English teacher Tom Lewis is an AHS alumni who is passionate about writing, coaching, playing his guitar, and teaching his students the importance of storytelling and the art of everything in their everyday lives. 

Lewis has had many different jobs and moments in his life that have led him to teaching here. Some of which include songwriting and going on national tours as a musician, coaching college football, working on and publishing  poetry, and even traveling around the country. 

He loves the big field, all of the trees, and the college-like set-up of AHS. His Grandma actually used to be an English teacher here as well. Tom had actually wanted to be a health teacher or a coach for an NFL team growing up. And although teaching English wasn’t what he always wanted to do, he said he pursued English after one of his college professors pushed him that direction.  Lewis loved the idea of teaching about loved to do-  reading and writing.

“I love¨watching students come up with their own unique ideas and perspectives right in front of me,” he said. 

  He likes teaching kids and seeing them grow, even the kids who don’t always seem to pay attention. 

One quote that has always stuck with him is by Theodore Roosevelt, who said, ¨Comparison is the thief of joy,¨  This quote is a constant reminder to Lewis that no matter how much he puts himself down, he can only compare himself to who he was the day before. He uses this to follow a goal in which he is to be better everyday.

Lewis said his dad is his role model.

 ¨My dad  never saw a limit to his potential, as a kid born in Mississippi, the first one in his family to go to college. He never saw a limit to where he could be, and still chose his family over all opportunities presented to him,¨ Lewis said.

Lewis’ dad showed that he should always keep balance between who he can be and what is important to him. This is a lesson that Lewis has carried with him ever since he was a child.

Besides all of his hobbies and past jobs, he would love to learn more about painting and someday learn a new language so that he could travel to more places. If Tom could go anywhere in the world for a vacation off from teaching, he would go to Fair Oaks, California just outside of Sacramento. Fair Oaks is a small farm community that he stumbled upon during his touring where there is a small coffee shop that he likes to go to, a big tree in the middle of the town where live bands come to play, and a bunch of feral chickens running all around. 

In the end Tom Lewis is not only an amazing, new teacher, but a super interesting person. All of his hobbies, experiences, really cool stories and perspectives on things make him the great teacher that he is. Feel welcome to stop by, ¨The Shindig,¨ that’s what he calls his classroom, anytime and tell him what an awesome teacher he really is.