Q: What’s your name?
A: My name’s Jake Wagner. Most [people] at Naperville Central call me Mr. Wagner, Mr. Wags or Coach Wags.
Q: What’s your position at NCHS?
A: I’m a PE, Health, and Driver’s Ed teacher. However, currently I mainly teach four freshman classes and one sophomore class. Next semester, I’m mainly teaching juniors and seniors.
Q: What did you do before coming to NCHS?
A: I originally went to Illinois State University as a history education major. Right when COVID started, I was a COVID graduate in 2020 from Palatine High School. Shortly thereafter, during my time at ISU, I changed my major to physical education K-12, and then I got an additional teaching endorsement in health education. Also, while I was student teaching at Fremd High School last semester, I got a Driver’s Ed endorsement through the University of St. Francis. While I was in college, I got involved in a lot of things. I did personal training through Campus Recreation, so I either personally trained students, faculty members, and just other community members. It was a really cool hands-on experience with weightlifting. I worked for the Illinois State football team. I shadowed the Outside Linebacker coach and the Strength and Conditioning coach. That was a really nice job, and it helped pay for school, which was nice.
I was in Greek life as well. I was a fraternity president at ISU, and then eventually I was an IFC president. So I was president of all the fraternities at ISU. I got some awards, such as fraternity member of the year and fraternity president of the year, and then I was recognized as a top 10 senior graduate of the fraternity nationally. So it was a cool experience for sure. I also helped to organize a Halloween-themed EDM concert that raised $30,000 for St. Jude. That was really important to me as I had a cousin with pediatric cancer.
Q: What type of classroom environment do you bring to the table?
A: I try to provide the most welcoming environment possible. I try to do Shout-Out Fridays every Friday, and that’s giving students the opportunity to share successes that they’ve had throughout the week, whether that’s clubs or sports, even if it’s ‘I did well on a test.’ I try my best to have students celebrate their successes because success means a lot. I also just try to be a positive male mentor and have an influential voice in [students’] lives. That’s a really big deal to me, and I really want to make students kind of comfortable knowing that they can come to me with anything and that I’ll have their back.
Q: What is your favorite thing about teaching?
A: My favorite thing about teaching is definitely the relationships that I build with the students. There’s never a dull moment in each and every class, and the environment is going to be different depending on who’s in the class. It brings new and unique challenges each day, and I love it so much. I really care about being a positive mentor to those that need it. I had a close football teammate in high school, and he ended up overdosing while we were in high school and passing away. I used that experience when I was student-teaching Health to explain how that kind of stuff happened in the real world. I really just like providing the light at the end of the tunnel and making every student feel welcome and supported.
Q: What are you looking forward to this year at NCHS?
A: I’m looking forward to getting involved in the school community. Central has a very warm and welcoming school community, and getting involved is really how you build relationships with the students. I’m also enjoying coaching Freshman B Boys’ football, and I’m excited to start coaching Freshman B Girls’ Basketball in winter and Boys’ Lacrosse later in spring. I’ve never personally coached girls’ basketball before, so I’m excited for that new experience. In general, I’m excited to get fully immersed in the coaching experience and classroom dynamic this year.
Q: What made you choose NCHS?
A: When I was applying for teaching jobs, I applied to 75 high schools and interviewed at a good portion of them. It came down to a choice between Naperville Central and Neuqua Valley, and I ended up choosing Central. I think Central is going to provide a lot of unique and fun opportunities for me to grow and get out of my comfort zone. It’s common for teachers to go back to the school that they came from, and being 40 minutes away from my old high school helps me as I know a little bit about the area but can still immerse myself in this different dynamic and different culture at Central. Everyone here has been very welcoming, and I’ve definitely noticed that everyone’s here to lend a helping hand.
Q: What are your hobbies/interests outside of school?
A: I love weightlifting. It’s my go-to activity, and I try to make sure that I can lift five to six days a week. It’s really good for your mental health and relieving stress, and I really enjoy it. I’ll catch up with friends and old teammates and say ‘Hey, let’s go lift together’ and we can catch up and talk about what’s going on in life. I really love going to Cubs games with my girlfriend, and we’re both really big Chicago Cubs fans. It’s the same with the Chicago Bears as well. I also enjoy going to play pickleball with friends or going to the driving range to have fun and spend time with friends and family.
Q: Is there anything else you’d like to add?
A: The most important thing for me is bringing people together. I don’t care if my student is an all-star basketball player or if they’ve never played basketball before. I really try to introduce those roles with our team sports units and make you feel connected to the sport and knowing that there’s more to it than just playing the sport. For me, it’s really about pushing students to become lifelong movers and to find an activity that they enjoy. Some people may like going for long walks with a weighted vest or lifting weights like myself. It’s really about helping students find what they enjoy and encouraging them to pursue those things.