Whether he’s in the classroom or on the field, numbers are part of life for Canon Kromis, one of the newest Redhawks on campus. From his role as a math teacher to his position as an assistant football coach, Kromis is in his first year teaching at The Nest. He played football at Texas Lutheran University where he was a linebacker and an ASC Academic All-Conference member. Wingspan sat down with Kromis to learn more his life as the newest Redhawk. 

Wingspan: Why did you choose to come to this campus?

Kromis: “I reached out to a lot of places. I’m a coach as well. I coach football, so I was reaching out to different coaches and different principals around the area. And Liberty was one that stood out in my interview process.”

Wingspan: What stood out about this campus?

Kromis: “Principal Whaling was really good. The principal was fantastic. The math team I interviewed with, they were also really good. And coach Gregory, he was also very good. I was very happy with everyone I talked to.”

Wingspan: You teach math; could you talk briefly about that?

Kromis: “I’m a math teacher. I teach Advanced Algebra II, and that’s a perfect spot for me. I love algebra. In my interview, I told them anything but geometry, and they said they’ll respect that. I got Advanced Algebra II. The kids are fantastic.”

Wingspan: Is there a specific moment or person that influenced you to teach math?

Kromis: “All my math teachers growing up were really good. But just the content. I have a math brain, so I knew I was going to be a math teacher.”

Wingspan: Many people hate math growing up. Are there any strategies that you recommend for these people?

Kromis: “This probably isn’t a very professional answer, but I would say… math is not for everybody, and it’s not supposed to be for everybody. It is something that everyone has to go through, so I would recommend always try your best. Go to additional resources, like your teacher, during advisory, or morning practice, just to better understand it. The main issue is that people don’t like math because they don’t get it. That’s the number one issue. So go in and get the extra help. We’ll get the help you need.” 

Wingspan: How is teaching math right now different from when you grew up? 

Kromis: “The strategies are very different. Instructional strategies. There are a lot of things that I learned growing up, like little tricks, that we were taught as teachers to not teach. Because we want the students to know the content and not to find shortcuts to the answer.” 

Wingspan: What are your beliefs about AI being used for math? 

Kromis: “For math, AI is very helpful for the teachers and for the students. Obviously, like any course, AI can be used incorrectly. It can be used to cheat. But AI is a great supplemental resource to help you with math.”

Wingspan: What is the biggest challenge of you being a teacher and a coach?

Kromis: “The time. It takes up a lot of my time. I love what I do, both math and coaching, so it’s not an issue. It’s just, outside of school, I don’t have any time.” 

Wingspan: How would you describe a typical day of you being a teacher and a coach? 

Kromis: “A typical day would be, in the morning, we have practice at about 6 a.m. So I’ve got to come up before practice, around 5:30, get everything ready. Then we have practice, then school starts at 9 a.m. So after practice is done, I get ready for class, get all my papers ready. 9:00 a.m. first class starts. Then I have an off period to get everything ready for the next class. And then I go to football, football’s fourth period. So I end the day with football, and then after school, we continue practice until about 6:00, 6.30 p.m. And then I’m done for the day.”

Wingspan: How would you handle a challenging student or athlete? 

Kromis: “Just like I said earlier, always find time to come see us. We’re never too busy to help you. Our job is to help you. So if you’re struggling, reach out to us. We can also tell if you’re struggling, and we’ll watch out and schedule some tutorial time.” 

Wingspan: What is the biggest outcome you want to get out of your students and athletes?

Kromis: “In football, it’s not them being good at football. In math, it’s not them being good at math. I do want to see growth as a human being. That’s one thing we really talk about in football a lot, is that it’s not about being good at football. It’s setting them up for success in the future, and that’s the same in the classroom. You’re not going to use math every single day when you get older. It’s about learning to work with your peers, to do what you’re supposed to do, and it just helps you out for the future.”

Wingspan: What advice would you give to high school students that you’ve learned from your own experiences? 

Kromis: “Have fun. It goes by fast. Enjoy every single moment. Make friends, make new friends, talk to different people. Enjoy your time.”