Who knew learning about government could be so fun?
Seniors at Washington Township High School know, thanks to an enthusiastic and energetic Government and Economics teacher named Greg Simms.
Simms said of his enthusiasm, “It’s exciting to be excited!” Simms is passionate about teaching government. One of the great experiences his students will have in class is a senior trip to our nation’s capital in Washington D.C. Student Jennifer Rayman said, “I’ve been to Washington D.C. before but never have seen the Pentagon. I am really looking forward to it.”
The class will also get to visit the White House, Mount Vernon, the Smithsonian, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, and more, including the new Martin Luther King Jr. Monument. Thanks to the trip, the students will have the chance to learn about what makes this nation so great first hand.
Harrison Draves said, “When you sit in school you read about it in a book. But when you get a chance to go (to Washington) with a teacher you’ve learned it from, you see it and you want to learn more.”
Math teacher Louis Rossie said, “Mr. Simms is an anchor at this school.”
Mr. Simms said, “I wear a lot of different hats.” Simms is also known around school as the “Hot Wheels Guy” and the “Cotton Candy Guy.”
He earned the “Hot Wheels Guy” nickname because of the races he started to raise money for the special education students’ basketball team uniforms. Two of his students in his current senior class recalled the races they attended as elementary students. Kenny Yarber said, “I had a lot of fun and entered a lot of cars.” Wesley Corley didn’t fare so well in the races, saying “I lost my race and got mad and threw my car.” But they both remembered having a lot of fun racing their Hot Wheels. Simms stated, “We raised $1,000 that year.” The races are still taking place, with the next one being held at Parkview Elementary School.
The next “hat” worn by Simms is the hat of “The Cotton Candy Guy.” This nickname began when he bought a cotton candy machine for an economics project, where students sold cotton candy at basketball games for only $1.00. The project became so successful, the students are now selling ice cream too. Simms asked himself and the class, “Can we do this? Is it possible?” and “If we had it would people buy it?” He added, “When someone says, ‘You can’t’, you do.”
Along with his teaching role in the community, Greg Simms is also running for State Representative in the Indiana House of Representatives. He said, “I like helping people. I want to help them when they call and direct them to where they need to go to get their questions answered." He continued, “I also just like to be there to listen. Sometimes people are just frustrated and want to vent about something and I want to be accessible and treat each person as the most important thing at that time. It’s all about respect.”
His students are fully supporting his efforts in the run for State Representative. “They are wearing T-shirts, putting signs in their yards. 45 students registered to vote, some in the class room, others are going to work the poles just to be involved,” explained Simms
Teaching government is not just about learning the difference of Executive, Legislative and Judicial branches of government, it’s about helping kids learn. Simms said. “If one or two students learn something you’ve made a difference.”
That is why Greg Simms is a Valpo Life in the Spotlight: he wants to make a difference.
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