After graduating from TCS in 2015, Josh Decker attended Cairn University where he earned his B.A. in Health & Physical Education. We are excited to welcome Josh ‘back home’ to teach physical education for grades K4-12. Mr. Decker has stepped into the position once held by one of his mentors, Mr. William Bills who retired in June after 45 years of serving at TCS. While these are big shoes to fill, Josh is up for the challenge. When Mr. Bills heard that Josh was hired, he said, “Josh has the ability and the heart to do a great job! I am so glad an alum was hired. He knows the way the Timothy program works and will continue it. I hope he enjoys it as much as I did!”
Learn more about Josh and what he shared with us about who inspired him, why he wanted to teach at his alma mater, and what he teaches his students.
What/Who inspired you to take up teaching?
It was definitely the teachers that I had here at Timothy when I was a student! I had a lot of great teachers, but Mr. Bills and Coach Hobbs inspired me the most. Coach Bills’ dedication to TCS was evident through his positive relationships and involvement with his students. I remember wanting to be like Coach Bills when he would play and beat us, despite being in his sixties! Coach Hobbs took more interest in me as a person than he did in me as an athlete. He could care less about how I performed on the basketball court, even if his red face during games said different; he was more interested in the man I would become.
Why did you choose to teach at TCS?
I attended TCS from kindergarten through 12th grade and really enjoyed the atmosphere, so much so that I went to a university which had a similar feel to it. Timothy is a close-knit community which is unlike any other school and I wanted to be a part of that whole experience as a teacher. Another thing which motivated me to come back to TCS to teach was the freedom to talk about Christ. After college, I had worked as a substitute teacher in a public-school right outside of Philadelphia. It was a rough neighborhood there. The kids had parents who didn’t always show up. I learned to be there for the students and listen to them more than just in an educational sense, but I couldn’t share about Christ. This reinforced my desire to teach in a place where I could teach and disciple the students and share my faith.
How do you plan to integrate faith and learning at TCS?
Dr. Hartzler, who was the head of school at TCS when I attended, always said that you have to view the world through the lens of the Bible. Everything relates back to our faith and the perspective of the Bible. In my physical education classes and while coaching, I teach the students to look for their God-given abilities and use them athletically.
In what ways do you want to prepare students for a life beyond TCS?
I tell my students to view the world from God’s perspective and listen to what He is telling them to do. I encourage them to pray and seek godly counsel in order to discern what God has for them. I also talk with them about the importance of spreading the gospel.
What would you tell families to encourage them to send their children at TCS?
Timothy is a tight knit community where the teachers really care about their students. Unlike in a public school, students really get to know their teachers on a personal level and can come to us with anything and we address it with a Christian perspective.