Did most teachers ever actually plan on being teachers? Take a look at one of Delta High School’s teachers, Steve Reiher, who’s been here at Delta High School for 25 years but in the district for 30 years. Reiher never planned on being a teacher at all, but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t interested in biology.
“Yeah, I was going to be a wildlife biologist and there was so many individuals in that program and so few jobs,” said Reiher.
When Reiher wanted to pursue being a biologist, he studied heavily for it and even went to multiple colleges.
“I started at CSU.[Then] graduated from Colorado Mesa received my master’s degree from the University of Northern Colorado and then received another master’s degree two years ago from Western Colorado University,” said Reiher.
During the summer after he graduated, he spent his time looking for a wildlife biologist job. He was hit with an opportunity; “[that] summer I started coaching baseball and working with the youth. So that is what kind of made me want to work with teenagers and that was, you know, kind of what opened the door to being a teacher,” said Reiher.
Coaching baseball and working with the youth motivated Reiher to pursue the job of being a teacher. “I don’t know if there’s a more important job (other than maybe being a parent) is being an educator because the individuals that we have an opportunity to you know, just I don’t know, maybe make a difference in their lives and, you know, interact with every day. I think it’s very rewarding. I have a lot of friends to this day that were students, you know, 25-30 years ago, so it’s very rewarding.”
While Reiher didn’t have a certain student that led him directly to being a teacher, there were two main coaches: ”My dad was one of my coaches in summer ball all through high school, and then another gentleman named John Geesing was very inspirational and my baseball interest and those two definitely had an influence on that coaching baseball.”
Ty Reed, one of Reiher’s students and players has high opinions of Reiher.
“As a coach, he’s really understanding and helps you work through everything,” said Reed.