Spotlight on Andrew Keirstead

Andrew Keirstead is the Director of the Fisher’s Landing Elementary SWCCC site.

How long have you worked for ESD 112 and what does your job entail?

I started with ESD112 in October 2015.  I am the Director of the SWCCC Fisher’s Landing program.

What do you like best about your job?

I’ve always enjoyed working with children, and every day is different.  Children are full of life and that brings a different kind of enjoyment to my job.  I enjoy watching them grow, learn, problem solve, and become positive members of society.

What do you find most challenging about your job?

How often children and their interests change.  Trying to keep up can sometimes be difficult to cater to their interests but as long as they’re enjoying themselves in program that’s what matters.

Single? Married? Kids? Pets?

Single.  Married to my job sometimes it seems.  I leave all of my children at work. 🙂  2 wonderful dogs, Daisy and Duke.

What do you enjoy doing with your free time?

I enjoy the outdoors, hiking, climbing, and generally exploring new areas.  I read when I can, and I’m also an avid gamer.

If you could time travel, would you go to the past or the future?

I would go to the past.  There are many things that we know of but don’t have all of the details for, and it would be nice to see a few things from then from a different perspective.

Would you rather live in the city or the woods? Why?

Probably the woods.  I like the whole log cabin, fireplace, relaxing setting that is found there.  It’s nice to get away from the go-go pace of the city.  I could live without that.

What teacher inspired you the most? How did they?

Dr. Stuart from high school.  He was just Mr. then…  He was my 10th grade English teacher, and he left after my sophomore year to become an elementary principal.  He also gave me my first job working with kids, and supported me during my professional development in the field.  He always made learning fun by removing the concept of memorizing things, and instead taught us problem solving and how to absorb concepts and ideas.

If you could choose to stay a certain age forever, what age would it be?

I’d keep myself at 29 so I can say I’m not in my 30s.  I’d be in good shape, and able to do all of the things I want to that require great physical and mental capacity… and a bunch of time.

When you have 30 minutes of free-time, how do you pass the time?

I do a quick cardio workout, or try to read a book.  I have a few games that aren’t time consuming as well so I can load up a few of those to pass the time.

At what age did you become an adult?

I learned in college that the perspective age of adults is around 24.  That’s probably when I became an adult as well.  You still make kid-like choices in your early 20s so it’s difficult to pin point a time for some folks.

What is something you learned in the last week?

While you’re mountain climbing, if you’re planting a fixed rope (the rope you clip yourself to so if there is an accident you won’t fall very far) you have to let it sit for at least 24 hours to freeze over so it doesn’t come loose.  This is critical to planning out any expedition over 16,000 feet.

What did you want to be when you were little?

A WWF/WWE wrestler.  Hulk Hogan and The Ultimate Warrior made me want to be that guy in the ring getting the fans to cheer.

What future events are you looking forward to?

I’m still planning on being the first person with Crohn’s Disease to summit Mt. Everest, or at least the 2nd or 3rd if it happens before I get there.  I know it’s a long shot and will require a lot of hard work, but I’m determined to at least go there if not get as high up that mountain as I can…

What was your most interesting past job?

For 15 years I was a pinball and arcade repair technician in California.  My uncle owned a business that fixed, repaired, and restored pinball and arcade games and I started working with him when I was 16.  It was a unique experience that taught me a lot about bringing something back to its original beauty and appreciating the classics.