Many know Mr. Schick as a Social Studies or TV production teacher. Still, many people have not heard of some of the unique things he used to do before becoming a teacher at John Carroll.
Before JC, Social Studies Teacher Robert Schick served in positions such as a second unit director, assistant director, and additional crew member. He was also part of camera and electrical departments.
He started his journey by attending college at the University of Oregon and majoring in Telecommunications and Film. After college, Mr. Schick got a job at KVAL, an OR-based station and a CBS television affiliate owned and operated by Sinclair Broadcast Group.
While working at KVAL, he improved his skills by running the camera, switching shots, working the teleprompter, and being the floor director. When Mr. Schick worked for KVAL, technology was less advanced than today.
He would make a handwritten call sheet that informed people when and where to be and what scenes they had to do. KVAL allowed him to travel all over the United States and gain experiences that only a few people have.
Mr. Schick said, “I’d be going to super beautiful places and seeing all kinds of things on set or during a scene. I just love being able to make crazy scenes overall.”
He worked on many well-known movies such as Murder on 1600, The Fugitive, Mercury Rising, Home Alone, and Uncle Buck.
He also got to work with some of the biggest movie stars of the 20th century including Harrison Ford, Meryl Streep, Morgan Freeman, and Bruce Willis.
After a few years of working as an assistant director, he joined AD, the Director Skills of America. The job improved his healthcare and gave him higher pay after a few years of shooting commercials, TV shows, and movies in Chicago.
Mr. Schick was working 16-hour-days, staying after hours until late at night in addition to all of the traveling he’d be doing. He would leave for weeks or months to shoot movies and films.
One time when he came home to visit his family, Mr. Schick picked up his four-year-old daughter from school. He was so excited to see his little girl, but she didn’t even recognize her father.
That was the moment when Mr. Schick realized that he had grown tired of his job due to the long hours and inability to see his family much.
Mr. Schick went home to visit his family after his travels, and when he came home, he decided to go to church with his wife and daughter. While at church, he met a French teacher from John Carroll. At that time, they started talking and became good friends.
A few weeks later, the French teacher told Mr. Schick that she had to leave to be at her son’s wedding. She asked if he could substitute for a week at JC while she was gone.
He accepted the opportunity and was approved to substitute for her class. He fell in love with both teaching and John Carroll.
After the French teacher returned from her son’s wedding, another teacher had to go out on maternity leave, and JC offered Mr. Schick the opportunity to sub for her while she was gone from February to the end of the school year.
Again, Mr. Schick loved it. After the school year ended, JC offered him a job as an English teacher. Even though he started in English, after a while, he wanted to switch subjects.
He always had an interest in history. He loved English but didn’t like the grading that came with that subject. As a result, he switched to become a history teacher.
In regard to whether or not he’d return to his former profession, Mr. Schick responded, “I wouldn’t go back because so many things have changed, and it would be a challenging learning curve for me. I also needed to create a bond with my family. They mean everything to me. I’m still a part of the DVA. I will get a pension for when I retire.”
Mr. Schick has been a part of the JC community for quite some time. He started Film Club where members watch films and discuss what happens around filming the movie.
Mr. Schick added, “If I never would have left my job, I wouldn’t have had such a wonderful relationship with my wife and daughter.”
He offered advice that people should be careful about selecting a job “because it could interfere with your personal life, such as family.”