Mr. Glossenger, taught US/World History I and Contemporary Issues at Clayton High School from the ’08-’09 school year. He taught Marquette High School before returning to CHS for the ’14-’15 school year.

Audrey: Why’d you come back to Clayton?
Mr. Glossenger: Clayton is how school should be. If you picture how a school ought to operate and what the culture should be like––that’s Clayton. That’s why I came back. I had to apply for Mr. Bale’s job which was a pretty competitive process because a lot of people want to work at Clayton. I managed to get back here and I’m pretty happy about it.

Audrey: Where were you from?
Mr. Glossenger: I grew up in Indiana and then Michigan. I went to high school in Tennessee and then I went to college school at Truman. I wasn’t even planning to go to college.

Audrey: You didn’t plan to go to college?
Mr. Glossenger: No, most people at my high school did not go to college. It just was not the thing. My high school wasn’t very well off. If you take Clayton––well the opposite of Clayton––that’s where I went to high school. So I came here and was like, “Wow, this is cool!” and the kids here act like, “Oh, it’s high school, whatever.” And I’m like, “No, this is really cool! I love this place! I love coming here everyday because I wish I had this. I think about how my government classes were––I teach government––my government classes were terrible. I hope the ones that I teach are at least better, I don’t know, we’ll see.

Audrey: What made you want to go into education?
Mr. Glossenger: It’s a long story. Basically, I spent some time in Africa and worked at the local school that was near the university. It was just kinda like a lightbulb went off. It was also in a real literal sense––I was reading a book by Jonathan Kozol who writes a lot about education inequalities. And in Ghana there was a lot of time where there wasn’t power––they had cycled power on and off for 12 hours. So I was in the library––the basement library in the education section just reading. I was halfway through the chapter on inequality in the Saint Louis area and the lights literally went off. So I was like––OK well I guess this is kind of a sign. And it just occurred to me I really liked working with students. I liked school. I liked high school and I liked college––I was in college at that point.

Audrey: What do you like doing in your free time?
Mr. Glossenger: This. And that makes me sound really lame. WAIT A SECOND, let me think about that before you quote me in the newspaper. Uh…

Audrey: Reading books on educational philosophy?
Mr. Glossenger: It’s a really good book! It’s over there––I think I have it. Here we are––Jonathan Kozol.
Anyways, free time––I’m a Speech and Debate coach I guess, that sucks up my time. I work with Mr. Seiwell. No, but seriously this is like my life. During the summer I get really sad. That’s funny, but it was probably the middle of July and I was talking to my wife like, “Julie, I want to go back to work.”

Audrey: Why do you enjoy it so much?
Mr. Glossenger: I guess I enjoy the culture where people want to know more things and improve their lives. And school is that place for me. School is a safe place for students. School is a place where you can grow. I like being here. It’s kinda boring when the students aren’t here though. I mean I enjoy the environment, but without students, it’s sort of sad. The worst days of being a teacher are those teacher prep days right before the school year starts because you’re really excited like –– “I wanna get started, I wanna get started. Okay––it’s two o’clock in the afternoon where are my students?”
A lot of teachers have hobbies, and that’s great. I have hobbies too. I collect records. I like listening to music and records and stuff.

Audrey: What music do you listen to?
Mr. Glossenger: 1970’s british punk. I like the hipster stuff. I like to go to hip places. My students at Marquette thought I was a hipster. I’m not really sure that I am. I think I like stuff before hipsters like it––they just follow me. I’m just avant-garde.

Audrey: So you’re so hipster you’re not a hipster?
Mr. Glossenger: Yes. Thank you. Exactly. Finally someone who understands. So yeah, I like to go out and go to restaurants and travel. That’s normal stuff. Who doesn’t like that stuff?
Anything else you want to know? I went to high school with Taylor Swift. My dad was on Judge Judy.

Audrey: Oh my god. Tell me about them.
Mr. Glossenger: Which one first?

Audrey: Did you know Taylor Swift?
Mr. Glossenger: I was a senior when she was a freshman.

Audrey: Was she pretty?
Mr. Glossenger: I didn’t know. Couldn’t tell you what she looked like.

Audrey: So you didn’t even see her really?
Mr. Glossenger: Yeah, no. There’s a rumor that I saw her.

