John Stroud comes from a family of teachers; both his mom and dad taught, and for 20 years, his dad told him he should become a teacher, too. Eight years ago, John finally took his dad’s advice and now says, “It was the best decision I ever made (after marrying my wife, Roxana). I absolutely love my job! The whole world you get to inhabit and the role you get to play in kids’ lives as a teacher is singular. It is a calling as much as a job.” John is now in his 6th year at Ashland Middle School—four of those as our WAMS (Watching AMS) video production teacher and two as our art teacher. In addition to his teaching roles, he is also our Talented and Gifted Coordinator, our Yearbook Coordinator, and the mentor for the Asian Student Union. Clearly, John has embraced his calling.
Growing up in McAllen, Texas (the same town as fellow AMS teacher Rosie Russell!), John loved art—especially that of his favorite The Uncanny X-Men artist, Arthur Adams. At 16, when he and his mom and sister moved to Huntington Beach, CA, his idea of what it meant to be an artist expanded into performance and video. After graduating from high school, John made his way north and attended the San Francisco Art Institute. Creating art installations took him to New York City where he met his wife, Roxana, who is a costume and crafts artisan. In 2012, they moved to Ashland (sight unseen) when Roxana took a job at OSF.
John and Roxana have two kids—Lucy who is in 5th grade, and Jack who is in 2nd—both at Helman. With parenthood came a change in priorities and John remembered his dad’s advice. “I wanted to do something that I know matters, and I wanted a way for my kids to know their dad. My daughter will be a student here next year. I am genuinely excited for both my kids to come to Ashland Middle School! As an educator and someone who has been around, when I envision their experience here, I get excited. We have a great group of people at AMS!”
About AMS students, John is equally enthusiastic. “I am inspired by what kids create in my classroom. What keeps me engaged is how kids break every assignment of mine and make it their own. They never disappoint, and they never cease to amaze me. That’s one of the privileges and great freedoms of teaching what I do.”