Making Memories One Nickname at a Time

Mr. Kurt Wetterling is one of the most well known teachers at GPA. He teaches freshman World Studies and Business Class. 

His family has been part of Grace Prep since the very beginning.

“The lovely Mrs. Wetterling and I have been a part of Grace Prep since day one, the first day it opened its doors 30 years ago,” said Mr. Wetterling.

Before coming to our school, Mr. Wetterling had a successful 25 year career as a businessman with a focus on sales. He waited until his daughters had graduated college before he decided to change careers and go into teaching. 

“I had a bit of a calling to do something, that was not so much focus on making money or generating profit, but being able to do it somehow, or at some level be able to give back,” Mr. Wetterling said. 

His wife was already working here when he came to teach.

“It is great knowing that Mr. Wetterling is on campus at the same time as I,” said Mrs. Wetterling.

Mr. Wetterling is best known for his nicknames he gives his students. Every student he has had, he gives them a nickname based off of their name or something else relating to each student.

He started this tradition his first year when he nicknamed a few students he liked. The next year, he challenged himself to nickname all his students.

Mr. Wetterling said, “There were a couple of students I nicknamed as a way of relating to them, making light of their personality attributes.”

Most of the time he will not even call them by their real name even after they graduate.

Mrs. Wetterling said, “I do enjoy hearing about his time in the classroom… However, we both get confused as he knows them by their nicknames he has given them, and I know them by their given names.”

Not only does he nickname his students in class, objects in his classroom have nicknames as well. His door is nicknamed “The Portal of Wisdom”, his desk is “The Inner Sanctum”, and the deck outside is “The Deck of Shame”, because when kids are too rowdy they are sent outside to the deck.

His sense of humor, nicknames, and other such qualities makes him different from other teachers. Despite his fun methods, his classes are not easy. 

“His class is hard but I had a good time,” said Freshman Samantha Grizzle.

Even though his class is challenging, overall his personal touch leaves a positive mark on his students. That is why many students enjoy his class so much.

Mr. Wetterling’s unique classroom presence makes him one of the most memorable teachers students will ever have, and being in his class is a part of the Grace Prep experience.