Larry Hesler has been teaching at Stillwater High School for 26 years. Hesler teaches mathematics including Advanced Algebra 2, Trigonometry, AP Statistics, and AP Calculus.
Hesler’s teaching career began in Rio Hondo, Texas, and he had brief stints in Alva and Yale during his tenure.
In addition to teaching, Hesler coached baseball at Yale and currently coaches baseball and golf at Stillwater High School.
While Hesler has been a math teacher for the entirety of his career, it was not a path he had initially planned.
Hesler attended NWOSU with the intention of studying science, however, while there he became drawn to mathematics because of the encouragement he received from professors, Dr. Stanley Vansteenvort and Dr. Jack Phelps.
“The mathematics professors at Northwestern took me under their wing and talked to me about teaching math,” Hesler said. “I never looked back and have loved teaching mathematics since. These two professors are definitely the reason I am a math teacher.”
As a teacher, Hesler’s goal is to help his students become lifelong learners and he wants to make an impact on their lives in and out of the classroom.
“[The students] help me stay young at heart,” he said. “I also really enjoy my time as a coach. I was lucky enough to be able to coach my son on the golf course and spend a lot of time with him on the course.”
Hesler does his best to provide a comfortable and fun learning environment for each and every one of his students. He wants to recreate the same inspiring experience that he had as a student.
“I think the best advice I received about teaching is to do what I can to capture the student’s imagination and help them enjoy math as much as possible,” he said. “Also, to try to create some connections with my students.”
Outside of the classroom, Hesler enjoys reading and traveling with his wife and family. He is a history buff and recently took a trip to Mobile to see the USS Alabama and hopes to visit more Civil War battlefields, museums, and ships in the near future.
