“I’m going to teach you math and some you’re going to remember, some you’re going to forget … To me, most of class is a lot of you communicating and it doesn’t even have to be about math half the time. Can you open up? Can we have a nice relationship? Because that’s what’s going to be important to you down the road,” math teacher Jim Schaper said.
Now, after an extensive 32 year career, Schaper is retiring at the end of this year. The longtime boys golf and former softball coach was known not only for his success as a math teacher but also for his unmatched ability to form connections with students both in and out of the classroom.
Across the board, Schaper has always found a way to resonate with kids his whole career. Senior Kristen Schellberg, a former student, remembered his class fondly.
“He was very personable. He talked about his own life a lot and like his own struggles which made me feel valuable as someone who’s awful at math,” Schellberg said.
Despite his knack with people, the beloved Advanced Algebra II teacher did not start out in education. Before teaching, he earned a degree from Penn State in mathematics and worked commercially.
“I actually worked at IBM for a couple years before this in a little cubicle in a little room in downtown Pittsburgh, and I worked from like eight in the morning until eight at night and I hated it. And it was six days a week, and I had no time to myself, and I’m like I got to do something else,” Schaper said.
Following this, Schaper began coaching softball in the Pittsburgh area in 1989, where his sense of service and his ability to connect with people led him to a teaching job at North Hills High School.
Quickly, he established his signature teaching style, but not without a brief misstep.
“My first year teaching…I was dressed up every day and I would ask questions and the kids would just sit there. And then I was like ‘alright this has got to go,’” Schaper said. “The tie went and the sport coat went, and it was like I’m going jeans, a t-shirt, whatever and we’re going to have a relaxed [class]… It’s the same, like I said, if my classroom is quiet, I don’t like it. Oh, I hate it. I like people talking and communicating. It can be math, it can be other things.”
The laid-back atmosphere of Schaper’s math classes is a big part of what resonates with students. Current student, sophomore Gilbert Zhao, commented on Schaper’s impact.
“He’s probably one of the best math teachers I’ve had, and compared to other teachers, he’s probably one of the best teachers too. He’s really nice and kinda chill, you know,” Zhao said.
Another former student, junior Ben Alexander, remembers Schaper for how “he made the class unique and entertaining.”
“It was always fun to listen to the material no matter what was being taught,” Alexander said.
Among the unique things former students remember him for was hosting his annual “Mathstock” party for his Advanced Algebra 2 classes, a witty math-themed homage to Woodstock and a memorable barbecue. Rarely has Mathstock ever devolved into word problems and solving equations so much as it’s always been about rewarding students for their hard work and dedication to the course from day one to the last day of school.
Considering his impact on the school, Schaper was quick to dismiss any kind of talk about legacy. “About me? I’ve never been here for me…I just try to do everything I can to make everyone around me better,” Schaper said.
Students, though, will always have a soft spot for and good memories of Schaper.
“I’m really sad because I still see him every now and then and you know it brightens up my day, so I’m going to miss him and I think a lot of other people are going to miss him too,” Alexander said.
Schaper will continue to coach the golf team but plans to travel the country once his wife, food service director Megan Schaper, joins him in retirement in the coming years. Students, however, will never forget Schaper and will always be grateful for those connections he formed. Schellberg summed up his impact on students: “Thanks for being a real one.”
