When you hear beautiful voices coming out of the choral room at Scullen Middle School, it’s safe to say Michael Ferguson is busy working. The music teacher and chorus director has been sharing his talents with middle school students at the Naperville school for the past four years.
“I loved singing, and as a result I went out for the glee club at the University of Illinois,” said Ferguson, who was originally a clarinet major. “I switched my major almost immediately and decided to become a comprehensive music major, which is instrumental and vocal music.”
Ferguson spent 16 years working in music ministry and also taught at the high school level before joining the team at Scullen in 2013. Along with directing chorus, he was instrumental in creating a drum class for students with multineeds, which is something that brings him great joy.
“One of my classes that I look most forward to is my multineeds drum class,” he said. “It’s for students who are from sixth grade to eighth grade. It is a very humbling experience and it is an honor for me to be in these students’ lives.”
We sat down with Ferguson to learn more.
What and where do you teach? Middle school chorus (grades six through eight) and drum class for students with multineeds at Scullen Middle School in Naperville
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Number of years teaching: 14 years total, four at Scullen
Degrees: Bachelor’s and master’s from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
When did you know you wanted to be a teacher? I taught summer band in Oswego all through high school. I spent some time considering some other fields, but made the decision after attending a music camp before my senior year.
What’s the best advice a fellow teacher ever gave you? Always be learning. You’ll never know it all.
What advice would you give to a new teacher? Always ask questions from people young and old. New teachers have great innovations; experienced teachers understand everything you’re going through.
If you weren’t a teacher, what would you be? I like doing too many things; I’ll ask myself that question when I’m no longer able to be effective in a classroom.
What’s the best part about being a teacher? The students; they teach me every day and they keep me humble.
Who was your favorite teacher when you were a student and why? I was fortunate in that I had many influential teachers, mostly from Oswego and University of Illinois. What made them influential was their passion in their subject area. I’ll give specific examples of two great teachers who are no longer with us. One would be my chemistry teacher from Oswego, Mr. Potts, whose face would light up when he would talk chemistry. I loved how much he loved science. The other would be my glee club director from University of Illinois, Mr. William Olson, who taught and directed with such expressiveness, passion, and love for his students and our school. He created a legacy that still lives on today through scholarships and alumni events.
How has school changed over the years? Internet, online gradebooks, security systems, teacher evaluations, students and technology, but quality teaching still comes from building good relationships with your students.
What is your favorite type of music? I have too many favorites genres, as my students would tell you, but I’d pay to see James Taylor or Billy Joel.
What do you like to do in your free time? Spend time with my family, exercise, see any live (music) performance and probably (watch) Netflix.
Three words that best describe you: Adventurous, goofy, artsy.
Jane Donahue is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.