Carbon—C
Oxygen—O
Actinium—Ac
Hydrogen—H.
Cross country coach and chemistry teacher Patrick Krall guides his son through the periodic table’s basic elements, murmuring over the plastic-covered tablecloth. A vase of white-and-pink speckled hydrangeas overlooks the father-son pair.
Growing up in a family of educators, Krall saw the myriad of difficulties surrounding teachers at an early age.
“My mom was an educator, and one of my big role models was my brother,” Krall said. “He’s still in education at a higher level, and I always, as a young person, looked up to him. He had experienced success academically and athletically, and so that inspired me to try to do the same thing.”
In middle school, Krall said that following in his family’s footsteps “crossed his mind” but only became a reality after graduating college. In the wake of his newfound freedom, he worked for an oil company, then in a laboratory that “inspired” him but ultimately wasn’t the right fit.
“When I was working in that lab, I really wanted to be around more people,” Krall said. “I saw the same five people basically every day…I just felt like I needed more interaction. That inspired me to quickly find a teaching job.”
Shortly after, Krall began teaching and coaching for a Catholic school. Religion plays a significant role in Krall’s life, symbolized by the silver Miraculous Medal, alternatively called the Medal of the Immaculate Conception, worn around his neck. The Medal’s inscription surrounding Mary reads, O Mary conceived without sin pray for us who have recourse to thee, representing a Catholic’s devotion to Mary.
“I think [religion is] part of everything I do,” Krall said. “[Sometimes] I come to school and I go, ‘Oh man, I’m not feeling it today.’ But I know that I need to do the best for the students. It’s not about me.”
Morning prayer grounds Krall to be more honest and righteous, fueling his ability to “get things done.”
“You come to work, you’ve got to be ready to serve,” Krall said. “You go home, you may be a little tired, but you have to be ready to serve and help with homework and do all that stuff. You have to have it all in perspective and make sure that, again, not only are you there for your job, but more importantly, first and foremost, [you’re] there for your family.”
Krall won FBISD Coach of the Year for the 2024-2025 school year.
“When I was a young teacher…I tried to do it a certain way, like other people did it, [but] I realized the best thing that I can do is be myself,” Krall said. “That’s really when I turn a corner as far as my teaching style goes. I knew that if I was just myself, it would be more authentic, and it’s made a big difference in the classroom for me.”
Krall said that although he is an intense person, he tries to create a learning environment where students aren’t afraid to make mistakes.
“My whole attitude is servant leadership, so whatever role that entails in education is what I look for, doing whatever I can serve,” Krall said. “Right now, I get to serve the science department. I get to serve my students in the classroom and the cross-country kids and…whatever else I can do to serve around the school.”
Krall is satisfied with the cross country team’s turnout. The girls’ team won the district championship and the boys’ team made it out to regionals.
“When we start off with cross country in the morning, that’s fun for me to see all the athletes making that sacrifice to be there early in the morning,” Krall said. “Then again, it’s a very busy schedule. I’ve been at jobs where you’re looking at the clock and you’re like, ‘Oh my goodness, when is this going to be over?’ But teaching is not like that.”
Whether at the dinner table, the classroom, or the track, Krall’s passion to serve translates across every aspect of his life.
“[Teaching is] something that I’ve grown to love over the years,” Krall said. “It’s just really amazing to watch the kids, watch their growth, watch the athletes’ growth, and then just watch the sacrifices they make and how hard they work.”
