You may have seen him around the school, always dressed sharp and with a positive attitude, and you may have confused him with a student.  Even though reading coach Mr. Xavier Suarez is young, he loves teaching and being able to mentor and see students grow.

Being a teacher was not Mr. Suarez’s first passion, but he’s very happy with his job. “I love working with students. I see how much lies before them in life and how I can be a positive influence,” he said. “That is everything to me.”

Reading Coach

   Although his job is not easy, Mr. Suarez likes how his job challenges him professionally. As reading coach, Mr. Suarez works directly with twenty four teachers ranging from English, ESOL, and U.S. History. “I get to work with some of the most capable and intellectual educators who constantly bring knowledge to the forefront of every conversation,” he said.

Mr. Suarez says that throughout the time he has been in his position, most of the experiences he has had are positive. Nevertheless, being a reading coach demands a lot of time.

“The hardest part of this position is balancing my responsibilities and my personal time,” he said. “I am always running around the school. It is very difficult to find breathing time and for students to find me. I am also the reading department chair person and I have to help coordinate Saturday tutoring.”

Other Jobs

   Before being a teacher at Miami High, Mr. Suarez used to teach at Miami Northwestern Senior High School for two years. He started off as a World History teacher and then became  an intensive reading teacher in his second year. Last year he was a 10^th grade intensive reading teacher here at Miami High.

Mr. Suarez did not envision himself as an educator his whole life. Originally he intended to enter the Foreign Service under the U.S. State Department.

“I had been working with a congresswoman for a couple of years and I was offered a job in Washington D.C.,” he said, “but I decided that teaching is where my passion lies. One should always do what makes him/her happy. My first three years as a teacher really opened my eyes to the realities in education. There is much to change within a broken system. I believe I can contribute to that change.”

Although he has had a short time as an educator compared to other teachers , Mr. Suarez says that his goal is to continue growing as a person and educator and affect change at a larger level, “Ten years from now, I envision myself as an administrator or working on education policy,” he said.

Coming to Miami High

One of the many reasons why Mr. Suarez decided to work at Miami High is because the school is really close to where he lives. “Obviously, I won’t disclose my address, but distance is a huge factor because I wanted to devote more of my time and energy into school,” he said.

His colleagues also influenced his decision to work here “As I was visiting the school, I spoke with ESOL/English teacher Ms. Couzo, who really spoke to the story of Miami High. She convinced me that this was one of the best places to work.”

Mr. Suarez says that compared to his previous teaching experiences, there is no comparison. “This school is amazing!” he said.

Sponsor of the AnimeNation Club

Besides leading Miami High’s reading program, Mr. Suarez is also in charge of the AnimeNation Club, and even though this is his first years as the club advisor, he loves how strong-spirited the club members are. “They are always exposing me to new information, videos, and random facts that I would have otherwise been never exposed to,” he said.

Last year after seeing that the club needed an advisor, Mr. Suarez decided to volunteer. “I watched a couple of anime shows as a kid,” he said, “so I wanted to try it out.”

Although he really enjoys the club, Mr. Suarez feels guilty when his professional obligations conflict with his advisor duties, and he tries to be there for the members as best as he can.

Although there are a lot of different ways to encourage students to join a club, Mr. Suarez says that the way they communicate is through word of mouth and through events . “We meet every Friday after school until 4 P.M. in Ms. Lee’s art room (thank you). You can  learn and have fun with us!” he said.

Life Outside of School

Mr. Suarez was born in Paterson, New Jersey, and is the only male out of three siblings and numerous cousins. He grew up in West Palm Beach and attended various elementary school. “I went to three different ones since I was in the process of moving to Florida,” he said. “My last one was South Olive Elementary.”

For high school he attended the IB program at Suncoast Community High School, and for university he attended to the University of Florida, where he majored in History with International Relations.

His favorite hobby is playing drums which he has played since he was in the 6^th grade. Mr. Suarez tries to take advantage of his limited free time. “When I’m not working, I like to play some video games, watch a movie, or SLEEP,” he said. He also begins his days with a morning workout at 5 A.M.