Can you briefly introduce yourself?
“My name is Danilo Escobar. I teach AP World History and American Government, and I’ve been teaching here since 2007.”
Why are you the ‘World Famous Mr. Escobar’?
“There’s a restaurant in Japantown, and on their menu, they have something called “World Famous Ribs.” And this is a local restaurant, right, so it’s kind of funny. Like, how world famous are they? I was kind of thinking, ‘Well, I’m as world famous as these ribs.’ So, I thought that was funny.”
What got you into teaching?
“I was a business major in college, and I was mostly doing that because my sister was a business major in college. As I was going through it, I realized I did not have the same goals that everyone else in the major seemed to have, and this competitive thing wasn’t jiving with me. At the same time, my significant other was studying to be an elementary school teacher, and everything that she was telling me about what she was learning sounded way more interesting than what I was studying. My junior year, I decided that I was probably not going to get a job in business and wanted to go into education instead.”
How did you find yourself teaching? Why do you enjoy teaching?
“I always liked history, but really, I just like teaching. I don’t really care about the subject. It’s like I’m painting a scene, but the brush that I’m using happens to be history this time. The psychology behind learning and education is interesting to me. And as I’m trying to help students make sense of something, it allows me to make more sense of the thing that I’m trying to communicate to them. I guess I’m like an addict to learning. What I’m doing all day is a way of honing my learning skills. Rather than being an academic, doing my own research, I’m just cooped up in and kind of focusing on students going through that process. It can be very rewarding to see students grow.”
Are there any life experiences that you think have really shaped or affected you?
“I guess the only thing would be the day that I decided I wasn’t going to be a business major. That was a trying time for me because it did not make my parents very happy. And, that was the first time I’ve ever done something that was out of the ordinary and slightly risky. That really displeased my parents. They thought I was making a rash decision and thought it wasn’t very thought out. I stuck to my guns. I also compromised with them in the end, but I did stick to my guns. And, I think the fact that I did that kind of makes me happy. That was like the first time I really pushed against my parents.”
Can you tell us about any hobbies you’ve picked up?
“I have a habit of just, if I like a song, or I like the sound of an instrument, I try to buy a cheap version of that instrument. And then I try to learn a couple songs on it. Right now, I’ve been chipping away at my Irish tin whistle. It kind of looks like a recorder. I’ll just try to learn little songs on it. That’s just a little thing that I do to pass time every once in a while, especially when I send the kids to breakout rooms. I was listening to the Lord of the Rings soundtrack; they use a tin whistle there.”
