As the new school year begins this August, freshmen experience their first few days at high school — learning the ins and outs of the hallways they will call home for the next four years. While the spotlight is on the freshmen, people rarely think of the teachers new to the school. As they settle down into their new job, learn how to manage a rowdy group of students, and encounter all the woes of a brand new husky, it is fair to ask — what is it like being a first-year teacher at North?

Eden Moore is a web design and computer science teacher. Though this is not her first year teaching, it is her first year teaching at North.

 “When I came for my interview, I loved how friendly the staff was, and that friendliness has continued not only by the staff, but by the students, too!” Moore said. Her initial impression was quite positive, as is her opinion of North overall. “I also love that my daughters attend North, and I have another one that will be joining in a few years!  Plus, North has a great reputation for being an amazing school!” Moore continued.

Another intense challenge to the new teacher’s experience is the learning curve. From dealing with rowdy students to working through classroom technical difficulties, there are many initial trials and tribulations to being a husky.

Wendy Enriquez is also a new husky, and she is a brand new math teacher in the east wing of the main building.

“The biggest learning curve I have experienced is grading! I knew grading would be time-consuming, but I was unsure of the time it actually took. I now have a system that works for the most part, but it is still in the trial period.” Enriquez said, explaining her very own trials and tribulations.

Another important step to being a good teacher is a good teaching philosophy. It does not matter how smart one is, if they do not have a good methodology for teaching, the learning experience of the students may suffer. To combat this predicament, teachers formulate philosophies within their classroom to clearly outline expectations for their students.

“My teaching philosophy has many parts to it, mainly about how I want my teaching to eventually be. I want to teach in a multi-modal way and provide support for those students who need it. For now, the following sentence focuses on what I want to accomplish this year. ‘I believe that all students can learn through support, consistency, empathy, and effort throughout their education.'” Wendy said.

Overall, these new teachers, just like any other new husky, seem to be powering through all of the challenges that come their way.

For questions or concerns, please contact Teagan Yates at [email protected].