From truck driver to teacher, writing is the constant in this language lover’s life.

Greg McWhorter’s passion for writing began early. At three years old, he was writing and illustrating comic strips, but his parents weren’t supportive. “They didn’t believe in art as a future career. I was lost until my third-grade teacher helped us create short stories, which we bound into little books. I was excited to think I created something—a real, physical book.”

That inspired him years later to become a writer and, eventually, a teacher. “In high school, I created my own punk zines while freelance writing for newspapers and music magazines,” McWhorter said. “In my 30s, I was published for the first time, writing journal articles and short stories. In my 40s, I wrote two horror books.”

What inspired you to become a teacher?

“Right before becoming a teacher, I was a truck driver, and I was tired of working jobs that weren’t the right fit. I wanted a career I felt was making a positive contribution to society and decided teaching was the way to go. Looking back over 20 years of teaching, I know I made the right choice for me and my students.”

What was your favorite subject to teach?

“As a lifelong writer, I enjoyed sharing my passion with my students in English and language arts classes. Awakening students to a love of reading and expressing themselves through their writing were the most rewarding aspects of my teaching.

“I also enjoyed working with students and helping them see the value of education. I infused a lot of creativity into every assignment for student engagement. The more exciting the assignments were for my students, the more excited I was teaching them.”

Can you share an example of a creative assignment?

“Every year we had an assignment based on Anne Frank’s “The Diary of a Young Girl.” I took this as an opportunity to teach my students empathy and greater critical-analytical understanding of how people have treated each other historically, and how to watch for signs of unfair treatment.

“We would read and write based on ideas from Anne Frank’s diary, but I would also pepper my classes with newsreel footage from World War II, bring in historical artifacts and take students on field trips to places like the Holocaust Museum in Los Angeles, where they met survivors. My students stayed highly engaged and treated the text as more than just another story.”

What's one thing you're proud of doing during your career as a teacher?

“Teaching students in poverty—many of whom were undocumented—was incredibly gratifying. I’m proud of all the connections I made with my students and their families and how I helped awaken a desire to continue to learn.”

Who was your favorite teacher and why?

“My 11th- and 12th-grade English teacher had ideas about literature and culture that were outside of the typical ways an English teacher thinks. I loved him because I felt challenged to think outside the box.”

Tell us something fun about you.

“My first concert was Elvis in 1976 and my second was Talking Heads in 1983. I love live music and my wife joins me to see bands all the time, even when we’re traveling.

“I’ve also been producing and releasing punk records since 1985, and I still release vinyl records. I don’t have huge success, but I’m happy to feel like I’m preserving music that would otherwise disappear.”

What have you been enjoying since retirement?

“I love seeing my grandchildren when I can. My wife and I love to travel, and I hope to do more of that. Just in the first year of my retirement, we went to Peru, France, Belgium and Holland. I met my wife at my school district, where she also was a teacher. Now, she’s an assistant principal, still working with the same population of students and families.

Retirement opened opportunities for McWhorter to channel the creativity and experiences he honed as a teacher into avenues of his own.

“Six months after retirement, I produced a short film with a fellow teacher. It was released to the film festival circuit and won over 20 IMDb-certified awards. Ten months after retirement, I completed writing a novel, gained a literary agent, and will be published this year. I also produce music albums for bands. All these things were aided by my experiences as a teacher. Retirement has been amazing!”

What’s your best piece of advice for new teachers? 

“When I first began teaching, I was a lone wolf and had a hard time collaborating with others. I would tell new teachers to let your ego down and try and listen to others. You may still use your own ideas, but make colleagues feel heard and valued, just as we do for our students.”

Teacher Talk is a series of profiles on California teachers and other educators. To be considered for a future profile, fill out this form.