I grew up listening to the sound of my mother teaching piano in my living room. Every day after school, I knew I had to come in the back door quietly, sneak around the corner, and dash up the stairs to my room. I heard her patience and her persistence. I heard her firmly correct and redirect. Most importantly, I heard the joy she had at every little success. Ultimately, I think that joy is why I became a teacher.
My home was in Omaha, NE. In terms of school I learned math from nuns, how to question from Jesuits, and everything else from the giant public school downtown. I went on to study Television Engineering at the University of Nebraska at Omaha for a few semesters. Leaving that behind, I played music and travelled until school felt right. In 1992, I landed at the University of Southern California. I graduated with a major in Comparative Literature and Art History.
After working in theatre (sound design, acting, and administration) and photography, I met my wife in a book club here in Seattle. Kristin was (and is) a teacher. The stories she brought home were far more interesting than my work stories. Her joy reminded me of my mother’s, and it brought me full circle into teaching. I got my Masters degree from the University of Washington in 2006 and started teaching 4th and 5th grade at Coe Elementary. During all this, my family has grown to include two phenomenal daughters, Ruth and Iris.
I grew up in a small town in Guangdong province, China. In August 2014, I immigrated to the United States with my husband. After settling down in Seattle, I spent around three years at Seattle Central College to learn English and I got my AA degree in 2017. In the same year, I transferred to the University of Washington, majored in Early Childhood and Family Study, and I earned my BA degree in 2019. As an ESL student, I met lots of language and academic barriers in my study way, but luckily, I got lots of support from schools. For dual language learners, it is very important to provide help and support to them as well as their families. I love to be an ELL Bilingual Instructional Assistant. I would like to try my best to support ELLs and their families in our community.
My name is Charles Wenzel and I am thrilled to be a fourth-grade teacher again this year!
I am originally from Portland, but have lived in Washington since attending college at Gonzaga University. Outside of school, I love to spend time outdoors enjoying the amazing waterways, mountains, and forests that we are so lucky to have here in the Pacific Northwest.
In my free time, I enjoy activities such as fishing, hiking, snowboarding, kiteboarding, and taking my golden retriever, Oakley, to the beach. I also love to cheer on my favorite sports teams. Go Seahawks and Gonzaga Bulldogs!
"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." -Nelson Mandela
In the 20 plus years I have been a teacher in Seattle, I have taught many grade levels at a couple different schools. I have been at Hay since 2004 and I am teaching one of my favorite grades, fourth grade. I have a Masters in Curriculum and Instruction and a BA in Sociology-anthropology. I hold high expectations for all of my students and love to sing with my class as often as possible.
