Spotlight on Justin

Although Justin Sparks has been teaching 6th grade English and Social Studies at KLS for more than 3 years, many students do not know about what he does out of the classroom. For starters, he leads the Middle and High School Cross Country and Track teams, rock climbs, and games in his free time. Read on to learn more about what Justin does outside of teaching at KLS!

Some of his hobbies include rock climbing, which he is very serious about. Before teaching at KLS, he ended up climbing Ecuador’s famous Cotopaxi mountain. Situated in the Andes, this volcanic mountain is more than 19,000 feet tall, making it a huge feat of any climber. To state the obvious, he also enjoys running long distances so much, he coaches a team. Justin also loves gaming, specifically tabletop RPGs (role-playing games), like dungeons and dragons, although he is up for trying anything new.

Justin also has some hot-takes when it comes for food, stating that eggs are his favorite. Specifically, his favorite dish would be corned beef hash with an over-easy egg over the top. When asked about the highly controversial “Does pineapple belong on pizza,” Justin excitedly exclaimed that it was the best topping, and that it was meant to be on pizza.  Additionally, he has an interesting opinion on desserts, stating that they are extremely overrated. Despite this, he does enjoy caramel as his favorite ice cream flavor, and blackberry cobbler as his overall favorite dessert.

When it comes to his classroom life, Justin’s favorite subjects to teach are History and English. He especially enjoys diving into short thriller stories, particularly those written by Edgar Allan Poe. His enthusiasm for storytelling and mystery often keeps students engaged and on their toes. When asked which grade he likes teaching the most, he didn’t hesitate to say sixth grade, explaining that it’s the perfect balance between educated, but innocent. According to him, middle schoolers still have that perfect mix of curiosity and humor that makes every day fun.

Outside of class, Justin keeps things lighthearted. He also has some controversial hot takes. He’s also known for being a bit unconventional, admitting that he likes to wear sandals (or even go barefoot) while grading papers because “shoes suck.” 

When he’s not in the classroom or climbing mountains, Justin enjoys spending time outdoors, hiking, or exploring new places. His dream vacation is traveling to Nepal to go climbing in the Himalayas (if you haven’t already guessed something along the lines of that). If he somehow gained an extra hour in the day, he’d spend it out in nature, far from the busy Bay Area. And while some people might dream about time-traveling to another era, Justin says he’s perfectly fine staying in the present. He memorably mentioned that he would hate to live in any other period of time because healthcare is 

His favorite word is “equipaije,” an old-fashioned Spanish term for luggage. When it comes to entertainment, he’s a fan of the sitcom “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” and when asked which kind of music he likes best, he simply said, “literally everything.” Apparently, he has spotify playlists for every single genre of music you can imagine, from Japanese pop to Jazz.

As for his best memories at KLS, Justin recalls his first year fondly trudging up the hill and getting muddy feet, and a moment known among teachers as the “release the trout” story (ask him about it if you’re confused). His advice for students is simple but meaningful: “It’s gonna be fine.”

So, if you ever run into Justin Sparks in KLS, you can connect with him more after learning all these new things about him. Though this is his fourth year, many don’t know these interesting facts about him. Now that you’ve read this article, maybe strike up a conversation about his rock-climbing adventures or speak a little Spanish with him!