By Annie Goodykoontz

     Mr. Edelbrock, Tempe Prep’s eleventh grade physics teacher, is retiring after 30 years of teaching. 

   “After 30 years it’s time for a change” he says. “I’m ready to move on to a new phase in life.”

   Mr. Edelbrock has taught for five years at Tempe Prep, and 25 years at Mesa public schools. He has learned many lessons from each school where he has taught, including Shepherd Junior High, Dobson High School, Red Mountain High School and, of course, Tempe Prep. 

   “There is something to learn from every experience,” he says. “I’ve learned what it’s like to teach at a big school like Red Mountain and a small one like TPA. They both have different challenges.”

   Mr. Edelbrock’s favorite aspect of teaching is the unpredictability of students. “It’s never dull, you just never know what they will do next,” he says. 

   This year, Mr. Edelbrock won TPA’s National Honor Society Distinguished Teacher Award. “That was a very nice honor,” he says. “I was rather surprised.” 

   Mr. Edelbrock says he is looking forward to making new memories in this new chapter of his life. He hopes to travel, hike and explore.

   Mr. Edelbrock advises everyone to make the most out of what they are learning. “Take what your teachers offer every day and learn something from them,” he says, “don’t focus only on your grade.

   “And always wait at least four clicks of your blinker before changing lanes.”