“Watching students blossom into something they never imagined is rewarding. I love seeing students complete tasks and procedures they were once afraid of trying. For instance, many students have a fear of electricity. I think this fear is ingrained in us from early childhood. Watching a student overcome this fear, build a circuit and light a bulb, for the first time, is a joyful experience. Their joy is my joy. I know, at that point, I’ve done much more than teach someone how to build a circuit. I know I have helped them build confidence they will carry for the rest of their life.”
Andrew Rice teaches automotive students at J. Everett Light Career Center in Indianapolis, Indiana. Growing up in Indianapolis, within earshot of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Rice always wanted to race and work on cars. After racing in local short-track stock car competitions, he enrolled in an automotive service program where he fell in love with school for the first time and was inspired by his teachers’ passion and knowledge. He graduated with honors, discovered that he was meant to be a teacher and wanted to be the difference in others’ lives. After teaching college students at his alma mater for several years, he realized he could make a greater impact on younger students, serving as a leader and a role model. Rice is also an adjunct instructor at Ivy Tech Community College in Muncie, Indiana and has previously taught for the Goodwill Excel program helping adults earn their GEDs.
As a teacher, Rice strikes the balance of good story-telling, humor, and showmanship with the incorporation of new, rapidly changing technologies. He has incorporated the use of artificial intelligence in his teaching strategies, whether through photo generators or Bard/Gemini ,and continues to explore and employ new systems for the benefit and learning experiences of his students. Rice’s classroom has students of all backgrounds and across the full spectrum of learning development, but he customizes lessons to meet each student where they are. Rice motivates his students to excel in a safe, fun, and professional environment and with simultaneous project-based learning such as rebuilding pop-up campers and refurbishing an engine from a junkyard. 2nd year seniors participate in Work-Based Learning and are treated as “rock stars” by their fellow students.
Notes of Excellence
- In 2023-2024, 97 percent of Rice’s students earned dual, transferable college credits, which will allow them to save $161,226 on tuition and earn 18 credits.
- In 2014-15, Rice was J. Everett Light Career Center Teacher of the Year.
- For two decades, Rice has been an ASE Excellence Master Automotive Technician. He owns a small auto service business, Turn 2 Auto LLC, which allows him to share real life scenarios with students, and belongs to the Indiana Association of Transportation Technology Instructors.
- Rice has launched a YouTube channel, @wrenchingwithrice.