Drawing on frustrations and insights from his coaching and professional days, John’s teaching style is equal parts honest, practical, and deeply rooted in real-world experience—a quality students quickly recognize and appreciate.
When asked why so many students consider him among their favorite teachers at Carmel Catholic, John (Mr. T) credits his penchant for tough-love realism and his ability to predict the challenges that await students beyond high school.
He is not one to sugarcoat the truth. Years of workplace experience allow him to share authentic, sometimes humorous stories with his classes, preparing students with both knowledge and life lessons.
Mr. T’s approach to teaching is structured yet adaptive. His classes typically follow a pattern—warm-up, lesson, problem-solving, and Q&A—though he is ever attentive to student feedback. Some thrive on the routine, others crave variety, and Mr. T strikes a balance, always willing to mix things up when it benefits learning. He revels in the quirky humor of his students and encourages them to embrace new, sometimes internet-inspired language and ways of thinking.
Passionate about problem-solving, Mr. T instills in his students the confidence to face uncertainty and tackle challenges head-on. “Life is all about problems and how you’re going to solve them,” he tells them, eager to see young minds grow comfortable with discomfort, knowing that practice and perseverance are key.
Technology at Carmel Catholic, especially artificial intelligence and online learning platforms, is both a resource and a test. Mr. T candidly discussed the delicate balance between using tech efficiently and relying on it as a crutch. He empowers his students to use AI as a tool for thinking and discovery, not as a replacement for their own effort or intuition—a philosophy mirrored in Carmel Catholic’s broader approach to AI in education.
A Long Island, New York native and University of Notre Dame graduate, John’s family values run deep. He’s one of five siblings and the parent of four children, all of whom have graduated from Carmel Catholic. His oldest son went to Butler University and is a pharmacist; his second son went to Marquette University and is a civil engineer; his third child, a daughter, is a junior at Notre Dame, majoring in Mechanical Engineering; and his fourth child, also a daughter, is a sophomore at Marquette, majoring in Environmental Science.
Mr. T’s wife, Michelle, was one of the most beloved science teachers during her tenure at Carmel Catholic, where she served as chair of the Science Department and oversaw the school’s sustainability efforts. She is now the Associate Dean of Biological Health Sciences at College of Lake County.
His journey from engineer to educator is punctuated by decades of coaching, including stints with Carmel Catholic’s varsity and JV soccer teams, and countless stories about sports, family, and personal growth.
Mr. T beams with pride when reflecting on his students’ achievements—graduates who now work as engineers, entrepreneurs, rocket scientists, and even Space Force officers.
For him, the success of his students is the ultimate reward, and he is quick to celebrate their accomplishments while supporting them through life’s inevitable ups and downs.
In addition to his professional life, Mr. T enjoys golf and treasures the friendly competition with his children.
The engineering program at Carmel Catholic has gone from fledgling to flourishing under his and his team’s stewardship, shifting focus from rapid growth to thoughtful maintenance and sustainability. He celebrates this maturation, grateful for supportive colleagues and an administration that fosters innovation.
Mr. T’s wish for his students is simple but profound: “that they go out into the world equipped to set it on fire, confident, connected, and unafraid to tackle whatever life throws at them.”
As Carmel Catholic continues to explore new educational frontiers—such as AI—Mr. T stands as a model of adaptation, commitment, and genuine care for his students. For John, teaching isn’t just a job; it’s an ongoing story of impact and inspiration, written collaboratively every day with the generations of young people who pass through his classroom.