La Costa Canyon Educator is a Teague of His Own

James Teague has taken Mahatma Gandhi’s advice to heart: “Be the change you want to see in the world.”

After watching the terrorist attacks almost ten years ago on Sept. 11, Teague gave up a well-paid office job as a landscape architect specializing in master planned communities to become a teacher.

“The day was so surreal,” Teague said. “I had just got[ten] my pilot’s license about six months prior to the attacks. The night before, I had flown with a friend up to Palm Springs for dinner. The morning of September 11th is our generation’s Pearl Harbor.

“I think everyone I knew questioned so much that day. The sense of vulnerability in the United States was something I had never seen before. In 24 hours after parking the plane, I was watching F18s patrolling our airspace. Everything seemed to freeze.”

Despite having earned a bachelor of science in landscape architecture and just having passed the California State board examinations in 2000, Teague realized he wanted something more.

“I'll admit it. I lived in coastal Orange County and generally found that most of the things I was working for were either material things, travel and, in retrospect, too many Laker games,” he said.

He had also seen enough of the toll office deadlines took on families. “I will never forget the feeling of going in to the office at 7 a.m. and leaving the next day at noon to get out a deadline,” he said. “I laugh when people say 9-to-5 jobs. In business, your company can either prosper or slowly die from every project.”

Because he had been kicking the idea of teaching for some time, Sept. 11 only made his decision to leave the office that much easier. “On that day, I just knew it was time,” he said. “Once the uncertainty of it all somewhat settled down, I made some big gambles.”

His gamble has paid off so far. Teague has been teaching Spanish language at La Costa Canyon High School for seven years.

La Costa Canyon High assistant principal Bjorn Paige said Teague is a gifted teacher who brings enthusiasm, expertise and true caring to his work with students.

“[I’d] describe him as fantastic, a result of watching his creative approach to teaching—I’ve seen him dress as a truck driver to make a point about conjunctions—his profound ability to connect with students and his passion for teaching and learning,” said Paige.

Fittingly, Teague is also the adviser for the school’s Be the Change club.

Be the Change aims to break down everyday superficiality, according to Teague. “The premise of the club came out of a powerful program called ‘Challenge Day,’” he said. “It’s a group of about 45 people who go out and do ‘pay it forward’ type deeds and basically try to be positive influences on everyone around.”

Formed by students two years ago, Be the Change has reached out to incoming La Costa Canyon High freshmen and recently helped the school win a national “Challenge Day” competition.

Paige said from what he’s observed, Be the Change is “a collection of students who share Jim’s belief that every person can make a difference, and every student can make La Costa Canyon High a better place through kindness, caring and respect.”

“Often people say to me, ‘I can’t believe you teach high school students – that must be so hard,’” said Teague, who is working on his master of science in education with an emphasis in online teaching and learning. “They don’t know the level of talent, enthusiasm and positivity that is out there.”

Although Teague is happy as a teacher, he had no regrets about his office days. “The office ‘life’ was fun, collegial and always full of practical jokes,” he said. “Aside from the stress of constant deadlines they were generally good times.”

And while his work may now satisfy the soul, he said the first time he got his teacher’s paycheck, he cringed. “At the same time, I was proud,” he said. “I knew that I had achieved something real. The way things have gone with the entire construction industry, it proved to be a lucky move. I never regret getting into teaching,” Teague said.