Mr. Chad Wilshusen

A teacher’s choice of their profession is often influenced by the impact and role model of a teacher in their family or in a classroom where they were once a student. Chad Wilshusen’s comments about his background are a good example of this: “I grew up as a part of a Lutheran church and school where my father was a teacher, coach and administrator. Much of the culture of that school and Valley are the same, and getting a behind the scenes look at the life of a Lutheran teacher growing up helped prepare me for the types of things that teachers do in Lutheran schools. I am so thankful for my father’s example in that regard.”

Mr. Wilshusen graduated from Concordia University Nebraska with endorsements in both Chemistry and Spanish as part of his Secondary Education degree, but a significant part of that professional education was his student teaching in the fall of 2010. Where? At Valley Lutheran under the supervision of Joe Richter!

Following his graduation, he taught for five years at Concordia Jr./Sr High School in Omaha, Nebraska before returning to Phoenix where he is now in his fourth year on staff. He currently teaches Chemistry, AP Chemistry, Environmental Science, and Senior Theology. He is also the head coach for cross country and track and field. He is a member of the National Science Teaching Association and the newly formed American Association of Chemistry Teachers, which he explains is a project of the American Chemical Society to share resources and professional development opportunities with chemists in education.

One senior student says that having Mr. Wilshusen as a teacher helped her find her love of chemistry, even to the point of wanting chemistry to be her college major. Another student commented on his sense of humor, and also added, “He has been someone who has helped me strengthen my faith and I’m extremely appreciative of that.”