Photo courtesy of Tommy Marlowe
Tommy Marlow is a teacher and soccer coach at Mountain Brook.
Q: Please tell our readers about yourself.
A: My name is Tommy Marlowe, and I’m a Spanish teacher at Mountain Brook Junior High School. I am also the JV girls soccer coach at Mountain Brook High School. I come from the small town of Sylacauga, and I am a graduate of the University of Alabama. After I graduated, I lived in Spain for a little while. However, due to a broken leg, I returned to the States for surgery and have remained in Alabama ever since. Although it was traumatic, it turned out to be one of the best things to happen to me because I’ve found my place in Mountain Brook.
Q: How long have you been teaching Spanish? What encouraged you to teach Spanish?
A: This is my third year teaching Spanish at MBJH, and I’ve loved every minute of it. From a young age, I had a fascination with learning languages and using what I learned during my travels. I enjoyed the smile that I would bring to people’s faces when I would speak their native language. Living in Alabama, Spanish seemed to be the most logical language to dedicate myself to, and I haven’t looked back since.
Q: What inspired you to be an educator?
A: I come from a long line of educators, so my family definitely inspired me to continue the family trade. Both my grandfather and uncle served as principals, my grandmother and aunt as teachers, my father as a school board member, and my mother as an education advocate. It was a no-brainer, really.
Q: Did you have a favorite teacher or mentor growing up?
A: Yes! Jeff Steers, my math teacher at Sylacauga High School. Coach Steers is the epitome of what I try to replicate in my classroom. Over his tenure at Sylacauga High School, he has devoted every ounce of his being to his students, his players, and his community. When most coaches would check out on Friday, Coach Steers would roll up his sleeves and bring excitement to a rather intimidating subject. He made sure we understood and felt comfortable with the material, no matter the situation.
Q: How do you continue to grow in your Spanish-speaking abilities?
A: I try my best to put myself in situations where I’m forced to speak the language. Whether that is traveling, visiting my friends at La Costa, or shopping for groceries at Mi Pueblo, I force myself to speak the language and learn different words and accents through my experiences.
Q: Most middle/junior high schools do not offer foreign languages. What does it mean to you to teach Spanish at this level?
A: It means the world. I could not have asked for a better teaching position than what I have at Mountain Brook Junior High. Not only is foreign language rare at the middle school/junior high level, it’s even more rare to have eight world language teachers at one school. We are blessed at MBJH to have such a strong emphasis on and appreciation for language acquisition.
Q: What is something that your students may not know about you?
A: I try to make sure that my students know a good bit about me, but if there’s something they don’t know, it’s probably that I love to cook. Whenever I have the opportunity, I enjoy finding new dishes to make. It’s how I relax after a long day at work or practice. I also enjoy officiating football for the AHSAA. Many of my football players know that about me already though.
Q: What do you see as next steps for yourself or for the foreign languages department at Mountain Brook Junior High?
A: I’m excited about what’s going on at the Junior High. We have seen an increase in students wanting to learn languages, and I expect that the number will continue to grow. It’s my hope that we, as a department, will continue to give our students the education that they deserve and foster a sense of excitement for language acquisition.
