Mike Guerrant: 'Every day counts'
Mike Guerrant
English as a Second Language Teacher
Monterey Adult School
For Monterey Adult School teacher Mike Guerrant it is all about connecting the dots, and those dots led him to the Monterey Peninsula Unified School District two years ago where he teaches adult learners English as a Second Language.
His journey to MPUSD has seen many stops along the way, including Southern California and China. Mike is grateful to be at the adult school and in the district, and his passion exuberates when he shares about the culture, connection, and overall vibe he experiences.
“I love the MPUSD way - every day counts,” says Mike and knows for his students every day does count. “My students come here after working jobs and then they come here at six in the evening and their kids are in child care or at home.” And he thinks, “Wow, if you come at all I am grateful.”
Mike teaches advanced ESL in the morning and beginning ESL in the evening. At Monterey Adult School, “we’re really trying to help people prepare to go on to Monterey Peninsula College or CSUMB. We also have an excellent high school diploma program here, and career readiness skills.”
He knows first-hand the challenges of assimilating into a new country and likens learning a new language to feeling like one is two years old or a kindergartener again, and. “I can understand some of the challenges you’re talking about,” Mike says when engaging with students. “It does get better. Don’t give up. I’m here to help you. I want to help you. You can do it. Be patient. Don’t give up. I really love that I get to pay it forward.”
Mike graduated from Azusa Pacific University with an undergraduate degree in communications and an emphasis in journalism. Immediately following college he began teaching history to 7th and 8th graders at Chino Valley Christian School in Southern California and fell in love with it. His teaching expanded the next year into science, and then into educating foreign exchange students in an after school ESL program. Simultaneously, Mike started to learn Mandarin, which eventually brought him to Zheng Zhou, China, teaching world and international history to middle school students, as well as at the college level. “It was an amazing experience,” he says.
Not only does Mike’s own learning experience make him successful in the classroom, but it’s his one rule for his class. “Be loving,” he emphasizes. If you will be loving, you will be patient, you will be kind, you will be humble, you’ll be helpful, you’ll be polite, you’ll be respectful. I’ve had really great mentors in my life and one of the things they said is the only way we keep it is giving it away.”
Outside of work Mike enjoys spending time with his wife and two daughters who are 5 years old and 7 months old. “There is no greater joy than being a father,” beams Mike.