David Custis

Teacher and Coach, Central Visual and Performing Arts High School

STL Teaching Fellow, School of Education

SLU’s Master of Arts in Teaching program offers unique pathways for individuals with undergraduate degrees in various fields to earn their teacher certification. As an STL Teaching Fellow at SLU, David Custis left his manufacturing career to become a public high school science teacher. As a teacher and a coach, he gets the opportunity to have a daily, direct impact on young people.

You spent more than 20 years in manufacturing before choosing to become a physics teacher. What inspired that transition?

I was recruited to coach the cross country and track teams at Metro High School when my son was a freshman. When COVID hit in 2020, I started doing online workouts with the kids to give them something to do and found that I loved working with them.

What about teaching attracted you?

It’s a different kind of fulfillment than fixing something or improving a manufacturing process. I can have a daily and direct impact on kids. I get to be a good example for them and draw out what’s best in them. On the coaching side, I stress team culture and cohesiveness more than working out. Kids recognize quickly that if they put in the work, they’re going to get faster. Building a team takes a different type of effort. It takes creating a space for kids to feel welcome.

How did you know you were having an impact?

I get kids to try something they never thought they could do. I had a student who is now high-jumping at the University of Maine and another triple-jumping at Jackson State. These students didn’t participate in track until their junior year at Metro. This year I have a kid who finished last at his first cross country meet but will graduate as one of the fastest kids in the school’s history.

In teaching science, I have a student with some learning challenges who could not figure out how to convert kilometers to meters. By the time we were done, she was super excited because it finally made sense. It’s those little moments – when kids’ eyes go from glazed over to sparkly – that I love.

Why did you choose to work in and send your two sons to public schools?

One student solidified my choice. Last spring, Metro’s boys’ sprint team made it to the state championships in Jefferson City, Missouri. This student, Devin, said it was the first time he was going to stay in a hotel. That next week, we had practice even though school was out and there were no buses. I didn’t think Devin would make it because he lived so far away. I looked over, and there he was. He walked 3.5 miles over busy streets to get there.

There is a stick-to-it-iveness in public school students who have fewer resources. There are a lot of Devins out there, and it makes me want to be a part of their education and their future.

When you look at today’s students, what gives you hope?

I can walk into my first period, and the kids bring the energy. They may not be perfectly focused – that’s my responsibility – but when they’re still engaged at 8:40 a.m., and I started teaching at 7:10 a.m., that’s hope.