Mr. T.J. Dixon, middle school dean of students, history teacher, and coach, does not waver. He is steadfast and calm, and perhaps those are the traits that make him the perfect fit for teaching tweens all day. Mr. Dixon says he prefers hanging out with middle schoolers over just about everyone. Middle schoolers provide just the right energy to fuel his day. “It’s my wheelhouse. I’m more comfortable hanging out with middle school students than I am with adults half the time,” he says with a shy grin.

This is Mr. Dixon’s 7^th year as a GAC teacher; prior to that he taught for 10 years at N. Fulton County public schools. He knows the middle school years can be a hard and awkward time of life, and he has empathy for the kids as they navigate all of the changes. “I love their impulsiveness. I enjoy their emotional ups and downs. Middle schoolers want you to notice them. They are more open to mentoring, and they want your input,” he says.

He teaches four 6^th-grade classes and one 8^th- grade class and says that Ancient Greece is his favorite unit to teach, although he has yet to visit Greece himself. He did just get back from leading a student mission trip to Ecuador, however, and these are trips that he treasures. He used to want to be a Christian missionary, so the construction work and VBS classes he and the students completed in Ecuador fulfilled him in a special way. “If I don’t have stuff to do, I am bored to death…I only sleep about 5 hours a night,” he reveals.

It's a good thing he’s energetic because Mr. Dixon has 5 kids of his own ranging from elementary school to high school aged, in addition to teaching, coaching, and mentoring students all day long. He coaches lacrosse and football after school, enjoying his time leading the older, high school-aged teens also. Sports has been a way of life for Mr. Dixon ever since he was a child growing up in Orlando. In fact, he has played lacrosse since 2001 and still participates in a men’s 35+ league with games every weekend.

He’s steadfast in his temperament, his resolve, loyalty to his family, his faith, and his work as a teacher and coach. “I’m not a worrier,” he says. A gentle man, Mr. Dixon’s calm demeanor seems to be the perfect complement for an energetic school environment. “I have always loved working with kids. Even when I was a kid myself, I loved working with younger kids.”

Married for 19 years to his college sweetheart, Mr. Dixon was recruited to play baseball at Berry College, where he majored in history with a minor in education. He credits Berry College as the place that changed his life forever. Mr. Dixon was raised in Orlando, Florida, and didn’t attend church regularly during his youth, so his life took on a new trajectory when he landed at Berry College and embraced a Christian lifestyle of leadership and study.

GAC is grateful to have Mr. Dixon on our team.