Teaching is a second career for Derek, as he started working for IBM in Atlanta at the onset of his career.  Once he realized that his love of teaching and working with young people predominated his desire to ascend the corporate ladder, transitioning into the field of education was a difficult, but rewarding career change.

As a lifelong lover of literature and communication of all kinds, teaching English and composition is Derek’s primary responsibility.  Throughout the course of his career Derek has taught a variety of classes in a variety of settings.  He began his teaching foray as a corps member for Teach for America in Atlanta, and taught English and Journalism at Grady High School (now called Midtown HS).  A move to Athens allowed him to teach English at Winder Barrow High School, and now at Oconee County High School. While at OCHS, Derek has also taken on the responsibility of teaching the English learners in the ESOL class. 

Derek’s journey into education also rekindled his love for the game of tennis.  As the head boys and girls coach, he has guided multiple teams in Winder and Oconee to the state tournament, and both his Oconee girls and boys tennis teams reached the final four of the state tournament in 2021, and the girls' team finished as the state runner up in 2022.