October Teacher Feature: Mr. Groth
Photo submitted by Brian Groth
In October of 1901, Teddy Roosevelt was president of the United States; in October of 2026 Mr. Groth was Hamilton's Teacher Feature. Unfortunately, these two historical figures don’t exist in the same time period, but if they did, Groth would be awestruck. While it may be impossible for him to go back and talk to Roosevelt, if you ever wanted to hang out with Mr. Groth, you could find him in room NA108 during the school day, running around and cheering on his runners at XC meets, trying to grocery shop without his (adorable) kids, or maybe even at Marshalls during his planning hour because, well…(refer to Question 13 to find out).
Here are the interview questions with Mr. Groth:
1. Where did you go to college?
I went to UW-Whitewater for my undergraduate degree and Cardinal Stritch for my masters.
2. How many years have you been teaching (total and here at Hamilton)
20th year teaching, 9 in AZ, 1 at an MPS charter school, & 10th year here.
3. Tell us about your family
I married my wife Alexi in 2019 - she is a CPA. I definitely married up ;) We have two amazing kids - one boy and one girl - Bennet is 5 and Reagan is 3.5.
4. Tell us about your hobbies.
I like to run, hunt, fish, and garden. Then I like to cook it! Cooking food that I've grown or harvested is pretty awesome!
5. How do you think students will remember you or your class?
I hope my students remember my dad jokes....but seriously I hope they remember the things I tell them about that I experienced to help them understand how government works.
6. Is there anything you wish you would’ve known as a first year teacher?
I wish I'd have known how much work teaching is when I was a 1st year teacher!
7. Who has most influenced you to become an educator, and how did they influence you?
My mom told me I'd be a great teacher, so I went to school for business. I did not like my major, and a friend named Matt who is a city manager and police chief in SE Wisconsin currently, but went to college with me, told me I would be a good teacher and it would work well with my outdoor hobbies. That was when I realized my mom was right.
8. What superpower would you like to have?
I wish I could travel through time.
9. If you won 100 million dollars what would you buy first?
With $100 million I'd buy lots of land.
10. If you could meet anyone in history who would it be and why?
I would love to meet Teddy Roosevelt—he was a great outdoorsman, hunter, adventurer, and conservationist.
11.What book or movie would you recommend to your students?
I recommend anything by Bernard Cornwell and Lee Child. Movie: The Great Escape.
12. What skill would you like to master?
I would like to learn steel guitar when I retire—sooner if my kids give me time.
13. What's your funniest/Most embarrassing teaching moment?
My most embarrassing teaching moment was splitting my pants with a 10 inch tear right down the middle when I bent down to get laptops out of our class laptop cart. No one noticed, and I taught the rest of my class with my back to the wall....sliding along the edge of the room. I had to run to Marshall's during my planning hour to buy pants.
14. Where do you see yourself in 10-15 years?
I plan on retiring when my daughter graduates high school, so I hope to be retired in 15 years. Until then you can find me in NA108!
15. What is something you collect?
I collect autographs. It's been tough with young kids at home, but occasionally we go chasing autographs at the ballpark.
16. What's your favourite thing about coaching XC?
I love seeing kids improve over a season and high school career.
17. Why is it that you love pickles so much?
Who doesn't love pickles??? IS THAT EVEN A QUESTION????? I'm outraged!
18. If you could trade classrooms with any teacher at Hamilton, who would it be and why?
I would not trade. I like my window and being on the edge of nowhere.
19. What is something about you students would NOT expect at all.
Some students.......have zero filter. I did not expect that. There are some things better left unsaid.
20. If you could travel anywhere, where would you want to go, and why?
I would love to travel to Germany, Portugal, and Scotland. They all have beautiful natural places I'd love to explore.
21. What was your favourite memory from high school?
My favorite high school memory would be reverse engineering something in an engineering course and writing the process out. The teacher did not know how to create a tapered thread with a design program in engineering, and I found an existing template of a sprinkler with this feature, dug through the code, and figured out how to do it for him over the course of two days. His mind—blown.
