About the "Teacher Feature"
The Teacher Feature is designed to acquaint you with "another side" of our Academy teachers in addition to their professional lives. Each month, an interview and a few photo clips of a teacher will appear in the Teacher Feature. We have great people serving here at the Academy, and we want you to get to know and appreciate them. - Mr. Zimmerman
The following article was published on Nov 30, 2008.
Mr. Michael Surran
What do you do for fun?
I like multiplayer computer games, particularly real-time strategy games. When you setup a bunch of computers in someone's home to play games together, we call this a LAN party. However, I often need to get away from the computer, so hiking, biking, and boating are outdoor things that bring me great joy. I also love to build things. I suppose if I could be anything at all, I would be an inventor!
What books or books have you recently read?
I am currently reading Church History by Everett Ferguson, Dreaming in Code by Scott Rosenburg, and Secrets & Lies by Bruce Schneier. I love technology-related histories and biographies, Christian apologetics and theology, and science fiction. Of course, I'm always buried in technical manuals as part of my job.
How did you spend the summer?
We bought a "fixer-upper" when we moved into the country, so much of my spare time is invested in home improvement. I'm carpenter, plumber, electrician, painter, landscaper, you name it! I also try to spend a lot of time outdoors, so I did a lot of biking and hiking this summer. I was going to build a robotic patrol vehicle, but that took a back seat to the home improvement projects.
Of what church are you a member and in what ministries do you participate?
I belong to Military Street Baptist Church. During my adult lifetime, I've had leadership positions in a multitude of ministries, including youth, mime and drama, Royal Rangers, Sunday School, a radio show, even a lay chaplain in the Navy. I recently felt called to be a "Mary" instead of a "Martha", so I'm currently taking a sabbatical from ministry and am "sitting at the master's feet." Out of the various ministries I've participated in, I miss my radio show the most. Someday I might start my own podcast, which is like radio for the Internet.
Do you have a life verse? Why have you adopted it?
Well, to be honest, I'm not keen on the idea of a life verse. Why limit oneself to a single verse (verse divisions being a man-made invention of the 16th century) when we have the entirety of scripture to guide us? Seriously, different scriptures comfort me during the difference seasons of my life. That said, a scripture that I have been applying to my daily Christian walk of late is, "Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks." (John 4:23). The idea is that there is a balance - worshipping in spirit but not in truth often leads people into worshipping false spirits and embracing false teachings. However, worshipping in truth but not in spirit leads to legalism, pride, and a powerless Christianity. The key word is AND. I'm trying very hard to find the balance between the two.
What have you done recently to better yourself professionally?
I am constantly reading technology books, journals, and articles. I also listen to hours of discussion and teaching from technical experts each week in the form of Internet podcasts. I audit computer science and engineering classes from schools like the University of Washington and the Massechussetts Institute of Technology. I have a network of friends in the technology community that I can bounce ideas and questions off of, and I myself contribute to the technical community through my freelance writing for magazines and journals. Just last year I was able to spend time at Carnegie Mellon University hanging out with some of the world's most brilliant minds in computer science and robotics! As most people can probably guess, I eat, breath, and sleep computers.
What makes you want to get up in the morning?
There are days when it takes sheer discipline, and then there are days when I jump out of bed ready to go. The exciting days are those days when I have a challenging problem that I am facing, but deep-down I know that I have a solution. I have hundreds of ideas of things I want to invent, try, design, or build. I tell my wife that I'll live to be 150 because it will take me that long to get to all these projects, ideas, and inventions!
What do you like about GHCA?
There are three key things. First, the boss gives me the freedom and autonomy to pursue new and exciting things in my field. The existence of a computer lab, SURRAnet, our website, and the staff computer network are a result. Second is an atmosphere were we don't settle being "good enough" or mediocre. This year's focus on excellence is a perfect example of that. Third is the people. Some of my closest friends are staff here at GHCA, and I have a deep respect for the quality and heart of my coworkers. As an introvert, I probably don't show this respect as well as I'd like, but there are days I just want to give everyone a great big hug!
If you could design your dream school, what would it look like?
That's a tough question. Obviously I want technology to play a bigger role in our school, not for the sake of technology, but for the sake of our kids who will be competing in a global economy where computer, math, and science skills make or break a country. That said, a true dream school to me is a school where kids really, really want to learn, whatever the subject. I'm not sure if there is such a thing. Maybe the problem is that our (not only GHCA, but schools in general) curriculum is so ridged that we get in the way of the natural process of kids asking "how" and "why" and "what", etc. I don't have an answer, just a dream - if I could wiggle my nose and magically make the perfect school, it would be full of students who are thirsty for knowledge, who have the same esteem for teachers that they have for football and basketball players, and who never take for granted the amazing gift they are receiving when they are getting their education.
