Mike Deneui joined the Lick-Wilmerding community last year as a substitute teacher for the Spanish Department, and this year is returning for a second year as a full-time teacher. Profe D., as his students call him, teaches Spanish 4, enriching the language learning experience with fun games and a vibrant classroom community.
Deneui grew up in a small town in Iowa, and when asked about his high school years there, he said, “they were pretty dramatic.” He described himself as being a part of the “theater clique” in high school, and especially enjoyed performing in Christmas productions. Although he grew up in Iowa, Deneui has been living in San Francisco for the past 25 years. He loves the city’s culture and diversity, describing SF as a “magical place.” He was introduced to LWHS by a friend, and figured that it was the perfect place to expand his teaching abilities. In addition to teaching at LWHS, he is currently taking a class on teaching diversity at San Francisco State University.
Outside the classroom, Deneui has a brand new baby boy who was born at the beginning of August. This was a month earlier than expected, but he jokes, “[The baby] was very polite. He knew that I needed two weeks to get settled in [before school started].” In his spare time, which is far and few nowadays with the new baby, he enjoys listening to music, especially Judy Garland. Denuei hopes that his students know that he is approachable and always “accessible for their successes.”
