaking the mold” of how history is taught is one of his passions, incorporating class discussions and debate into daily class routine. “I hate the stereotypes of history classes…‘sit and get’ and memorize random facts with no meaning behind them,” Alter grumbled. By using games, notes, discussions, and group activities, Mr. Alter helps students clearly communicate their ideas supported by evidence with confidence. Using this technique, he creates a safe space in the classroom where students can freely express their own opinions and ideas without fearing any judgment or discrimination. Students can discuss back and forth and learn how to argue or agree with points brought up. Mr. Alter declared, “…if students get interested in something that we are talking about and they want to learn more about history, laws, or government…I’ve done my job.” Mr. Alter truly loves teaching and cares about his students.
Mr. Alter wants to create that same “3rd space” in his classroom for our society. I asked him “If you were president, what would be the first thing you would do?” Of course he responded with, “Not that this would be possible…me being president…or constitutionally under Article II,” however, he continues with, “…but I would try to get everyone to mingle in a shared space doing something that they both enjoyed.” Imparting a simple yet relatable message, he divulged, “I’ve learned from skateboarding…that it doesn’t matter what people’s ideologies are.” He explains that, “they are doing the same thing you like to do and therefore you have way more in common than you have different.” This is very important especially in our contemporary American society to realize that we need to have a place where everyone can come together and share experiences, creating a welcoming environment.
This history teacher looks forward to students learning about humanity “morally, philosophically, [and] historically” by gaining different perspectives. Experiencing different cultures is one of the ways Mr. Alter views different perspectives. He is the advisor for the 2-week German Exchange Program at DDHS and has a personal connection with Germany. “Serendipitously,” Alter recounted, “the city that we travel to is in the state of Baden-Wuttenberg… where my grandma originally came from.” He added that his grandma lived less than an hour from the city the Exchange students are from: Stuttgart. “All of the traditions, foods, etc. that we get to experience are also part of my family’s,” Alter explains. He especially enjoys the authenticity of the city instead of the touristy places in Germany, “not just pretzels, bratwurst, and lederhosen.”Taking advantage of opportunities just like the 2-week long German Exchange Program is what Adam Alter desires for his students. “Honestly, I see far too many students not wanting to take a chance because of how people will view it,” Alter remarks. He boldly advises students to “Go for it,” and takes it further, urging, …“and if you fail, so what?” Alter emphasizes that we are young and have a long life ahead of us, “…you might as well try to experience as many different things as possible.” The teacher took advantage of opportunities in his life like watching soccer, taking trips with his family, traveling with his wife, Mrs. Alter, and watching live music concerts. Alter exclaimed, “I love the fact that Mrs. Alter, Owen, and Caleb are so into music as well so we can all check out some really good stuff together.” Even though Mr. Alter is a history teacher, he also takes interest in “all sorts of things…philosophy, politics, economic systems, music, and others,” ending with the fact that, “anything that can help me understand the world, and people, better,” is interesting to him.
To end the interview, Adam Alter was asked one final question. A question, in fact, that anybody who has had Mr. Alter for AP United States History (APUSH) would recognize, “Who do you think started the Boston Massacre?” Alter simply responded, “Yes, someone was definitely responsible for that.” Surprisingly, he didn’t incorporate a “to an extent” in his reply, the singular phrase that defines Mr. Adam Alter and his incomparable history classes.
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