High school rival turned mentor

Matt Lauer is a first-year teacher at Oakland Mills High School. He teaches history and graduated from Catonsville High School before going to California University of Pennsylvania, where he studied education and played soccer.

Lauer did not always plan on becoming a teacher. In fact, his own experience as a student helped push him toward teaching.

“I chose teaching because I was a bad student,” Lauer said. “I was giving teachers a hard time. After reflecting on that, I realized I gotta chill out, I gotta give back, and be like the teachers that were patient with me and helped me through it all.”

Before teaching, Lauer thought he would become a mechanic. He has always liked cars and works on his own car and his family’s cars. That changed after he started coaching at Catonsville High School.

“I realized, ‘Hey, I’m really good with students,’ getting to understand them, trying to get them motivated, and trying to connect with them,” Lauer said. “So from there, I thought, why not be a teacher like my mom?”

Sports were also a big part of Lauer’s life. He played soccer and baseball in high school and continued playing soccer in college. His soccer career ended after he broke his ankle during his freshman year.

“I tried, but like I said earlier, I broke my ankle, and that was kinda the end of my dream,” Lauer said. “I still can’t run. Now I got two big metal plates in my ankle.”

After graduating from college in May 2025, Lauer started substitute teaching. He eventually got a call from Troy Stevenson about an opening at Oakland Mills.

“We got a spot here if you want it,” Lauer remembered Stevenson telling him. “I said yes, and the rest is history.”

Now that he is at OM, Lauer is focused on getting better as a teacher.

“I know I’m in my first year or two, and it’s definitely a little bumpy getting through it, getting all the material I need, and continuing to keep going as I go,” he said.

Lauer believes patience is one of the most important things a teacher can have. Last year, he had a student who was disruptive and had trouble sitting still. Instead of getting angry, Lauer took the student into the hallway and talked to him.

He found out the student had a lot going on at home and was stressed because family members were constantly calling him.

“That was one moment where I was like, ‘Let’s sit down, let’s relax, and let’s get through this,’” Lauer said. “I helped him through it, and now today he’s one of my best students.”

Lauer also thinks communication is one of the biggest problems teachers face.

“Communication with students. It’s the biggest thing, and social media is a big thing too,” Lauer said.

Technology can also make things harder because students have grown up using it more than many teachers have.

“You guys’ class is coming up, you’re very tech savvy, and that’s a thing that older teachers and even myself are a little bit behind that curve compared to you guys,” he said.

Another problem for teachers is time. Lauer said teachers sometimes have to shorten lessons or make them longer depending on what happens during the school day. He thinks better planning between teachers could help with this.

Lauer is also still getting used to how school rules work from a teacher’s point of view. He brought up the school’s phone policy as one example.

“When I was in school, it was one and done,” Lauer said. “And that’s something that I don’t agree with, but I see the reason why.”

His experiences with his own teachers also affect the way he teaches now. Lauer remembers teachers who had short tempers or would not help students when they had questions.

“They would just look at me and tell me to figure it out,” he said.

He also dislikes when experienced teachers act like they are better than newer teachers. So far, he said that has not been a problem for him at Oakland Mills.

“The history department here has been really nice to me and really helped me out with any questions,” Lauer said.

Lauer’s idea of a perfect school is pretty simple.

“My perfect school is a place where everybody gets along, nobody really argues, not skipping class, tons of respect, and people are pushing each other to do better, not just in sports but also academics,” he said.

He thinks Oakland Mills has already made progress toward that.

“I think from last year to this year, I already see improvement in things like being to class on time, phone usage, and in-class participation,” Lauer said. “I don’t have to bribe them with Jolly Ranchers for them to interact with the lesson.”

If he could teach another subject besides history, Lauer said he would pick science. He also said his favorite mascot is Poe from the Baltimore Ravens.

When asked what advice he would give his younger self, Lauer kept it simple.

“Keep going,” he said. “It’s going to be rough, but you gotta keep going. There’s gonna be a light at the end of the tunnel. Keep going, keep moving. It may be difficult at the moment, but the outcome is definitely worth it.”

He had similar advice for students who want to become teachers.

“Take the time to know your class, know what you’re teaching, have things prepared, and be ready for anything,” Lauer said. “Nothing is ever fully written in stone, especially when it comes to students.”