Steve Kohler: An SMCC fixture

This story was featured in the April 2023 edition of Sandusky Living magazine. If you're interested in purchasing a copy, call the Register at 419-502-2130 while supplies last. You've likely heard about Steve Kohler. From his singing appearances at athletic events to his mock trial students making it to the regional competition during a historic season and his unique music projects, the longtime educator might be the face of St. Mary Central Catholic High School. Kohler, 62, is in his 40th year teaching history and government at SMCC. He, also, during the school day, has a mock trial class and advises the school's Teen Leadership Corps community service class, which he's done since 2010. He's stayed at SMCC because the school and Sandusky, in general, have been good to him. "I've enjoyed my time here," Kohler said. Choosing education The Sandusky County native arrived at St. Mary Central Catholic High School after graduating from Bowling Green State University in 1983. He graduated from Gibsonburg High School in 1979. After arriving at BGSU, Kohler initially didn't choose to study education. "My original major was broadcast journalism," he said. "My goal was to be a radio announcer for the Detroit Tigers since I grew up a fan. "But I took a couple of journalism classes at Bowling Green my freshman year, and it didn't hit me like I thought it would," he said. "Teaching was always kind of a fallback plan for me, so, early in my sophomore year, I made the switch to education. I knew it would be social studies education since it was, by far my favorite subject in school. I enjoyed student teaching and stayed with it." Kohler had multiple influences that guided him toward his career path. As a child, he loved school and learning, and his father got him interested in reading history books. "I've always loved watching movies about history, wars and politics, so I knew that if I didn't become a teacher, it had to be something involving history," Kohler said. Kohler's high school history teacher, Tom Brown, was his education inspiration. "Mr. Brown was, by far, my favorite teacher in high school and definitely inspired me," Kohler said. "He was very knowledgeable and taught history like it was a story. "I was impressed by how much he knew — he was strict but also injected a sense of humor into his lessons. You just absorbed his lectures." Initially, after graduating college, Kohler's job search didn't go smoothly. "It took me a while to find a job because it was hard to find social studies jobs in those days," he said. Kohler was working as a substitute teacher and living with his parents in Gibsonburg when he got the call to interview at St. Mary Central Catholic High School. "I went to an interview, got the job and have been here ever since," he said. "I was fortunate that when I was hired at Sandusky Central Catholic, I could pick up the previous teacher's U.S. history and government classes. When I got the job, I could make it my own and keep it." Kohler teaches required U.S. history and government classes for sophomores and juniors in addition to honors U.S. history and government courses. When teaching U.S. history, Kohler's favorite era is the Cold War. "People ask me about that all the time," he said about his favorite historical era. "I used to be a big Civil War guy — I still love it. The Cold War and what's going on with the Russians is relevant today. "Now that I'm teaching these honors history classes that go back in time, I'm interested in the foundational time in our government, like when we wrote the Constitution, fought in the Revolutionary War and how we got started as a country. But next year, I might say something else." When students sit in his history and government courses, Kohler hopes they see "that they live in a great country and they should love their country." "Is it perfect? No, but I think they should appreciate the people who have sacrificed in the past to make this country what it is and the fact that we are very lucky to live in America," he said. "I say that knowing full well that this country has made some serious mistakes, but love of country and appreciation for what you have is part of it." Seniors in Teen Leadership Corps learn through community service projects. Students in this class tutor Sandusky Central Catholic elementary students; participate in the Big Brothers Big Sisters mentoring program; raise money for charity; among other endeavors. "Teen Leadership Corps is a way to be a leader, to grow and get out of the classroom," Kohler said. "It's like 'now go and make your mark on the world.'" In a mock trial, high school students participate in simulated trials as attorneys, witnesses and bailiffs. Student attorneys in the simulated trial argue the plaintiff's and defense's sides of the case. The original cases, each year, are prepared by attorneys and focus on a relevant constitutional issue. This year, the case focused on "whether or not a school interrogation was 'custodial' and therefore necessary to read the accused student his Miranda rights," Kohler said. Local lawyers Gary Ferber and Kevin Zeiher were this school year's legal advisers and met with the team each week during competition season. "It's critical thinking, preparing a case, having an analytical mind, but it's also being able to adjust on the fly, which I think is the best thing about mock trial," Kohler said. "The student lawyers have to quickly react to what witnesses are saying from another school. "It's very theatrical in that way, with the witnesses particularly. Every adviser I've spoken with has said, 'get your drama coach in there and teach these kids.' It's a performance." At the regional competition, SMCC but lost to Keystone, of Lorain County, which advanced to the state competition. But, with all eight team members being first-year mock trial participants, making it that far is impressive. "I'm very proud of the way our mock trial students performed this year," Kohler said. "They reached a new program milestone of advancing to regionals. We competed with some excellent programs in Elyria and argued our case very well. We hope to be back next year with another fine team." Historic travels For Kohler, learning doesn't stop when school's out. During the summer months, he explores museums and takes trips to historic landmarks, like presidential centers, around the United States. He's