When Darryl Levy started at The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) this year he and the rest of the freshmen were asked to write about a teacher who made a difference to them. The teachers then submitted a statement on their teaching philosophy.

Levy chose Timothy Cullen, the social studies program leader and a coach at Leonia High School, to be an Outstanding Educator. Levy’s reason was simply that Cullen was one of the few teachers who taught outside of the course boundaries.

"Instead of teaching us just history or just economics, he was able to teach us about life and in the process we learned history or economics," Levy said.

Cullen’s teaching philosophy is that he is a trail guide. He said no one remembers the names of the guides who led settlers from Missouri to Oregon and his letter to TCNJ detailed some of the other similarities.

The treks that trail guides and teachers lead, either to Oregon or to maturity, were both filled with hazards and mountains to cross with no margin for error.

"Cholera, snake bites, and the Sioux have been replaced by drug dealers, binge drinking, and traffic accidents," he wrote.

Ultimately after pushing and prodding their group to its destination, trail guides and teachers usually fade from the public consciousness within a few years, but that doesn’t mean the job isn’t satisfying.

"That’s the whole idea, dealing with fatigue but being optimistic that they can do it," he said. "And with Darryl how can you not believe it?"

Levy is deaf and had surgery during his time in Cullen’s class.

"He had every excuse in the world if he wanted but never used them," Cullen said.

Levy said he wouldn’t have been as prepared for college without Cullen’s approach to learning.

"He can adjust his attitude or teaching style so everyone, even that one kid who may have trouble picking up a new idea, will understand him," Levy said. "Also, above all, Cullen is a friend first, a teacher second."

Cullen said he and Levy had fun with the microphone he wore that was hooked into Levy’s hearing aide. If Cullen stepped out of class he would walk down the hall and talk into the microphone, "Get ready, I’m coming down the hall now." He’d also spend fire drills talking to Levy from 50 feet away.

"We’d be cracking up," Cullen said.

Cullen said that hopefully every student has at least a couple of teachers who will look back and say, "That kid was all right."

He loves when his students come back and he requests a special gift that he reimburses them for; he has about 100 ties from the different colleges his students attended.

But even if he doesn’t see the students again he and his colleagues take pride in sending their students out on their journeys.

"The fact is teachers are anonymous and I have no problem with that," he said.

But sometimes he does pop back into his students’ lives. There are five girls on his freshmen softball team whose mothers he taught.

"They grow up and you can see it," he said.