A Profile of Prom, the PE Teacher

By Jillian Daley

It feels like PE Teacher Matt Prom has always been a part of North Marion Intermediate School. 

In a way, it’s true. Prom is a devoted local, hailing from a nearby town where he grew up in a family of educators. Yet he’s also just 23, blasting through both his master’s and bachelor’s degrees in a little over four years.

“For me, North Marion was one of the first openings that I saw that I was really, really interested in,” Prom says. “I grew up in Molalla, so it was close to home. When I heard it was third to fifth grade — third is probably my favorite grade to work with. They have some skills, but they also are so willing to learn and try new things.”

It may be his first teaching job, but he’s even younger than usual because he completed his Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology at Oregon State University (OSU) in three years. Then, this past August, he earned a Master of Science in Adapted Physical Education from a 16-month accelerated program at OSU. 

However fast he may have arrived, Prom is just glad to be here — and those who know him say he has given so much already as a teacher and a caring professional.

Praise for Prom

Why are people so excited about Prom’s career when he’s only just begun? It’s the way he treats his coworkers and students — and the devotion with which he approaches education.

“I supported Matt throughout his time in our program by encouraging him and providing feedback throughout his student teaching,” says Dr. Heidi Wegis, who was his major professor and taught a number of the courses he took. “I try to be a sounding board for the students in our program, and Matt and I had several conversations throughout the year just talking about teaching strategies and ideas specific to his interests and experiences. His motivation to be a strong educator will serve him well in his career.”

She says that Prom was a “a very energetic and motivated student who was enthusiastic about teaching physical education” and that he “demonstrated a confident presence, and developed an easy rapport with his students.”

Wegis is not the only one who has a wealth of good words for Prom. Fifth-Grade Teacher Casey Meador, who has known Prom since the outset of the 2021-22 school year, says that Matt is willing to collaborate and is interested in the “whole-picture” of her students, helping them succeed athletically.

“But, he also goes out of his way to make sure my students are cared for,” Meador says. “He wants them to be successful in PE and outside of PE.”

He shows students they matter to him by spending time with them, she notes.

“Matthew goes above and beyond to connect with my students,” Meador explains. “During fifth-grade's recess, he often comes out to simply hang out with kids and ‘crush’ my students in a friendly game of basketball. This is not something that he is expected to do, but he does it anyway, because that's the kind of teacher he is.”

He’s also a supportive co-worker, Meador adds.

“Matthew is quick to offer a helping hand when his coworkers need support,” she says. “If he can help a staff member by taking a bus duty, supporting a struggling student, or supervising a class, he will do it (and he has!). Sometimes teaching is unpredictable. It's a privilege to have people like Matthew around when unpredictability strikes!”

Five Reasons Prom Excels as a Teacher

1. Fast Learner: If he seems to already know how to be a good teacher and colleague, that may be because of Prom’s talent. Quick to absorb a skill, Prom, easily taught himself how to juggle.

2. Big Heart: Then there’s his generous heart, which inspired him to team up with the Primary School PE Teacher to hold two major events: the Fun Run, which brought in dollars to add PE and recess equipment, and the Kids Heart Challenge, a fundraiser for the American Heart Association that incorporated activities including jump roping.

3. OSU: His time at OSU also fine-tuned his natural gift with a master’s program that Prom called “extraordinary” and required a term of teaching at three different schools.

4. Teachers: He’s known his own career path since he was young, so he’s had time to develop his skills. Teachers encouraged him. In fact, his Middle School PE Teacher specifically suggested Prom pursue the Education program at OSU. 

5. Family: Not only did his teachers encourage him, his family did. 

Prom is surrounded by teachers. His father was a personal finance/marketing teacher, his mom, a high school math teacher. His wife is also a high school math teacher, which Prom jokes is probably why she and his mom “get along really well.” The only one around him who isn’t a teacher is his little brother, who’s pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Forest Engineering at OSU.

Although Prom grew up in Molalla, he attended classes in the Gladstone School District where his parents worked so that they could keep tabs on him. His wife, Andra, is his High School sweetheart, a junior whom he charmed despite only being a freshman.

Whatever the reason he excels as a teacher, now he is a PE teacher as he always hoped to be, able to give back to students and maybe someday become a coach as supportive as the ones he had when he played soccer, baseball, and basketball as a student (focusing only on the first two while in High School).

“I wanted to help other kids have the same enjoyment from sports and activities that I found when I was growing up,” Prom says.

To share stories on the North Marion School District, email Communications Specialist Jillian Daley at jillian.daley@nmarion.k12.or.us.