visited the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library in Fremont in addition to the other seven Ohio presidential museums throughout the state and both Theodore and Franklin Roosevelt's libraries in New York. "They represent different periods of history, and I like nostalgia and looking at old artifacts and what people wrote down," Kohler said. "It helps us realize who we are today and what makes us a great country." He's also set foot in other iconic museums around Ohio, like the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton. "There's a lot of cool historical things to see in Ohio," he said. This past summer, Kohler explored a naval yard in Buffalo, New York, and visited the place where President William McKinley, an Ohio native, was assassinated, and Vice President Teddy Roosevelt was sworn in as president. Kohler likes to make an itinerary for places he wants to visit during the summer. For instance, he and one of his brothers planned a trip to Mount Rushmore in South Dakota. When visiting various places with sights that pique his interest, Kohler likes to, if possible, stay with family or friends living near those areas. For instance, he stayed with family in southern Ohio and went to Churchill Downs in Kentucky and the Louisville Slugger museum with his niece on the same day. "I'm a big day trip guy," Kohler said. In June, his next adventure is an Alaskan cruise. "I've never been to Alaska, and I've always wanted to go," Kohler said. Kohler's travels have included several national parks, especially many west of Ohio like Badlands and Wind Cave in South Dakota. But the list doesn't stop there. He's been to Yosemite, Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon, Death Valley and Joshua Tree in California, Arches in Utah and Cuyahoga National Park in Ohio, but his favorite national park is either Bryce Canyon or Zion national parks in Utah. "The rock structures there are breathtaking," Kohler said. "There's a lot of really beautiful sites in our country." Making memorable music From time to time, it's common to see Kohler sing the national anthem at SMCC athletic events and play his guitar during the school day. Like his passion for history, his passion for music runs deep. Since childhood, Kohler has been a singer. His father got him involved with singing because he sang in the church choir during Kohler's youth. "Whatever level of talent I have in my voice, I inherited it from him," Kohler said. "People have told me that I sound like my dad, and he was a good singer. He'd sing at weddings a lot, and, pretty soon, it got to the point where maybe my dad, Jim, and I could sing together at family weddings. "It wasn't long before he wasn't singing anymore, and it was me singing at weddings, so I've probably sung at more than 100 weddings," Kohler said. "I started singing at weddings in high school when one of my high school friends got married. "I sang back in Gibsonburg a lot and at college friends' weddings; and then when I moved here, word got out. I've sung at a lot of former students' weddings, it's always an honor to be asked to sing." About 20 years ago, Kohler added the acoustic guitar to his musical repertoire. He took guitar lessons from a colleague for about a year and a half. Kohler previously coached football and track at SMCC and, when he stopped, he decided to start the lessons. "It was something I had in the back of my mind but didn't do," Kohler said about the lessons. "Once I got the gist of it, like how to play the chords, I said 'I'm going to take this and run with it.' Maybe someday I'll learn another instrument." Kohler prefers to sing and play mostly soft rock with some occasional country songs. The music from his 1970s childhood in addition to that from the 1960s and 1980s are among his favorite music time periods. Kohler specifically enjoys playing and singing songs by artists like the Eagles, Billy Joel, the Beatles and Bob Seger. The first song he learned to play by heart was "Lyin' Eyes" by the Eagles. "I can probably play that song without looking," Kohler said. Whenever he learns new songs to play on the guitar, Kohler looks up the chords and practices them. This ritual has definitely become handy when he makes up new lyrics to existing songs while keeping the same melody. For example, last year, he played "Closing Time" by Semisonic but inserted his own lyrics in a tribute to the Class of 2022. "It's my way of saying goodbye to the seniors," Kohler said. "I don't do it every year, but it's something I've done." During the pandemic, Kohler wrote songs like "COVID 1-9" which mimics "Sweet Caroline" by Neil Diamond and "Now I'm Home" like Paul Simon's "Kodachrome." With "Kodachrome," Kohler said he started typing up his lyrics using the same melody after hearing the song on Spotify. "A lot of times, when I'm riding my bike or walking, it'll be in my head and then I need get to a computer to type it out and tweak it from there," Kohler said. Kohler estimates that it takes him a few days to write his version of a song, which he types into a Google document along with the real song's guitar chords. "Once I get the words written, and I'm satisfied with them, and I put the chords on it, it doesn't take that long to get it in my head as the new song," Kohler said. "The hardest part is writing (the new lyrics) and getting them to fit with the rhythm and tune of the old song." Kohler posts his musical spoofs on Facebook and "people seem to like them," he said. In 2021, for a class project, Kohler's students rewrote Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start The Fire" to include historical events from 2000 to 2020, beginning with Y2K and ending with Joe Biden being elected president. It's available to view on Sandusky Central Catholic School's YouTube channel. With "We Didn't Start The Fire," Kohler's college class through BGSU ended early, and he sought to fill the final three weeks of school with a meaningful learning opportunity. "I knew that they liked music and they'd buy into that type of project, so I gave each student a (calendar) year to research and come back with their ideas for the song," he said. In about a week, a new version of the song was complete, and Kohler and his students video recorded themselves singing it. Students seem to enjoy Kohler's history projects. "To me, music has always been very emotional — it's a way to express