Mayor Jerry DiTullio paces the classroom at Wheat Ridge High School, asking the kids, "Which one of you wants to be extremely attractive?" and, "Which one of you wants to help underprivileged children?"

It's part of the life skills class that DiTullio teaches every Wednesday, encouraging freshmen to engage in healthy eating habits and social interactions within the school. In this part of the lesson, kids were given an imaginary budget of $2,000 and charged with bidding on different items, such as never being sick or being liked by everyone. The purpose is to see where the students' priorities lie.

As for the healthy-eating portion of class, DiTullio says that's an especially important subject because half the class hasn't even eaten breakfast this morning. He stresses to the kids that when they do eat breakfast, junk food shouldn't be on the menu. Today, Feb. 6, DiTullio brings in a case of healthy drinks for the kids to show them that they can buy drinks that are healthy but still tasty.

DiTullio has worked part time at the school since August 2007 as a substitute teacher and a transition community educational assistant, a position that supports the special education community at Wheat Ridge High. A big advantage of being both a teacher and mayor, DiTullio says, is that he can open doors for students, or "create a synergy between the city and the school."

For example, DiTullio arranged for an officer with the West Metro Task Force to come to class Feb. 20 and discuss the effects of drugs on people, supplementing the lecture with some graphic before-and-after photos of drug users that DiTullio says should be an effective "scared straight" tactic.

As DiTullio sits in his office between classes, a student comes in and mentions that she recently had a baby, but will still be headed to Red Rocks Community College in the fall thanks to DiTullio nominating her for an Arvada Wheat Ridge Service Ambassadors for Youth scholarship.

"That's the kind of success story I enjoy," DiTullio says. "She could have gone either way." The opportunity to send this student and others like her who have been through hardships to college is a rewarding feeling, he says.

In the afternoon, DiTullio helps a small group of students prepare for the opening of their new coffee shop called Joe Pit. DiTullio owned a coffee shop in 2005, so he has experience to help the kids market and run the business.

The students put together a business plan and presented it to the Wheat Ridge Rotary Club, which netted them a $2,000 grant to open the coffee shop. Profits will be returned to the students in the form of paying for driving classes and prom tickets, helping pay for classes that require fees and more. The kids also will receive credits for working at the shop.

According to DiTullio, he spends seven hours a day at the high school and another four to five hours tending to his mayoral duties, which usually leaves him an average of about five hours of sleep after also spending time with his family.

"Anybody who knows me - whether they support me or not - knows I work hard on the job," he says.