Mr. Tietz rocks like no other teacher. Diamond Bar High School has a hero teaching there and I want everyone to know it.
Tony Tietz aka Tony Deerfield was (is?) the bass player in the band skypark. When his record label was bought by Warner Bros. in 2000, everyone in the band started looking for other work. Tyrone Wells started his career as a solo musician, Keith Gove became a chaplain in the U.S. Army, I began my transformation into the Hemet Home Loan Guy...and Tony began teaching. Eventually he joined the foreign language department at Diamond Bar High School teaching French language and history.
Tony has a powerful way of breaking through the usual teacher-student relationship. He inspires his students with all sorts of creative projects.
When other language teachers were complaining about how students understanding of English was being demolished by text messaging, he got the idea to teach them Text French and get them to start texting him and others with French slang. The students ate it up.
He sponsors a breakdancing crew in his class, the Freestylers. The students love him so much, they post his 'battles' with their peers online. Here he is in one of those battles.
He arranges an annual trip to France for his students. Can you imagine the logistics involved in that kind of project?
I got to participate in Mr. Tietz' most recent creative venture. He called me up and shared with me how one of his students, Garrett Snook, was a talented songwriter. He wanted to give Garrett encouragement and support in his gifts. The plan:
Book Garrett to play the Diamond Bar High School prom at the House of Blues in Anaheim.
Get Keith and I to back him up with rehearsals, arranging and the show.
Keep the performance at prom a secret from Garrett's peers - even his own date!
Use the money from the gig to pay for studio time, duplication of demo recordings and promotional materials.
What kind of teacher would dedicate their weekends, their influence and their full creative powers to make a difference in a student's life like this? What an opportunity for a young musician like Garrett to take the stage at the House of Blues, to put on a quality rock show, and to show his peers the results of his hard work. That 20 minutes had an excitement and dignity that lifted the entire event.
My favorite part? Garrett told his date he needed to use the restroom, came backstage, changed out of his tux, and rocked the house. Then he returned in his tux...like some kind of superhero going back to his secret identity!
Mr. Tietz is always looking for opportunities to give above and beyond. He's all about lifting up his students, helping them break through the barriers of tradition and limiting beliefs, and bringing joy into the education process.
Snook performed three songs. The first two are originals written by Garret. Check out these videos of Snook's performance:
Congratulations, Garrett. You're a fantastic musician. You bring courage, skill, dedication, talent and a great sense of humor to Diamond Bar High School's graduating class. You have what it takes to succeed at whatever you aim for.
And thank YOU, Tony Tietz. You are an inspiration to me and everyone you touch. I haven't enjoyed playing live for ages, but your scheme was so selfless and well-executed...it was a total joy. What would happen if we all brought your level of commitment, selflessness, creativity and fearlessness to our jobs? In the class or onstage, YOU ROCK.
what a great post....sounds like he's doing an amazing job for his students...he has the power to influence them for the rest of their lives...and i'm sure none of his students would ever forget him.
Joey, awesome ThemThem to Tony and Garret. Tony sounds like the perfect teacher that has formed a bond through being a "human" and encouraging the kids that they can do it!
Jason: Are you up late or up early? Seriously, the things this guy does every day to innovate and inspire is amazing. I have sometimes wished that I was eighteen again just to be in his class.
BLRGUY: We homeschool. It just seems that most of teaching exists to help kids learn to fit in a box and be mediocre. But if even half of all public school teachers were like Tony, we wouldn't even consider homeschooling. His goal is to get every student to excel, not just in French, but in stepping into greatness. Many students have hidden in the shadows until passing through his class to step into minor celebrity - not that fame is a goal to itself, but that sometimes it just takes someone to believe in you in order to bring out your extraoridinary side.
Kim: Memorable has got to be the word for it. If you looked up at your prom and saw one of your teachers rocking out like that, would you forget it? Or if he took you to France? Or gracefully lost to you in a breakin' competition? There are hundreds of other stories like this. Thanks for visiting!
Duane: I love the concept of your ThemThem group, and wish I had more time to highlight the heroes around me. Thanks for visiting!
Susan: So true. I was fortunate to have several such teachers. One visited me in the hospital when my lung collapsed to give me a copy of his favorite novel. Another challenged me to 'mathletic' heights in the 7th grade. Another gave me a lifelong love of books and history. Still, when I see Tony in action, he's absolute tops. Thank you for your visit!
JOEY, I was just reading Kathy McGraw's post about a teacher's positive words that have stuck with her. I expect that will be your friend's students someday. We need more teachers like him.
hey joey--i really did get teary-eyed. i can't believe how cool tony is. it looked and sounded really great. and i think i saw the photographer go up the left side at one point!
Marchel: I'll head over there and read Kathy's post. Thanks for the heads up!
Emily: Thank you for visiting! I'm not sure who that was...but Jolynne was in the audience. I think it was the prom's official photographer. EVERYONE...Emily's husband is my wife's photography mentor, Jared Wilson. You need to visit his blog.
Elaine: It was a lot of fun. How can we respond to a changing world...hmmm...complaining? or adapting? Tony has made some great choices as a teacher. Thanks for your comments.
Robert: In the postmodern world, cultural creatives and people who connect people will have strong interpersonal power. We get by giving. Thanks for stopping in!
Thank you, Joey. One of my students informed me of this. It is very encouraging to find someone spreading good news about me behind my back. As you know, pushing the envelope, trying new things, stretching oneself, etc. strikes fear, anxiety, concern and suspicion in the hearts of those that aren't accustomed to doing so. But it is only a matter of time before they too will sing the melodies we create with music or otherwise. YOU YOU!
What a great tribute to Mr. Tietz! It's always those who mentor and perform acts of selflessness that make such an impact in our lives and the lives of others. In today's day and age, we need more teachers like this for our youth! Kudos, Mr. Tietz!
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Hemet Home Loan Guy, Joey Aszterbaum
Mr. Tietz rocks like no other teacher. Diamond Bar High School has a hero teaching there and I want everyone to know it.
I got to participate in Mr. Tietz' most recent creative venture. He called me up and shared with me how one of his students, Garrett Snook, was a talented songwriter. He wanted to give Garrett encouragement and support in his gifts. The plan:
Mr. Tietz is always looking for opportunities to give above and beyond. He's all about lifting up his students, helping them break through the barriers of tradition and limiting beliefs, and bringing joy into the education process.
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Pretty good Joey, pretty darn good! Mr. Tietz sounds like a wonderful lad! His mentoree is an example of just that...