Kent ISD — Matt Reda acknowledges that the eclectic collection of items decorating his office may seem unconventional: A Captain Kirk doll. A movie poster from “The Shining.” A stuffed cat that moves, purrs and meows.
But each one serves a purpose: helping him connect with the students at MySchool@Kent.
“A student might see the poster and say ‘Hey, I saw that,’ and it opens an opportunity for a conversation about the movie, their day, how they are doing,” Reda said.
‘Working with our students reinforces in me the idea that everything is going to be all right.’
— Matt Reda, MySchool@Kent instructor
MySchol@Kent is a Kent ISD program offering flexible online and blended learning for eligible middle and high school students within the Kent ISD area.
Reda was one of the first teachers to join the program, which launched in 2006. He also teaches in the ISD’s adult education program, helping learners prepare for their GED.
In this conversation, he shares what inspired him to become a teacher and the benefits of teaching in a flexible learning environment.
Why do you teach? Reda said after completing college, he had plans of writing the “great American novel” and spent his days selling appliances while writing at night.
“When a friend mentioned I could make the princely sum of $65 a day as a substitute teacher, I figured it might be the best of both worlds,” he said. “It didn’t take long in the trenches of subbing to realize that helping young people figure things out was what I actually wanted to do. It turned out to be a lot like retail, considering the bad coffee and reluctant clientele, but with the bonus that I no longer had to sing the praises of the Maytag Man.”
What is your biggest motivator that keeps you excited about teaching? “Every kid who walks through the door is essentially a living, breathing, book in progress, and you never quite know what kind of plot twist is going to sit down in the third row. Teaching can feel like working the reference desk for a bunch of deeply unpredictable mysteries. What I find exciting is realizing that I get to be a minor, hopefully helpful character in all those sprawling, chaotic narratives, watching to see how they all turn out and maybe even pushing the plot in a new direction once in a while.”
What drew you to this unique teaching environment? “Traditional school structures give teachers little choice but to manage group-paced schedules, where 25 kids are expected to move through a unit on the exact same clock. It’s a practical setup, but one that can leave teachers feeling like they are reaching the middle learners but losing those in the margins.
“I was excited to get a chance to work in a flex environment because it steps outside of those systemic constraints and acknowledges that learning isn’t linear for everyone. … I meet students where they are, give them space to drive their own momentum, and work with their real-world plot twists rather than seeing them as roadblocks.”
What’s the best thing about working at MySchool@Kent? Reda said it’s about his students and the MySchool@Kent team.
“A flex school like MySchool@Kent naturally attracts the kids who don’t quite fit the standard mold, and frankly, those are usually the most interesting people in any class. In a traditional setup, their quirks can quickly become obstacles, but when you give them some breathing room, you realize they are often the most creative, deeply caring, and genuinely hilarious kids you could hope to meet. The best part of this job is that I don’t have to spend my day trying to round off their edges; I just get to work with them as they are.
“On top of that, teaching can be a weirdly isolating gig where you are hunkered in your own room all day. Working alongside a team of teachers and interventionists feels much more like having a dedicated pit crew. You are never left floating on a raft by yourself; there is always someone right next to you to bounce ideas off of, tag in when a student needs a different angle, or just share a moment of solidarity on those days when your nerves are as frazzled as Ms. Frizzle’s hair.”
What are some of the biggest challenges in your role and how do you strive to meet them? Reda said flexible learning can make it difficult to build a strong sense of community while also keeping up with new technology and regulations. The key, he said, is to stay focused on what matters most — teaching and learning — while handling technology and compliance as secondary tasks.
“For the community piece, our role as student mentors at MySchool@Kent is a crucial anchor. Serving as a dedicated mentor to an assigned group of students, in addition to our teaching duties, creates a permanent home base. It ensures that no matter how self-paced or non-traditional a kid’s schedule gets, they never drift into total isolation. They always have a consistent crew and a specific person in their corner keeping tabs on their story.”
What’s the most amazing/notable/interesting thing about your students? “It comes down to their sheer resilience. … They handle modern chaos, shifting tech and endless noise with a casual adaptability that amazes me. Watching them effortlessly chart their own paths in a landscape that didn’t even exist 10 years ago gives me a genuine, well-earned sense of hope. Working with our students reinforces in me the idea that everything is going to be all right.”
What would you say to someone considering teaching as a profession? Reda compared the profession to car racing: “Fill ‘er up with 92 octane, buckle up, and put that pedal to the floor. Beware of those who try to grab the wheel. The road might not always be smooth, but you’ll have a heck of a ride while you’re at it.”
Read more from Kent ISD:
• From disengaged student to heavy construction, career path ‘just clicked’
• Building skills that last, from STEM into everything else
