By NEAL WAGNER / Managing Editor

ALABASTER – New Thompson High School math teacher Bob Bietighofer’s dedication to his students and willingness to help those in need earned him an honor from a local club.

The Alabaster-Pelham Rotary Club named Bietighofer its Teacher of the Month for January during a Jan. 29 meeting for his work with students.

THS Principal Chris Tangle said Bietighofer did not follow a traditional path to teaching, as he owned and operated five Subway sandwich shops in Vestavia Hills and Hoover for 20 years before deciding to enter the education profession.

“He enrolled in college to earn a degree and get into a career that he knew he would enjoy for the rest of his life,” Tangle said. “Bob graduated cum laude in 2014, and we were fortunate to hire him here at Thompson High. He is highly revered by his peers and is an instrumental member of our facility.”

Last year, Bietighofer served as an after-school algebra tutor, and currently is serving as the boys’ basketball coach at Thompson Middle School. While at THS, he has taught algebra one, algebra one A and pre-calculus.

“It’s a great school system,” Bietighofer said. “It’s really been a tremendous experience, and I am truly blessed for that.”