Mr. Michael Strader is a science teacher here at Emerson Junior- Senior High School. He has taught Chemistry, Physics, and Earth Science to many of our students, and has definitely made an impact, but how well do his students really know him?  We made a point to ask him about his life beyond the classroom.

While he believes that being a teacher is the best occupation for him, if he didn’t continue with his love for teaching, he would pursue being a full-time coach.  He developed an interest in coaching early, and has always enjoyed working with children. He coaches boy’s lacrosse at MKA, a private high school in Montclair, and also coaches during the Summer and Fall with NJ Riot, a travel program.

Mr. Strader explained, “I started coaching summer ball in 2008 while still in college and then when I graduated started coaching at MKA and have been there since 2011. We’ve had a good successful stretch over the last decade winning 5 titles in 9 appearances during that time. I’m really proud of the work our players have done, and I hope we can continue to compete at the high level we’ve become accustomed to for many years to come.”

Were you surprised?  Probably not.  It’s no secret that Mr. Strader works well with kids, but did you know that he also had an interest in becoming a pilot?  Unfortunately for him, but not for us, it didn’t work out.  He admitted that it would have been very difficult for him  – especially because he is colorblind.  Interesting, right?

So what does a day in the life of Mr. Strader look like?   It starts off with his going to school and teaching, but – other than coaching – does anyone know what he does after school?  Evidently, Mr. Strader has many different hobbies.

“It’s hard for my brain to stay focused on any one thing, so I do lots of stuff, it’s almost absurd how many different hobbies I have,” he said – only half-jokingly. Aside from coaching, his hobbies also include cooking and making music.

When asked about his interest in cooking, he eagerly responded, “I absolutely love cooking. I used to be more involved on social media following different chefs, but have tried stepping back from most social media over the past few years. With that said, I do pay attention to certain chefs who I like or are doing interesting things.”

We prodded and asked him which chefs he follows.  Mr. Strader replied, “While I love to hear about some more popular chefs like Gordon Ramsay, Sean Brock, Eric Ripert, and the like, I have to say I’m a big fan of Jose Andres. In addition to being a wildly accomplished chef he operates World Central Kitchen serving disaster victims all around the world. My family and I donate every year and strongly encourage others to check it out.”

Of course we had to grill him about his cooking because we wanted to know his specialty.  He relented and shared, “My favorite thing to cook are short ribs. I make a pretty mean braised short rib. I also like smoking meat on the grill. Over the quarantine I picked up an offset smoker and I love throwing on a brisket or better yet a big pork butt. ….mmmmmm….”

Another one of Mr. Strader’s favorite hobbies is playing the guitar, something not everyone might know about him.

“I’ve played guitar since I was a kid, maybe 25 years at this point. My older brother got me into playing. My first guitar was a beat-up Peavey Predator that I still have. In fact, over the past few months I’ve begun the process of restoring it which has taken much longer than it rightfully should for such a worthless guitar haha. I have a few different guitars besides that one.”

Curious, we asked if he had a favorite guitar.  He answered, “I like my mid 2000s Stratocaster but no matter what I do to it the fretboard action is always too high. I have three acoustics but my gem is my Taylor 314ce with the newer v-brace. I always geek out when I hear it. I had to save for a long time for that one so I was thrilled when I finally got it. It’s become the one I reach for most often.” 

When he’s not grading assignments, coaching teams, cooking ribs, or rocking out on his Taylor 4314ce, he also enjoys spending time with his dog, Rey, or simply relaxing.

Mr. Strader is a  great teacher who is adored by many, and it’s easy to see why. His chill and funny personality make the students feel comfortable and welcomed. He has influenced many students, and continues to inspire them every day.  Conducting this interview has made us more aware of just how interesting he is, and how little we really know about each other until we take the time to talk and share what’s really important to us.