New Teacher Profile: Dr. Tom Schnoebelen

New+Teacher+Profile%3A+Dr.+Tom+Schnoebelen

Addy Smith, Reporter

Dubbed “DSchnoeb” by his students, Dr. Tom Schnoebelen has been teaching for 25 years. But Schnoebelen’s 26th year will be filled with firsts.

The new City High Chemistry teacher has spent his last 25 years at Washington High School in Cedar Rapids, and this year will be his first at any other school. As a lifelong Iowa City resident, Schnoebelen has felt a strong urge to come teach at City High.

[City High] is really where my heart has been. When this job became open my first thought was this is going to be a really good fit for me,” Schnoebelen said. “Our children go to City High and I have been helping out with the Sophomore football team for the past couple of years, and both of those experiences have just really pulled me back here. I feel like I’m finally at home.”

Dr. Schnoebelen has also never had any of his five children in any of his classes before. But this year, his oldest son Joey, is a member of Schnoebelen’s fifth period AP Chemistry class.

“This year will be very interesting. I’m sure it will be a little awkward at first, for Joey, and for me,” Schnoebelen said. “But the bottom line is that I enjoy having him in class very much. And I think that as things go along he will always be treated just like any other student.”

Schnoebelen loves teaching chemistry because the topics he covers in class are all ‘very relevant and applicable to students.’

“When we do something as difficult as electrochemistry, as difficult as that may be, it is such an important topic because that is the basis behind batteries, electricity, and really all of the technology that we have today.”

To add to his many duties, when a door closes on the school day, another door opens towards the football field for Dr. Schnoebelen. This is his third year serving as a volunteer assistant coach for the Sophomore football team.  

“I really like working with the students outside of the classroom. Football is such a complicated game, like Chemistry, and there’s so much to learn about the game. [Helping out with the team] has been such a wonderful and positive experience.”

When it comes to giving advice to high school students, Schnoebelen offers up three words of wisdom.

“There are three words that you have to live by. You have to prepare, anything that you do in life you have to be prepared for. Preparation leads to confidence, which leads to success. This is true for Advanced Placement Chemistry, in football, and in life.”