What are you most excited about this school year and why?

“I’m most excited to see students and their faces. One thing I’m looking forward to in particular is just hearing a lot of laughter in the room again. That was one thing I missed in the ‘Zoom world’ that I’m excited to feel in-person.”

Knowing that the majority of students came back this year, do you think students will be more engaged in learning?

“I think that they will definitely be more receptive to the material being presented. I think after being forced to look at a screen this year, they’re going to be excited working with one another. They’re excited to be face-to-face with teachers, and I’m looking forward to a good year with hopefully a lot of students that are excited to just be in an actual school building again.”

If we went back to being virtual this year, would you continue the same teaching methods as last year or enhance your online teaching methods from your experience?

“Like any given year, there’s always something you could improve and add upon right? Like, last year was my first year doing virtual, so like any first year teacher, you’re not perfect, so there’s a lot of work that you can do to kind of tweak and adjust. Would I stick with maybe an overarching similarity? Perhaps, but there would definitely be a lot of adjustments and methods.”

What is one thing you’d like to get out of this school year?

“I would have to say just really appreciating the time you have with the students. That was one thing that, you know, everyone definitely appreciates in a normal school year, but maybe they don’t recognize that appreciation. This year, after being removed from an in-person environment, I’m just going to really value the time I have in the classroom; the ability I have to talk to students, connect with them, actually walk up to them, and help them with whatever they need. Just appreciating that flexibility and connectedness that an in-person environment can create.”

Since most Vipers are back in-person learning, how do you think us students can help teachers make this school year easier?

“I think, kind of going back to your first question where you asked, ‘If students would be more engaged this year’, if that assumption is correct, I think that’s the best students can do this year. I mean, obviously no students want to fight with a teacher, no teacher wants to fight with a student and have a back and forth, but the teachers this year are really excited to teach, and the students, I think, are going to be really excited to learn. So what makes it easier on the teacher is just doing that. If the students are super excited to learn. We’re excited to teach you and I think after that everything is easy.