Mr. Askins is a relatively new, but valuable addition to the North Arlington community. Originally, Mr. Askins studied at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, expressing his love for the university’s culture. However, Mr. Askins also expressed that he wanted to focus on obtaining his teaching degree, a major MIT did not offer, so he transferred to Fairleigh Dickinson University to earn his degree in mathematics and teaching.
Mr. Askins began his teaching career at Mary Help of Christians Academy, an all-girls Catholic school in Passaic County. He recalls one of his favorite memories from his early teaching days, a collaborative relay his 7-student calculus class completed as their final exam. He voiced, “Their deafening cheering upon getting the final answer right was heartwarming.”
In his middle school days, Mr. Askins played soccer as a wide midfielder, being drawn to the skill set needed to be an excellent midfielder: field vision, teamwork, and a willingness to run. Beyond his athletic career, Mr. Askins was an outstanding member of his high school math team.
In his free time, Mr. Askins likes to practice the piano, vocalizing his desire to keep his skills sharp. Additionally, he enjoys playing 4X video games, like the Civilization series, which allow him to demonstrate his strategic and analytic qualities.
Some of Mr. Askins’ favorite books are narrative nonfiction, including those written by David McCullough, and the alternate history books by Harry Turtledove, although he notes that he thinks Eric Flint is a better writer within the genre. Mr. Askins, when asked about his favorite math concept, responded with a concept many NAHS students may be familiar with, the “Power of a Point” concept. In his own words, “It’s a Geometry topic… ‘Draw 2 lines that intersect each other at point P, and draw a circle that intersects one of the lines at A and B, and intersects the other line at C and D. Then: PA x PB = PC x PD’. It doesn’t matter where exactly the circle is versus the lines, or if P is inside or outside the circle, or even if the circle is tangent to one or both lines… it is always true.”
Most interestingly, Mr. Askins’ favorite historical figure is General George Thomas. Although he notes that he is not as well known as Generals Grant and Tecumseh, he was a strong general that stayed loyal to the Union despite being from Virginia. He vehemently expresses, “And he was darn good at his job. Like ‘never lose a battle’ good. Like ‘the only general in the war to destroy an army in the field’ good.”
Mr. Askins’ goal as a teacher is best conveyed through his own words, “I want my students to know and to understand more things when they leave my classroom than when they entered. That could be a math fact, a method of solving a problem, a linkage between two seemingly unrelated ideas, or even a non-math-related life lesson…But if I impart something I would much rather it be a logical way of thinking, or the grit to work through a complicated situation, rather than pure knowledge.” Mr. Askins’ outstanding personality and impression as a teacher is expressed through his response to the question, What is your favorite aspect of teaching at NAHS? He replied shortly, “What else? The kids.” Overall, Mr. Askins is an amazing teacher with an equal passion for math and teaching.