Each week through our Faculty/Staff Spotlight series, we invite our community members to get to know Gulliver Prep teachers and staff members across every division. This week, our Faculty Spotlight features Mr. Kevin king, Middle School Social Science Faculty member and Cultural Connect resident storyteller. Read on to learn about how he became interested in history and storytelling, his go-to afternoon pick-me-up, and more.
To RSVP for the March 3 Cultural Connect presentation, hosted by Mr. King, click here.
Q: How long have you been at Gulliver? What is your favorite thing about our school?
A: Next year I will have been at Gulliver for 31 years. My favorite thing about our school is that we have exotic birds, koi, and cats on campus.
Q: What is one thing people would be surprised to know about you?
A: I think people would be surprised to know that my mother was Miss. Texas and that my father was an Air Force pilot in three wars.
Q: You serve as our resident storyteller for our Cultural Connect presentations. How was Cultural Connect born?
A: Cultural Connect was born out of parents’ comments. For years parents have told me that they wish they could sit in on my history class or that I had a history class for parents. So, one day I decided to give a lecture on The House of Faberge with the help of the library. The parents liked it and wanted to hear more, and Cultural Connect was born.
Q: How did you become so interested in history and storytelling?
A: My parents have always encouraged reading history so I guess it is partly genetic but I became passionate about history when I was 12. We lived in Belgium because my father was part of NATO and we went to the palace of Versailles, and on that day I fell in love with history. To this day French history is still my favorite but I love all periods of history. As for storytelling, my students have always liked my history stories because I have a passion for the subject matter and I think they remember that more than the stories themselves.
Q: As an educator of students in the classroom, and of parents through Cultural Connect, what do you enjoy most about teaching both groups?
A: For both parents and students it is the conversation that the teaching engenders that is the most rewarding for me. When a student comes back later and asks a question about Alexander the Great, or the Spartan 300, or when parents want to hear about the dog named Pickles who found stolen Rembrandts under a graveyard bench in London, or who murdered the Brach Candy Heiress, those are the moments I love because the conversation should always be on going.
Q: What are your goals for this school year?
A: My goals this year, like every other teacher, are to survive and make sure the students have the best year they can under the circumstances. My Cultural Connect goals have almost all been met. My next presentation is on the Murder of Gianni Versace in 1997. My next one will be about a little African Princess who became the Goddaughter of Queen Victoria.
Rapid fire!
Last book you read: The last book I read was Strapless, about the woman John Singer Sargent painted known to the world as Madame X.
A song that you’ll never get tired of hearing: I never get tired of Brazilian jazz
Favorite meal at a local restaurant: I love a Greek salad almost anywhere.
Your go-to afternoon snack or pick-me-up: My afternoon pick me up is iced coffee.
