Dr. Walter J. Stucke

Hello, my name is Walter Stucke and I am originally from Lockport, Illinois, which is located approximately 30 miles southwest of Chicago. I grew up in a Christian home, being the youngest of five sons and having no sisters. After graduating high school in 2000, I completed by bachelor's degree in History in 2005 between two universities in Florida and Illinois respectively.

The year following my undergraduate completion, I enrolled in seminary, earning my M.Min in 2007. After my seminary studies, I ventured to East Asia, beginning my career in international education, specifically South Korea. I taught for a single year in Daegu, South Korea at Soseon Girls' Middle School. My first year in South Korea was one of the most rewarding of my life. However, I knew that my first year in South Korea would end with me returning to the United States to pursue my master's degree in History. In 2011, I graduated from East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, Tennessee with my MA in History.

In the winter of 2012, I returned to South Korea. This time, I lived and worked in Busan for two years, teaching for a year at Aloysius Technical High School and for a year at Mangmi Middle School. It was during this time that I met and married my wife, Sheryl Ann, who is from the Philippines. However, I knew that university teaching was my calling, and in 2014, I was fortunate enough to begin working as Chosun University in Gwangju, South Korea, teaching English and History. Desiring to teach History exclusively, I took a position at Tsinghua International School in Beijing, China, starting in August of 2021.

Not yet content with my educational achievements, I enrolled in Faulkner University's (Montgomery, Alabama) PhD in Humanities online program in August 2015, with a concentration in History. I graduated with my PhD from Faulkner University in May of 2020.

It was during my PhD studies at Faulkner University that I first learned of the teaching opportunity at Kepler Education. I have greatly desired to return to teaching middle school and high school students, without abandoning my university calling. Furthermore, the opportunity to teach history and the humanities from a Christian perspective is particularly inviting.

I greatly look forward to continuing my educational journey by teaching each and every one of my future students from a Christ-centered focus. Furthermore, I also hope to be able to illuminate my students to East Asian history and philosophy, allowing them to see similarities and differences from the Western tradition and how Christ-less traditions always come up short in satisfying the demands of mankind's soul. With the recent rise of East Asian societies, particularly that of China, it has become imperative for students to familiarize themselves with East Asian history and thought.

Teaching Philosophy

The bedrock of all education is faith, hope, and love, perfectly embodied in the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He is the the Alpha and the Omega, and the entire universe, and all of its learning, is subject to Him.

Per Angusta Ad Augusta

Knowing one's students is no easy task, but, per angusta ad augusta - translated as, “through difficulties to greatness” - motivates me to achieve greatness in order that my students may achieve greatness, which is only possible under a well-managed classroom. Successful teaching, successful learning, and a civil classroom begins with the instructor. I am student-focused in my classroom management and instruction. Building bridges between teacher and student is crucial, while at the same time maintaining the distinction between student and teacher.

Ductus Exemplo

The Latin phrase, ductus exemplo - translated as, “leadership by example” - is useful for student assessment. Part of evaluating students' achievements and grades centers on whether or not I have fully worked in transmitting knowledge to my students. I have noticed that the overwhelming number of students will only show motivation in the classroom if the instructor is motivated and fully prepared to teach. Hence, my grading will reflect both my efforts and my students' efforts. If I feel that I have not disseminated knowledge appropriately, I am more apt to show leniency in my grading, but if I have fulfilled my role as instructor, then the onus is entirely on my students to earn optimum grades. More times than not, I hit my teaching target when instructing students. I lead by example.

Technica Impendi Nationi

Technology is essential for students' learning. Technica Impendi Nationi means, “technology impulses nations,” and technology also impulses classrooms. In the past, I have frequently utilized projectors, the Internet, PPT, Prezi, YouTube, Google Hangouts, D2L, Blackboard, or other means of communication in and out of the classroom. I have used these tools in order to help bring textbook material to life and to stimulate the five senses. Now, I greatly look forward to working with Kepler Education's own new technology platform.

Statement of Faith

I was raised in a Christian home, particularly that of the Independent Fundamental Baptist variety. I had a born again experience when I was five years old. I was baptized my immersion when I was nine. I faithfully attended church my entire childhood and young adult years, including attendance at Salt and Light Baptist Church in Gwangju, South Korea. I began reading the Bible daily from the time I was thirteen. I have attended various Bible colleges.

My personal Christian convictions center around the authentic fundamentals of the Christian faith. I believe in God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. I also believe in the deity of Christ, His virgin birth, the blood atonement, Christ's bodily resurrection, His imminent return, and the inerrancy of scripture. I also believe in the church, visible and invisible.

I was raised within a branch of strict Christian fundamentalism. As a result, asking certain types of questions and showing interest in intellectual endeavors outside of the framework of Christian fundamentalism was generally frowned upon. It has been a grave mistake for Christian fundamentalists to scoff at scholarship, logic, reason, and rationality. While attempting to promote Christ and His Kingdom by relying solely on scripture, fundamentalist churches have isolated the hearts and minds of their members, which has inevitably led to their isolation from their respective communities for fear of being tainted by the world. Hence, Christ and His Kingdom are not properly proclaimed and nonbelievers have a tendency to have a warped view of what it means to be a Christian. Put simply, by relying solely on scripture to the chagrin of scholarship, logic, reason, rationality, etc, fundamentalists have often wrested the scriptures in their attempts to preserve the teachings of Christ. I, myself, had wandered down the fundamentalist path, but I realize the limitations of such thinking.

I want to play a small part in building bridges between the mind of the fundamentalist Christian and scholarship, as well as reaching out to nonbelievers and pointing them to Christ. While I understand that not all are called to scholarly pursuits, I firmly believe that people in leadership positions within fundamentalism, and all forms of Christianity, must understand that one can be a scholar and still embrace orthodoxy. Historically, outside of times of persecution, the church has generally experienced its greatest strength under the auspices of scholarship and intellectualism.