History teacher Timothy McDermott, otherwise known as “Derm” by his students, has been teaching since 2007. He sat down with me in an interview last week to talk about how and why he wanted to be a teacher, and why he wouldn’t trade it for the world.

“I think I always knew that I wanted to be a teacher. As a student, I had a wonderful educational experience growing up. I absolutely loved history and I genuinely enjoyed the school environment, so it wasn’t a difficult decision to make when considering teaching as a career,” Mr. McDermott said.

In addition to teaching, he’s also a huge sports aficionado. His two favorite sports teams, the Dallas Mavericks and Manchester City, are huge parts of his life. In 2006, he took a flight to Dallas for the NBA Finals to watch the Miami Heat and the Dallas Mavericks compete for a championship. Despite Miami finishing on top, he had “an incredible experience.”

His passion for soccer didn’t show up until after he had visited London with his brother. His intent was to see an Oasis concert. The band consisted of Liam and Noel Gallagher, who happened to be die-hard Man City fans. After that, he decided to pick a team. 

“…It was easy to go with Man City. Since we started supporting them, I’ve been over to England about seven to eight times over the last few years to go and see a bunch of big matches. When you witness the passion of the fans and the love they have for their football team, there’s really nothing like it,” Mr. McDermott mentioned. 

But besides sports, McDermott also has a huge passion for health and fitness. If you’ve ever had him as a teacher, you probably know about the amount of care that he has for his body. His diet consists of organ meats (liver, steak, ground beef, bison), raw milk, high quality saturated fats (ghee, butter, coconut oil), potatoes, fruits, raw honey and some vegetables. He doesn’t just shop at any grocery store, he makes sure the items he purchases are quality products and natural.

“I purchase the majority of my food from different farms around the country, who prioritize the mineral profile of their soil. I’m not dogmatic about my diet, I just try to focus on eating nutrient dense foods because they have the minerals and vitamins in them that run the functions of our body.”

He hasn’t always been on this diet, but the results are what keeps him on it. “While some people may think it’s extreme, to me it’s worth it. When you give your body what it needs, you feel so much better and have endless energy, which is something that is a priority for me.”

For McDermott, sports and health are important, but his students are what keeps him going. “I’ve been extremely fortunate throughout my career to teach so many wonderful young men and women, many of whom I remain in touch with to this day.” He was asked about any advice he would give his students.

“…Spend as much time as possible with your loved ones. Family is everything to me and I’m extremely fortunate to have a very tight knit family,” he said when asked about something WHB students should focus on. Mr. McDermott has two brothers, and he considers them best friends.

If “Derm” could go back to his high school and speak to his younger self, he said it would be “… that life moves quicker than you think it will. For this reason, I think it’s so important to go out and see the world. Travel to different countries and experience different cultures.”

Mr. McDermott continues to show passion for teaching, sports, and health while maintaining a stable and strong relationship with his family. He teaches government and history classes at WHB, and invites all students to participate and engage in meaningful conversations during and after his lessons.