He opens the door and Silk Sonic’s “Skate” is blasting at 8:30 a.m.; Todd Creason greets his students. For nearly three decades, Creason has been a key figure at Oak Park High School, shaping young minds and fostering a love for history. As he approaches his 30th year of teaching, he reflects on his journey and connection to Oak Park.
Creason’s tenure at OPHS began before he was a teacher.
“I grew up in Oak Park. My family moved here in 1976 and it was definitely a different place back in 1976 than it is now,” Creason said. “It was not nearly as developed. At that point, the high school was not here. I was in a different district since Oak Park Unified School District did not exist yet. Kanan Road wasn’t finished and stopped around Smoketree [Road].”
But back then, he often played pranks.
“The craziest thing I’ve done in high school was on the last day of school,” Creason said. “We decided to fill the back of a friend’s truck full of water balloons and basically just bombed everybody with them.”
While he is known for his engaging lessons in both World History and U.S. History, his true passion lies within in his students.
“I like the subject matter of both of [my classes],” Creason said. “My favorite part about teaching is the students. That’s the part that has brought me the most joy and building relationships over time and seeing people. ”
However, to Creason, teaching wasn’t always in the cards.
“It wasn’t until I was a junior in college that I knew I was going to be a teacher,” Creason said. “ I worked at a day camp, Sunny Skies Day Camp, for the summer and started working with kids for the first time. After working that summer with kids, I realized that this is something I enjoy.”
His college years also provided an adventure that helped shape his perspective. Wanting to take a break from his studies and experience something different, he made the bold decision to step away from school temporarily.
“An experience that taught me something about myself was when during college, I took two winter quarters off and I went to Colorado and I worked at Steamboat Springs ski resort,” Creason said. “It gave me an opportunity to actually save up some more money for college. I also worked on the mountain so I got to ski probably 80 days a year. I’m glad I paused because had I not done that, then I would’ve never had that experience.”
Beyond the classroom, Creason emphasizes the value of relationships and loyalty, two fundamental things to his life.
“I’m still trying to figure out who I am outside of high school in this teaching environment. It’s always been important for me to be a dad, a decent husband and at the same time, a decent son and a friend,” Creason said. “I put a lot of emphasis on loyalty and trust, and so I try to model some of those things in life.”
Creason advises his students to be true to themselves.
“Follow your heart. I think sometimes people get caught up and try to follow somebody else’s vision for themselves rather than following what you truly believe in.”
