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Face of Defense: National Guard Soldier Educates Next Generation

  • Published
  • By Army Spc. Samuel Keenan, 65th Press Camp Headquarters

Standing at the front of classroom filled with roughly two-dozen eighth-grade students, a man in his late 20s teaches a lesson on how to form an argumentative essay using Harper Lee’s novel “To Kill a Mockingbird.”

“When explaining a quote, you need to first ensure you know what it fully means,” said Gregory Kessler, an English language arts teacher at the Horace Mann Middle School in Franklin, Massachusetts. “You need to show how it supports your claim.”

As his class looked on intently, Kessler continued to explain how to use evidence from the text to prove a claim.

“This could be a sentence or two putting a quote in your own words,” Kessler said. “It is an easy way to start off your explanation. It gets you thinking more deeply about the quote itself.”

Teacher-Soldier

A lesson on writing a well-developed essay is typical in most middle schools. The man teaching it, on the other hand, is anything but standard-issue. In addition to working in his community as an educator, Kessler also serves his country as a part-time soldier in the Massachusetts Army National Guard.

Kessler’s military and civilian career have grown together. After graduating from Athol High School in Athol, Massachusetts, Kessler accepted an Army ROTC scholarship.

“I saw it as a great way to help out my community and pay for college,” he said.

During his second year of undergraduate studies, Kessler realized he wanted to become an educator.

“When I was a sophomore in college I substitute-taught and really enjoyed it,” Kessler said.

After graduating from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 2011, Kessler was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Army National Guard and simultaneously began his teaching career.

After serving in the Army Transportation Corps for two years, Kessler was assigned to the 65th Press Camp Headquarters, an Army public affairs unit stationed in West Newton, Massachusetts.

As a press officer, Kessler supervises a team of soldiers that specialize in design, journalism, photography, videography and writing.

Leading his troops and leading his classroom have parallels, he said.

“I try to instill in the kids and the soldiers that without clear communication there is a lot of misunderstood realities in this world,” Kessler said.

He said he believes the training and experience he has garnered from his time in the Army have been instrumental in his success as an educator.

Army Leadership Skills Transfer to Classroom

“The Army has taught me a lot about being an instructor and being able to lead others,” Kessler said. “You treat soldiers a lot differently than you would treat students, obviously. But you try to use a lot of the same things. I try to bring a lot of energy. I think soldiers and students both respond to enthusiasm.”

That energy comes across very clearly when he starts lecturing about literature in the classroom.

“What makes him an excellent English teacher is [that] he loves books,” said Mary Cotillo, the assistant principal at HMMS. “He gets really passionate about them and he discusses them with that passion.”

A love of literature started for Kessler at a young age.

“The stories of heroism and strength always intrigued me as a kid,” he said. “I always liked finding characters to emulate and look up to.”

Now, as a teacher, he encourages his pupils to do the same.

“It is important that students relate to the novels they read,” Kessler said. “Many of the themes and ideas they read about happen in their own lives.”

Having a teacher invested in helping adolescents foster an interest in reading is critical, Cotillo said. But equally as important, she said, is the personality of that person.

“Our boys, in particular, really connect with [Kessler], Cotillo said. “Here, he’s a football coach; he’s a baseball coach; he’s a military guy. All of these things that our boys aspire to be. It’s really important to have a role model that will embrace that kind of passion around literature. It makes them feel that it is OK. You’re not going to be a geek if you like to read. It doesn’t make you any less popular, any less macho and any less tough if you enjoy good books.”

It’s difficult for Kessler and his students when he has to leave for duty.

Military Deployments

In 2017, Kessler’s unit was called up into active duty three times to assist in recovery efforts in Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico in the aftermath of Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria.

“First and foremost, our concern is for him and making sure he knows that whatever obligation he has [with the Army], he needs to fulfill it,” Cotillo said. “It is always hard for us to miss him. We can always get a substitute, but it’s never the same. It’s never as good.”

“It’s been difficult,” Kessler said. “You have to always have lesson plans ready to go in case something comes up, like a natural disaster or some type of training.”

But even with the best constructed substitute plans, there is something missing when Kessler has to go away.

“The kids know him, they have relationship with him, and they miss him when he’s not there,” Cotillo said. “No matter who you are, you could be the world’s best English teacher, but if you go in there and try to teach the kids a new skill they are always going to want to know what Mr. Kessler wants them to do.”

Despite the sometimes difficult situations that come with being a citizen-soldier, Kessler does not intend to give up his military career anytime soon.

“I love teaching and being an active member of the guard. I want to continue to do both and serve my community,” he said.

Cotillo hopes that more service members will decide to become teachers and help educate the next generation of Americans by bringing with them their unique skills and experiences.

“If anybody can handle being a middle school teacher, it’s a soldier,” she said.

Taking a moment between periods at the Horace Mann Middle School in Franklin, Mass., English language arts teacher Gregory Kessler poses in the hallway in front of his classroom, Jan. 12, 2018. Kessler not only serves his community as an educator, but also as a public affairs officer with the Massachusetts Army National Guard’s 65th Press Camp Headquarters. Massachusetts Army National Guard photo by Spc. Samuel D. Keenan