Mr. Noland is always such a great teacher and a very positive person as well. He can put a smile on kid’s faces and everyone seems to be having fun when he is teaching. He is just one of those people who has this great skill. Even though he was born in Washington D.C., he spent somewhat little time in the United States. While moving back and forth, Mr. Noland spent the next 13 years of his life going in and out of Latin America; Living in a certain area for three years and then moving on to a new place. He grew up being the youngest of three children, having an older brother and an older sister. 
During his years in Latin America and the United States, he said his favorite thing to do as a kid was to water ski. When I asked him if he had a role model growing up, he said, “Yes”, then paused and mentioned that this person was his father who was a spy back in the day. Mr. Noland attended Durango High School and his favorite subject during that time was history. He graduated in 1974 and headed off to Mesa State College.
Before teaching, Mr. Noland said he had many, many jobs such as working in the court system, being a part of the US Coast Guard (Thanks so much for your service to this country!), and many others. When I asked why he wanted to become a teacher, he pondered the thought and eventually said that it had to do with everything negative he saw while working in the court system, especially with kids. Mr. Noland has been teaching for 17 years and 5 of those years are here at Fruita 8/9. When asked about his favorite thing about teaching at Fruita 8/9, he said that he enjoys the students and the staff who are all really amazing. He has a wife, whose name is Janet, and they have been married for 40 years this Saturday, congratulations! Mr. Noland and his wife have raised three daughters and also have five grandkids. As of now, his favorite hobbies include boating, water skiing, and just being outdoors enjoying nature. Some things on his bucket list include, visiting all 50 states in America, possibly going back to South America, and retirement.
Mr. Noland always has a smile on his face and can put a smile on his students’ faces as well. He such an amazing, positive person and is a real asset to this school. Gracias, Senor Noland!