Mr. Thomas Handwerg is Fort Lauderdale High School’s new mathematics teacher, but he didn’t always know he was going to end up in the school system as an educator.

“I had very little conception of what I was going to do even into college. The only thing I knew was that I was a star,” he shared. “I actually have tried out teaching just about every subject before settling on math as my favorite.” 

His first time around, Mr. Handwerg did not enjoy mathematics.

“I never enjoyed math in high school. The homework, the studying, the wrong answers. What a pain,” he explained. “After I started working I gained a new appreciation for it because it was able to save me hours of busywork. Once I had practiced it enough, I realized just how intuitive and satisfying it was.” 

Handwerg was satisfied with becoming a teacher.

“It’s an important job and I thought I would be good at it,” he shared. 

Mr. Handwerg has been a teacher for six years.

“Has the experience made me a better teacher? I don’t know. It has certainly made me more of a teacher,” he remarked. 

The new teacher’s personal life has yet to be revealed. 

“I prefer to remain mysterious. The more rumors the better,” he stated. 

Despite the shroud of mystery, Mr. Handwerg is enjoying teaching at Fort Lauderdale High School.

“I greatly enjoy being part of FLHS. I enjoy the mascot the most,” he commented. 

This article is part of our series on new teachers in the 2020-21 school year. To see the full list of new teachers, click here.