Award Winning Edison Teacher Almost Missed His Calling

Michael Altmann always knew he was meant to be a teacher.

But when a mentor in college scared him away from the profession about 20 years ago, he had to find his way back on his own.

And Edison Intermediate School is glad he did. He's one of two winners of the 13th Annual Optimist Club's Intermediate School Teacher of the Year …nominated by his very own students and staff. 

Language Arts teacher Denis McMorrow, from Roosevelt, also won. Both teachers were honored in May.

"I love what I do," said Altmann, a public speaking and drama teacher. "I really do look at it like I'm making a difference."

Altmann, who lives in Clark, has been teaching in Westfield seven years, but 15 years total.

He originally went to Kean University to become a high school social studies teacher. His sophomore year he was required to follow a teacher around for a field study.

That teacher gave him some surprising advice. "You're really good ..but get out of here before it gets to you." He told Altmann he cared "too much."

"I was completely thrown back," said Altmann, now 39. "He was trying to save me from dealing …with the setbacks."

So based on his mentor's advice, Altmann ran the other way. He changed his career plans.

He got involved in the theater department and ultimately became a casting director for Disney. He worked on the TGIF lineup on ABC.

"I was miserable, really honestly miserable," he said. "I wanted to be involved with kids because that was a part of me. It was one of the most self-centered industries I've ever seen in my life. I equate it to pulling back the curtain and seeing the Wizard (from Wizard of Oz)," he said.

He said the kids in show business were "expected to be 40 year old men trapped in eight year old bodies."

Despite his distaste for the field, Altmann got a great job offer in Los Angeles. But before he could make a decision, a friend suggested he go back to teaching.

He quit. Went to Kean, And got his teaching degree.

He got both a graduate and bachelors degree in education and first student taught third grade in Union Township, where he grew up. "I was very happy in Union."

He added, "It didn't fell like a job. When I was casting, I was counting down the hours," he recalled.

He then got his first job teaching middle school drama and public speaking in Montclair.  "The first year was ok …everyone has their growing pains and I have mine," he said. "I hated the second year." He was convinced he wanted to teach grade school.

His principal refused to move him to a different job. "To find someone as good as you is priceless," were her reasons, he said.

Eventually he left to teach fourth grade in South Orange/Maplewood because he thought he would enjoy it more.

That, too, was a mistake. Again, he asked to get transferred, this time back up to middle school.

Again, his principal said "I'm not moving you because you really have transitioned very well. Grade school teachers are hard to find."

They did let him direct the middle school musical production of Annie, and he knew, once and for all, that was his calling.

He went to Dunellen to teach high school drama, as well as middle school public speaking. He put on four shows a year. He said he enjoyed it so much, he would have stayed forever.

And it was when he was finally happy with what he was teaching he heard of a "maternity leave" position in Westfield at Edison from someone he knew.

The position was to teach drama and public speaking. He gave in his resume, although he wasn't really looking.

The day the school called he thought it was Edison Township - not Edison Intermediate School - calling. "I never thought it was going to lead to anything."

As fate would have it, he got the job. And at the end of the year, the teacher who was out on maternity leave ended up taking another position at Roosevelt. "They didn't want to lose me," he said.

And despite the ups and downs, Altmann said he "would never take any of it back." He said it was the path he needed to take in order to appreciate his job now.

"Everything I have I'm very appreciative of, and I'm very grateful for all of it."

And seven years later, his award says it all.

"I really don't know why I got it," he said modestly. "If they love me, I'm appreciative of it."

He said every day that he goes to work is an "easy day" because it's "stuff I love to teach."

He's happy from the morning bell to the dismissal bell …and all the hours in between. "Each day I walk away and I'm happy. There's no better place in the world to be."

Altmann teaches public speaking as a requirement to sixth and seventh graders.

"Public speaking is something everyone will do at some point in their life," he said.

Altmann said research shows public speaking is the number one fear of Americans. Number two is death. "People would rather die" than speak in public, he pointed out.

"If I can put them in a place where they're willing to take those risks …when the time arises, they're going to know what to do."

He said teaching drama, as an elective to eighth graders, is equally rewarding. And the kids seem to feel the same way because his classes had to be "capped."

Each year he runs the fall drama and assists music teacher Dave Shapiro in the spring musical.

"When the cast list goes up …and I have a kid who never thought he could have a role …he can honestly say he had a moment in his life," said Altmann. "You feel like you're doing it for a reason. As a casting director, I never had any of that stuff."

The eighth graders in his drama club, this year, won several awards for the satire The Pot Boiler at a competition in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, including Best Actor (Fraser West), Best Supporting Actress (Rebecca Trickey) and Best Directors (Jack Venezia and Eric Webber).

"When they say they look forward to coming after school …who wants to come after school," he marveled. "I just have them smiling, laughing and having a good time."

Among other responsibilities, Altmann also runs the Edison talent show in May.

He said the same day he won this award, he reaped an even bigger one. That day, an extremely shy female student of his got up in front of the entire school and sang "No One" by Alicia Keys. "To know I had something to do with that …I think what I do is very worthwhile."

"I say at the beginning of the year, 'you will be able to get up and give a speech' …and I always have a handful of kids who come to me and say 'you were right.'"

They mean the world to me. They really do."

"I feel I do pretty well," he said. "I know no teacher's 100 percent, but I try my best." 

He added, "I try not to leave any kid behind."

And that motto continues into the summer, when he runs Theater Camp of New Jersey www.theatercampofnj.com  for about 80 kids at the Deutscher Club in Clark.

He started it four years ago with his partner, Gina Rosenfarb.

Monday through Thursday campers work on a show. Friday is a day of workshops. "I wanted a camp that was going to be about having fun and learning something new and taking a risk."

And now that he's so fulfilled year-round, how does Altmann reflect on that mentor's ironic advice 20+ years ago?

"I can see why he said it, but I think he was trying to save me from the bad days," he said.

If anything, his experience made him appreciate his vocation even more. "I fully am  appreciative of what I do a lot more because I have done things I wasn't passionate about. I really believe in what I'm doing. I really believe that I'm making a difference."

"I love what I do and would never want to do anything else.