Mr. Cooper reflects on his past 30 years at St. John’s before retiring 

Mr. Cooper, who has been at St. John’s for around 30 years, is officially retiring at the end of this year. With two Master’s degrees and prior teaching experience in Harlem, he decided to come to St. John’s after sending his resume to six Catholic high schools in the DMV area and praying, saying, “Whichever school You want me at is the first school that is gonna call, and I will spend my life there.” St. John’s was the first place to respond, so he stayed there through both good times and bad.

Over the years, Mr. Cooper has witnessed many changes at St. John’s. He went from having a typewriter in his classroom to having high-speed computers. He also experienced the early Xerox machine called a Ditto. Phone booths used to be scattered throughout the school as well. Mr. Cooper was also a part of St. John’s when it had a middle school and was just starting to admit girls. He developed close relationships with his students, as he taught many of them in middle school and multiple times in high school.

Furthermore, Mr. Cooper witnessed the rise of St. John’s sports teams, becoming national powerhouses. He coached freshman basketball and initially played every kid on the team, but eventually stopped coaching when parents complained about their children not receiving enough playing time.

Mr. Cooper believes that the most important quality in a student is “being open to the God story” because it is the most important thing. He believes that after death, individuals will be judged based on their actions, treatment of others, and acceptance of Jesus as the son of God. Mr. Cooper went on to say the most rewarding aspect of teaching is helping students open up to God and become more religious.

He also developed strong, lasting friendships with students and faculty, and some students confided in him, allowing him to become deeply involved in their lives, which he thoroughly enjoyed. Through teaching, Mr. Cooper has learned humility and understands that every day is a humbling experience, as someone is always tuning out. He also recognizes that teaching is an art form, and teachers often “steal” from each other by adopting effective techniques and engaging lessons to help create an enjoyable experience for the students.

During his retirement, Mr. Cooper looks forward to becoming a better pray-er and wishes to devote himself fully to prayer. He also wants to continue helping the handicapped and contributing to his community.

Mr. Cooper is one of the most influential teachers at St. John’s, having positively impacted his students’ lives for over 30 years. He expresses his support for the St. John’s community by attending his students’ sports games and performances. As one of the most dedicated teachers, Mr. Cooper genuinely wants the best for his students.