Staff member welcomes new FC position, transitions from IOT

Each class opens with a greeting to each student, and a reading of Psalms. Teacher Scott Falk emphasizes the importance of scripture reading. He began in Psalm 1 and continues to read daily, currently studying through chapter 20.

Returning to the school that brought him joy and created his passion for teaching, newly re-instated Bible teacher and vice principal Scott Falk takes on a familiar challenge by instructing the younger generation.

During the last decade, Scott Falk has instructed students at Institute of Technology (IOT) on Herndon Ave., teaching general education classes like psychology, ethics, philosophy, English, speech, algebra, business class, accounting, professionalism and office systems.

However, his involvement with Fresno Christian has lasted five years longer than at IOT. When Falk was on campus last, he taught junior high science, English, and coached junior high baseball.

After his ten years at IOT, Falk decided to make a change because of a particular situation that arose. He interviewed with Superintendent Jeremy Brown and inquired about any job openings. After asking Brown for a year about a job opening, Brown finally told Falk about the opportunity to teach Old and New Testament survey classes.

“I love teaching the Bible. I’ve been teaching the Bible pretty much my entire adult life,” Falk said. “I went to college and seminary to be able to teach the Bible. I love praying and leading people in prayer. I especially enjoy, before class, being able to say, let’s take a minute and acknowledge God and give ourselves to him.”

Falk met leadership advisor Robert Foshee when he started teaching in 1998 and appreciates his passion for students. Foshee had many positive interactions with Falk before his departure.

“When he was leading the senior retreats and trips I would go and help him,” Foshee said. “When he was doing leadership I would help him with events like NOTS (Night of the Stars). He also introduced me to all of the things that go on in Fresno Christian. Being in the same Bible department with him and hanging out was something I really enjoyed.”

Falk, after teaching at IOT for ten years, came back to FCS to teach Bible and serves as the school vice principal. While unfamiliar with new staff members, Falk appreciates the staff’s hospitality.

“I really enjoy the people on the staff here (FCS) and the faculty,” Falk said. “I don’t know most of them any more, not that many people that are here now were here when I left ten years ago, but they’re really good people, it’s good to work with good people.”

Falk’s wife, Carol, works as a nurse at Valley Children’s Healthcare and has three grown daughters. Their oldest, Beth, is married and works as a high school teacher teaching French and Spanish. She lives in Chico and her husband works at the university as an assistant to the athletic director. The middle daughter, Annie, lives in town and works as a preschool teacher. The youngest daughter, Suzie, is married and also lives in town, working in marketing.

Since the second grade Kyle Clem, ‘21, has attended FCS. Clem enjoys the variety of what Falk teaches in his New Testament Survey class.

“In the first couple of days, we went over Psalm 1,” Clem said. “During this time he would always say the beginning of the Psalm in Hebrew. I think he was doing this to make us realize how the Bible was originally written. He would start by saying, ‘ashre aish asher’. Mr. Falk also cares so much about us always having our own Bible. I think this is so we can each understand our own personal Bible.”

This year in Bible Falk plans on working all the way through the life of Jesus from birth to resurrection, and wanting the students to know the story well. As vice principal, Falk hopes to be able to meet whatever needs come up and deal with them justly, fairly, and with kindness, patience, understanding and compassion.

For more information about the school’s Bible teachers, read Robert Foshee: Longtime multiple-sport campus coach, academic teacher. For more articles, read Homecoming Happily Ever After: Sleeping Beauty’s Wake Up Wednesday. 

Cohl Obwald can be reached via email