yourself when you're not talking," he said. "I'm primarily a lecture and discussion type of teacher, I'm not the most creative teacher when it comes to that. "So music, I guess, is my way to infuse creativity in the classroom. Doing something like that is a different style of teaching, and I think the kids respond to that. Everyone likes music at some level." Using music as a teaching tool also allows students to be comfortable around Kohler. "It's a way for them to open up more and relate to me and also for me to relate to them," he said. Another related music project: Kohler and selected students, in recent years at Christmas time, record "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" by John Lennon. That video's also posted on Facebook and garners rave reviews. Each year, students seek to outperform the previous year's performance by adding new features. "They'd say, 'How many likes and views did you get last year? We'll top that,'" Kohler said. This past Christmas, for instance, two students played clarinet and had the sheet music taped to their peers' backs during their performance in order to play along. "It's become a tradition," Kohler said about performing the Lennon song. "Every year I do something, I try to improve upon it and the kids want to do it better." With the national anthem, Kohler started singing it in the late 1990s at school sports events. "I didn't do that at events growing up, but someone just asked me one day if I could sing it," Kohler said. "The next thing you know, if the pep band wasn't available during Christmas break, I would do it. "Pretty soon, every time I'd go to a game, people would ask 'Are you singing?'" They think that's the reason I go to games. A lot of times, that's true, but not always – I actually enjoy watching the games. "It just took off – it became something I did quite often," Kohler said. When deciding to sing "The Star-Spangled Banner," Kohler said he likes to pick senior nights — "that's my gift to the seniors" — and SMCC home basketball or volleyball games against Gibsonburg "because I want my hometown people to hear me sing, too." He'll also volunteer, at the last minute, if he's at the game and someone can't sing it. And now, several Sandusky Central Catholic students take turns singing the national anthem. "Back in the day, I'd maybe do it 20 times a school year, but now it's like six or seven," Kohler said. "My biggest fear is forgetting the words, and I haven't forgotten the words, thank God. When I first started doing it, there was a lot of anxiety, but now it just comes naturally. It's not the easiest song in the world to sing, so it can be intimidating." Kohler has also taken his singing talents to larger stages, like college and minor league athletic events. Years ago, he sang at Toledo Mud Hens baseball and Bowling Green State University hockey games. He's generally open to singing at any major sporting event, even at a Cleveland Guardians game against the Detroit Tigers. "My ultimate goal is to sing it at a Tigers game," Kohler said. "Since I'm a big Tigers fan, I've always wanted to sing the national anthem there." He previously sent in a couple of video recorded auditions of himself singing it, but, so far, hasn't heard back from the baseball franchise. "I've been chasing that dream for a while, and I won't give up," he said. 'Teaching is a ministry' What Kohler enjoys most about being an educator, without a doubt, is working with his students. "I've always been a person who liked learning and I guess, at my advanced age, being around kids," he said. "If you don't like being around kids, teaching isn't for you. I've been fortunate to be at a place where the kids want to learn and they're respectful and nice. They're not perfect — no kids are — but they're why I've stayed here. "I've worked with a lot of great teachers and administrators, but for me, teaching is about your relationship with your students and trying to inspire them, but mostly let them know you care about them and want to prepare them for the best future you can have. That's why I've stayed in education." SCCS is a great place to work, Kohler said. "When I graduated from Bowling Green State University, I wasn't necessarily looking for a Catholic school," he said. "The fact that I came to a Catholic school has made me a better Catholic and person. There's something about this place that's family oriented." Kohler was raised Catholic and attended Saint Michael's Parish in Gibsonburg, where he was confirmed and baptized. "I consider myself a practicing Catholic, but it didn't occur to me, back then, to apply to a Catholic school, it was just one of the schools I applied to. It wasn't the plan but it's just how it turned out, so God had a plan. I feel very fortunate to have been here all these years. "I've been offered jobs at other schools, but when it came down to it, when I'd ask myself 'Do I really want to leave St. Mary Central Catholic?' the answer has always been no. This place is very special. "I always say that St. Mary Central Catholic has been very good to me, and they have. I hope that I've been good for them, too." Kohler has lived in Sandusky for the past 38 years and loves the "small town atmosphere." "Sandusky, compared to Gibsonburg, is a huge city," he said, noting that Gibsonburg has about 2,500 residents. "I love the fact that I can go to Kroger, church or a restaurant and see a lot of people I know. When my family comes into town from Gibsonburg, they'll ask 'Does everyone know you?' and no, not everyone does, but when you live in a place for a long time, you're going to make some friends." While Kohler doesn't have a family of his own, he considers his students to be his children. "I feel that I have a lot of love in me, and I guess, for whatever reason, I haven't been able to give that to a spouse, but I try to give that to my students. I hope they know I care about them, I think they do. So me doing the best I can do in the classroom is my way of expressing that to them. "I've always felt that teaching, especially at Sandusky Central Catholic School, is a ministry," Kohler said. "We're all doing God's work to some degree. I just hope that I'm living up to the responsibility the school gave me. I believe I am because they've been good to me, and I hope I've been able to give back and mold some minds and create some potential futures for students over the years."