Audrey: I should tell the Globe you dated Taylor Swift.
Mr. Glossenger: No, I did not date Taylor Swift.

Audrey: Do you like her music?
Mr. Glossenger: Couldn’t tell you any songs. I’m that bad. The rumor is that I’m mentioned in one of her songs.

Audrey: I think I’ve heard that.
Mr. Glossenger: There’s a song called Fifteen. I couldn’t tell you the melody. When I was a senior I was kind of creepy. I’d say stuff like, “Oh, I haven’t seen you around here before,” which is a really stupid thing to say to a freshman because they obviously haven’t been around. But apparently that’s in a song and I’m like I said that to freshman and that’s in her song about being a freshman.

Audrey: Why was your dad on Judge Judy?
Mr. Glossenger: He was on Judge Judy because he was a werewolf and a guy punched him.

Audrey: Wait, what?
Mr. Glossenger: He was a werewolf and––

Audrey: Why was he a werewolf?
Mr. Glossenger: He worked at a haunted house for a long time and this guy punched him in the face. The guy was like 19, was drunk, and my dad jumped out and was like, “RAWR!” and the guy punched him in the face. I guess I wasn’t there, but I got to meet Judge Judy.

Audrey: So your dad was found in the right?
Mr. Glossenger: Yes––yes. Judge Judy made fun of him at first––His normal job was credit union president. And she was like––what a dumb hobby to do where you run the risk of getting punched in the face. My dad was just like, “I’m really good at being a werewolf. I really love it.” She just kept commenting it was the stupidest hobby she had ever heard of. So maybe that’s why I don’t have a hobby. I was sitting in the back room eating the green room food. I was along for the ride. It was taped on my 17th birthday. I got to see Hollywood. They flew us out there for free.

Audrey: Judge Judy doesn’t actually hold this in court, does she?
Mr. Glossenger: Yes she does. My dad was suing this guy for cost since he had to go get an x-ray. And the producers look for interesting sounding small claims cases. They go to both parties and they say, “Okay, if you will agree to go on Judge Judy we will fly you and one or two other people to LA and put you in a hotel for three days, feed you, and we’ll pay for everything. The agreement is if you lost the lawsuit you’d have to pay Judge Judy the amount that you’re being sued. Judge Judy will immediately pay the person who was suing––whatever the judgement is. So it’s in the interest of the person who is suing someone to say yes because Judge Judy will write you a check. If you sue somebody in small claims court you may not get paid right off the bat. If you’re the person getting sued––lets say for 300 bucks––you just got an all expenses paid vacation to Hollywood. So you don’t even care. You’re like––”Yeah, I’ll go to Hollywood!” The guy basically fessed up––he was like, “Yeah, I punched the guy in the face. I feel really bad about it. And Judge Judy’s like, “Wait a second––time out,” and they had to re-tape the episode because they basically said, “Okay sir, you’re gonna have to be way more combative and be like, No, I didn’t punch him.””

Audrey: So it is somewhat staged?
Mr. Glossenger: Well, some of those people who are kinda nuts are not staged. Some of those people are really out there and weird. The audience is totally paid actors so I couldn’t sit in the audience. They said I could’ve sat with my dad as a witness, but Judge Judy would call on me. I was like, “Nope! I’ll sit in the back room and eat.” It was an interesting time. It was a good time. I got a signed picture with Judge Judy that says “Best wishes to Daniel––Judge Judy.” I should frame it and put it in my classroom.

Audrey: I heard about a puppet story?
Mr. Glossenger: Yeah––I have a puppet of myself. He’s right there above the speaker. He’s holding a cup of coffee. I have a matching outfit with the puppet––he’s wearing a blue vest and a red shirt. I sometimes wear it.

Audrey: Do you use the puppet then?
Mr. Glossenger: On days I wear the outfit––Yes, I have been known to wear the outfit.

Audrey: When are you going to wear the outfit?
Mr. Glossenger: Probably not any time soon. Right now I’m trying to get the students to think I’m legit and all that. No one’s asked me about him yet. I’ve been waiting for a student to ask me what that is.

Audrey: Is there anything you’d like to add?
Mr. Glossenger: I’m just really happy to be here.

Audrey: We’re really happy to have you as well.