Manteca High English teacher a man with many chapters
Manteca High School teacher Tim Jensen has been a fixture in the school’s English department since 1998-99.
(MOISES RAMOS/The Tower)
By OLIVIA GYGER
The Tower
As Timothy Jensen introduces himself to his English students, many don’t suspect that this longtime Manteca High teacher is arguably the most interesting man on campus.
With a pleasant demeanor and easy-going attitude, Jensen seems like an average guy, but he is so much more than that.
Inside of Jensen’s English classroom, he shares many stories with his students, but there is more depth to him than his students may realize. Despite the fact that he served seven years in the U.S. Army, Jensen does not keep a militant environment inside his English classroom.
Instead, for more than two decades, he’s created a comfortable environment for his students to learn. Jensen makes it a goal to connect with his students, and that connection is born from his unique experiences and stories.
Like the time he went fishing as a child and ended up on the wrong side of the hook, or his dream to live to be 100. And then there are the seven years in the military. His experiences in the Army have expanded his view of the world’s many cultures and of the difficulties in acclimating to new environments. Jensen served in the military for seven years from 1984-1991.
“I really enjoyed being in Jensen’s class. He was funny and personable. His class was really refreshing, and I learned a lot of valuable information,” former student Sydnie Ricketts said.
Jensen has had a very positive effect on his students here at Manteca High, but he one day hopes to be able to travel and take his knowledge of English to students around the world.
The Tower sat down with Jensen to discuss an interesting life, including his years of service, and the stories yet to be told:
The Tower: What was the Army like for you?
Tim Jensen: It was a good experience for me because when I graduated high school, I wasn't really ready for college and really didn't know what I wanted to do with my life at that point. So, giving me some type of focus and purpose was good at that time and I enjoyed the travel, meeting people, and it was a good experience, and it gave me some life lessons to see different cultures because I served overseas. I really enjoyed it and I recommend it for people who might need a little bit of direction.
TT: Can you give us a list of some of the places you've been stationed?
TJ: Actually, I kind of bounced between two places. I served my first tour in Korea up on the DMZ for 13 months, then I came back to the states, and I was stationed in Fort Stewart, Georgia. Then I came back down on orders, went back to Korea but this time I was in Yongsan, which is Seoul, the capitol so that was a little better duty station. And that's where my seven years were between Korea and Fort Stewart, Georgia.
Most Interesting Man
With stories from his time in the service and his travels around the world, Manteca High School English teacher Tim Jensen keeps his students entertained and engaged.
(MOISES RAMOS/The Tower)
TT: Is there something you learned in the military that you apply to your daily life?
TJ: There's this thing in the military that says "suck it up and drive on" it’s like you just have to adapt to certain situations and not be so finicky about things or worry about things. You just suck it up and you drive on and continue on. And I also learned while serving overseas in a different country opened me up to different cultures and how difficult it was for me when I first was stationed in Korea not knowing the language, not knowing the culture, not knowing how to read things, and having to adapt. It makes me understand how people come to the United States have difficulty learning the culture and learning the language. And adapting it takes time and it takes a while, and you just have to be more tolerant in those situations.
TT: In your class, from Day 1, you talk about your goal to live until you’re 100. What motivated that?
TJ: I think I want to be around for a long time. I want to be able to see my grandkids have kids and be around and be a part of their lives and 100 seems like a good age marker. And in today's society, more people are living to 100, so I want to be one of those people. I also want to make the newspaper, because they usually put ‘such and such turned 100 … he's a century old.’
TT: What are some things you want to do before reaching this goal?
TJ: I want to travel to Europe. When I was in the service, I (visited) Asia and Korea, but I never got to Europe. … When I retire, I would also like to teach a couple of years of English in Europe.
TT: What is something you've done that tends to shock people?
TJ: It even shocks me sometimes now that I think about it. I actually got married when I was 19. I was first married when I was 19. My first wife was two years older; she was 21. We were married for six years. I can't imagine being married at 19. I look at my daughter; she's 21 and my son is 35, and neither are married. I don’t know what I would do if my daughter got married at 19 or my son. I would think they're crazy, but I did it myself and that kind of shocks not only the people I know but it shocks myself too.
TT: What story about your life do you like to tell whenever you have the chance?
TJ: I have a lot of stories and I tell my students a lot of stories, but I think one that I remember is when my brother, myself, and my best friend’s dad were fishing and my brother was casting out the line and was bringing it back. He went to go cast it and the line came around and it hooked right through my ear; perfectly through my ear with the fishhook and the weight on it. That was something that I don’t think you could ever try to do again. I had to go to the hospital and get a tetanus shot. … I had all these weird accidents or things that happened that are just funny stories but that’s one that sticks out.