Substitute teacher Tom Head, once called “Tom” in varying tones of sternness, is carpooling to work on a Monday morning. His mother glances at him through the corner of her eye and smiles. English teacher Cathy Head’s son is going to school.

Except, he is “Cathy’s son” no more. He is “Mr. Head,” the substitute teacher. The “chill” one, a 22-year-old who seems to understand student struggles more than anyone else on campus.

After graduating from SHS in 2010, Head attended UC Davis, where he majored in psychology. It wasn’t until his third year in college that he decided he wanted to become a teacher.

“I started considering ways of combining my love of helping people and being kind of a social worker with actually earning money,” Head said. “I realized that teaching was my true calling and that perhaps I should revisit that idea.”

Head’s first teaching inspiration may be traced back to Cathy Head, the current AP Literature teacher who has taught at the school for 26 years.

“Probably the closest [person] to a mentor would be my mother,” Head said. “I have year round to ask her questions about her experience as a teacher in California and as a teacher [in New Jersey].”

Head was even able to witness his mother’s teaching style first hand, having taken her AP Literature class during his senior year.

“It was just a very comfortable atmosphere,” Head said. “My mother and I get along very well, which hopefully eased the rest of the class into a more comfortable state.”

Head used this experience to hone his own teaching style and now creates an exceptionally relaxing atmosphere in the classroom. There is almost no pressure to feign overdone enthusiasm for a subject, no need to put on a facade. Under Head’s guidance, honesty comes without consequences.  

“[My mom’s teaching] influenced my own philosophy when it comes to being true to yourself,” Head said. “[Try to be] professional,  but don’t try to be someone you’re not. Students who’ve had me as a sub know I am far from serious and I can joke around for a bit; if I try to be a straight-edged sub, it would be clearly a false front.”

Students appreciate his efforts, and some, like junior Sanam Mohan call him “one of the best substitutes [they] have had.”

“Because he is an alumni, he is very relatable and humorous,” Mohan said. “[It’s] definitely a pleasant surprise whenever I have him as a sub. He gets respect from students because they enjoy talking to him, and he is still a really effective sub.”

Although Head was not an English major, he aims to attend San Jose State University for an English teaching credential. He says he might pursue other teaching credentials later, but he is content with English for now.

“I am comfortable talking to students about literature and their own writing,” Head said. “It just seems like a good fit for me. Whenever I have subbed for English classes, it [felt] right.”

Head was able to pursue a career that he personally felt happiest in, instead of one that gave him the most financial stability. He says that he feels that he is making a difference when teaching.

“[Teaching is] the ability to help people fulfill their potential, not just through the academics and classwork, but also through talking about life advice or just college ideas,” Head said.

Head enjoys subbing at Saratoga and feels lucky to have such a comfortable working environment. His work ensures that he is almost always on campus, near his mother and friends.

Even better, some of the teachers specifically request for Head as sub when they are absent. Because Head is so familiar with the staff, the teachers often tailor their lesson plans to fit his skills.

“One of the first times I subbed for Ms. Keys’ English 10 class, she knew that I was going to be her sub and so she wrote a lesson plan that … actually involved me teaching,” Head said. “It drew on my strengths as a psychology student and incorporated Freud because you can talk about Freud in the book [‘The Lord of the Flies’].”

Ironically, as a teacher, Head is now learning more than ever. Studying has extended outside of school, though Head’s attitude toward this is more of welcome than resentment.

“I believe that it should be everyone’s lifelong goal to continue to educate themselves in whatever form that may be,” Head said. “Mine takes the place both of formal learning, of studying textbooks and such, as well as personal growth.”

Head’s trademark happy-go-lucky personality sets him apart from even the most experienced teachers. Whereas teachers and students find difficulty mingling due to the difference in positions, Head paradoxically combines friendship and authority.

To students, Head only has a message of gratitude: “Teaching at Saratoga is a pleasure every day and a lot of that is [your] response to me. Thanks for being so positive. I love it.”