“Look… McShea. That’s great. But I came here- Well, quite frankly, can you hang a portrait of Franklin D. Roosevelt in your classroom to watch over your students, and then hold a funeral service for him? I got you covered, kids.” For years, these are the types of things that have been heard throughout the history halls. Mike McShea, and indeed the last name of McShea in general, has been a steady figure at LHS for a very long time. This is his last year, however, teaching here before he retires.
“This is year 24 for me, working with Littleton High School. But how long have I been here? I first walked into this building when I was three or four years old, because my dad was a Littleton High School teacher before me, and he taught here for 26 years. So this is the 50th school year in a row with a McShea teaching or working.”
Whether in History or Psychology, there is one thing that is a hallmark of McShea’s distinct teaching style: passion (and lectures). When asked about what he loves about teaching, he said, “I love the content. Like I actually like social studies. I mean, there’s so much to explore there and the thing I love most about the discipline is that there is no way to know it all… Every week here, I’ve had the opportunity to learn something new, or students come in and challenge me with a question I didn’t know the answer to.”
His energy for teaching and learning seems to be never ending, and his hope for the future is growing. “Young people are making me optimistic. You guys are tolerant, entrepreneurial, good at critical thinking, and you’re just nice. Honestly, I think kids have genuinely gotten nicer over the years. I guess there is an optimism in teaching that is hard to replicate any place else.”
McShea is known for his teasing, dry sense of humor that involves bashing on the various boring U.S. States, occasionally standing on desks, pausing movies to talk about them, and affectionately picking on students. “I have a laugh constantly during my day, and I don’t know if everybody does that in their jobs.”
Besides his love of teaching and learning, there has to be something else about that has made McShea stay for so very long here at LHS. But what exactly?
“My favorite thing about Littleton High School, and that I brag to everybody about, is I have never been in such a welcoming environment. I’ve been in other schools… and those schools were cliquey. Kids segregate themselves by interest or athleticism, or even along some racial lines. The kids don’t do that here. They’re inclusive, and tolerant of each other. I just think that’s a thing that’s really hard to recreate anywhere else, and it’s been this way at LHS the entire time I’ve been here.”
There is no doubt that McShea has played a part in this unique atmosphere. For years, he has been encouraging students to be conscious of real-world events, and respectful of people who are different from them.
“I hope people feel like they learn something from me… I hope people end up more optimistic about their future as a result of the courses that I teach,” said McShea.
It’s safe to say that McShea has succeeded in these hopes. He has made a permanent mark upon Littleton High School. Hundreds of students have come away from his classes feeling empowered and enlightened, ready to go out into the world and make a life, make a living, and make a difference. We will miss him here at LHS, as he moves on to the next chapter of his life.
Art Week 2025
May 7, 2025
