Episode 49 was an absolute blast to record. I had the honor of sitting down with THS alumnus Tony Anzaldi and talking life, and career choices. Tony is another member of the unique fraternity of THS alumni who have now come back to Tallmadge City Schools to serve as teachers.

Tony is in his 5th year of teaching, and it is his 4th year at Tallmadge Elementary. He teaches science and math in a 4th grade classroom. It is in that classroom where Tony truly shines. He is an amazing teacher and mentor to the children not only in the classroom, but in the school as well.

So many parts of our conversation resonated with me and I could write on and on about those parts. I definitely want to highlight the part of our conversation that centered on having a growth mindset. Years ago my then superintendent Dr. Jeff Ferguson put a book called Mindset in my mailbox. It was written by a psychologist named Carol Dweck. Little did I know that his simple gesture of gifting a book to me would radically change my teaching and my philosophy of teaching. Not only that, but it my personal mindset shifted so dramatically that I will never be the same. You can only imagine the excitement I felt with Tony started talking about the concept of a growth mindset and how he spends countless hours teaching his little ones how to embrace this and become better from it.

As our conversation continued you can hear the excitement and passion in Tony’s voice. It is clear that he is called to this profession and that he loves serving our community and our kids.

Four individuals Mr. Anzaldi highlights as having an impact in his life are Mr. Knutty, Mr. Slivka, Mrs. Conley, and Mrs. Knutty. Four extraordinary human beings whose lives are centered on helping others. After hearing about the influence they have played in his life you will come to realize that no gesture, small or large, is ever wasted and that it can have an eternal impact on an individual.

Mr. Anzaldi is a proud husband to Ally. They have been married for 3 years. They have a retriever named Dolly who keeps them busy and active.

Honestly, I cannot wait for you to hear this episode so stop reading, grab some Crimson Cup coffee, and listen to this amazing young mans story. You will be impressed, moved, and just as excited as I am to hear and share his story.

Please share this episode with your friends and family. Tallmadge is so blessed to have this young man, and so many other incredible educators, in our school system changing lives.

And, as always, please remember that everyone has a story worth being told, even you.

Books mentioned in this episode:

Mindset: Carol Dweck

Man's Search For Meaning: Viktor Frankl

Grit: Angela Duckworth