Jared Duval – It All Starts At Home

According to Jared DuVal, making a difference in kids’ lives starts at home. “It doesn’t have to be overly complicated; it’s just things like turning off the TV and being together as a family, eating dinner together every night, eliminating some of the distractions,” he says. “Once you start spending time together, learning opportunities come up naturally.”

This PE teacher practices what he preaches

Jared very intentionally practices what he preaches. During the school day, he works as the physical education (PE) teacher and athletic director at Bend Elementary School in Red Bluff, CA. After the last bell rings, “Mr. D,” as many kids call him, turns his attention to coaching soccer, basketball, cross-country or softball before his hour-long commute home.

No matter how busy the day is, Jared looks forward to walking in the door to spend time with his wife and their sons Wyatt, 17; Behr, 8; and Maverick, 6. When not attending or coaching his sons’ sports events, Jared enjoys taking them out fishing or hunting, working out with his oldest son, or simply playing in the yard together. “He’s a great dad,” says Samantha “Sam” Hermann, Jared’s friend and former coworker, “He’s very involved. He and Katrina parent very well together; they make a great team.”

Jared has a deep appreciation for his role as a teacher. “My favorite part of my job is just being with kids all day long. I feel very fortunate I get the opportunity to work with people’s kids,” he says. “Children are the most important thing to parents, so it’s a privilege to be able to make a positive difference in their lives.”

It’s ok to jump in with the kids

Jared quite literally jumps into this privilege. Sam, who spent her first three years of teaching under Jared’s coaching, puts it this way: “As PE teachers, we need to observe a lot. Sometimes we forget it’s okay to jump in and enjoy that time with the kids. Jared doesn’t think twice about jumping into a game, getting involved with the kids, and just being that positive example. They really like that and they feel inspired when they see Jared doing the activities with them.”

And perhaps Jared just can’t restrain himself from participating. After all, his classes involve a wide range of physical fun, including non-traditional PE sports like archery, shuffleboard and bicycle riding. “We do a wide breadth of things throughout the school year, so hopefully all students find something they’re interested in. I want to keep it fun for them,” he says.

Coaching in a calm and positive way

As the only PE teacher at Bend Elementary, Jared interacts with each student at the school, from kindergarten through eighth grade. To offer the best possible physical education experience, he works hard to identify and keep track of each student’s developing skills, interests, and needs. Sam marvels at the encouraging way Jared guides his students. “He coaches in such a calm and positive manner even when he’s giving criticism,” she says. “That can be really hard for a lot of people, but the way Jared does it the kids don’t shut down.”

Part of Jared’s success in teaching and coaching comes from the philosophy he shares with Evergreen Union School District. “We’re about building character and releasing quality humans into the world,” he says. “I’m teaching sports and how to be physically literate, but at the same time we’re really trying to learn how to be part of a team, how to persevere, how to treat people with respect and kindness, and other life skills.”

“It’s huge for kids to have a positive male role model”

According to Jason Jueckstock, who has built a friendship with Jared over several years of raising kids, hunting and going to church together, Jared can impart these life skills to students because he possesses them himself. “It’s huge for kids to have a positive male role model,” Jason says, “and Jared leads by example. If it’s a running day, he’ll be out there running with them. That’s just the kind of guy he is.”

Before becoming a teacher, Jared earned a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology and worked as a wildland firefighter. After earning his teaching credential and teaching for a few years, he entered the police force for a short span of time before being drawn back to teaching. While the twists in this career path may seem surprising, Jared says the challenges of each job “taught me to have a positive attitude.” He offers this advice to other change-makers: “If you can choose to have a positive attitude, keep your sense of humor and surround yourself with good people, most endeavors in life can be fulfilling.”