Before his time at McCallum, Pew taught band, orchestra and math to middle schoolers in Washington. Upon his move to Austin in 2007, he saw a job opening at McCallum.
Pew took the position as a math teacher at McCallum because of its prominent Fine Arts Academy. Given his experience as a performer and director, Pew got involved with the fine arts programs right away. During his first few years on campus, he worked primarily as an algebra teacher and at night as a musical director for musicals in the fine arts wing. During the spring, he would accompany choral students for the UIL solo and ensemble competitions.
Upon Pew’s arrival at McCallum, math department head Angie Seckar-Martinez has recognized his positive spirit and love of mathematics.
“Immediately I could see his love of math and his desire to get his students to love math in the same way that he did,” Seckar-Martinez said.
According to Seckar-Martinez, he was always willing to lend a hand to whoever needed it, whether it meant helping out by teaching an extra class or removing a cockroach from her printer.
Similarly, he was able to teach math in a unique way that often differed from other teachers. Junior Beatrix Lozach, an Algebra II student of his, thinks that he condensed complex topics into simpler ones. Lozach also credited Pew’s sense of humor for making his math class a fun place to be.
“I think he made me feel confident in my math skills in a way that other teachers simply have not because he always explained things really well,” Lozach said, “and I was excited to come to a math class for maybe the first time ever.”
Both Lozach and Seckar-Martinez said that he was a positive role model for students.
“It is very cool for students at a Fine Arts Academy to get to see a teacher that excels in two different areas of the school,” Seckar-Martinez said.
Pew’s impact on students transcended his classroom. He worked with different theater directors to produce 20 musicals. When producing each show, he developed a positive mentality, which he also applied to his teaching career.
“I have an attitude I adopted long ago in teaching theater: my favorite show in the world is the one I am doing right now,” Pew said. “I try to feel that way each day, enjoying the things in front of me right now: each class, each person.”
Pew retired a few years ago from participating in the musicals at McCallum, but he still accompanies students for the choir UIL solo and ensemble competitions. His piano playing inspired students like Lozach.
“I remember hearing him play, I think it was Clair de Lune once, and it was just absolutely gorgeous,” Lozach said. “ I’ve never felt so inspired. [When] I got home that day, I just sat at the piano for hours trying to figure it out, even though I am no pianist, but he was. He’s really such a force to be reckoned with.”
Looking back on his teaching career, Pew concluded that teaching was a good thing for him to be doing with his life. Given his longstanding relationship with the school and it students, retiring last school year was a hard decision to make.
”It was my intention to teach two or three more years, but I just started to understand that it was time to let someone else enjoy Room 124 and all those great kids,” Pew said. “I am spending lots of time with my sweetheart, Mrs. Pew, traveling a lot, and enjoying making music, woodworking (as a hobby) and spending time with my good dog.”
Although it was shocking to Lozach that he was retiring, she understood.
“It kind of pulled the rug out from underneath me a little bit, but I understood he’s someone who’s very family-oriented, so it makes sense that he would want to spend more time with his wife and more time with his kids,” Lozach said. “He would mention them constantly, like he’s very much a devoted father and husband, and I think he’s like a good role model in that way.”
While his departure from the math department created a void, Pew had a plan to fill it.
“I knew it was a big loss for the math department and that many students would be sad that they would never get to have him as a teacher,” Seckar-Martinez said. “But in true Mr. Pew style, he chose a time when it was going to be easiest on me and the math department for him to leave—he knew that Ms. Stewart was an incredibly strong teacher and that she really wanted a position at McCallum.”
Pew loved teaching at the school because of its students and faculty he got to work with at both ends of the building.
“I always got energy from students, the ones who loved school and worked hard and also the ones who didn’t find school to be their favorite place,” Pew said. “I tried to find a place in my heart for every person at school.”
