Irvington is the first and only school I’ve taught at. I started as an English teacher and QUEST coordinator. My favorite part about Irvington was the benchmark projects because they translate into real-world skills. QUEST has definitely changed over time with new technology and resources, but it’s still a big part of Irvington’s identity. When it comes to clubs and student activities, students are pretty self-sufficient, and the staff supports them. At my daughters’ school in San Jose, clubs existed, but the staff wasn’t as willing to put in extra hours to keep them going. That’s what makes Irvington special, extracurriculars make it more than just education, it’s part of your whole life.
The work environment hasn’t changed as a culture, but as time passes by, teachers move and retire. Losing teachers is hard as it feels like losing a piece of the staff body, but new staff rejuvenates us. This also goes for the administration, we’ve had several principals, and each brought new ideas. These new people help the school stay young and exciting. So you have to understand that change is inevitable, and embrace it and take the good with the bad.
Technology, however, has definitely changed in the past 10 years. Just like the introduction of the internet, it’s about teaching students to use AI properly. We obviously will find ways to adapt to these different situations like before, and change is always inevitable. If we don’t teach you to use it properly, you’ll be at a disadvantage, and you all deserve the best.
In regards to my relationships with teachers and students, relationships always change. I get older and crankier, but students always come first. They’re the reason I come to school every day. The staff supports me, and despite changes, that core relationship and ideal hasn’t shifted.
Most of my clubs run themselves because students take leadership roles, and that hasn’t changed. I used to advise the speech club but had to step back as it was a big time commitment attending all the tournaments. Now, I advise a few clubs, but I mostly let the students lead, and they do an incredible job.
Even as I’ve gotten older, my teaching style has always been controlled chaos. Whether it was English or now culinary arts, I’ve always wanted to allow students to express themselves and connect personally to the material. That connection makes the work more real and helps build strong relationships between me and my students.
As for pop culture, I’m out of touch. I just observe from the outside. It’s always interesting to see fashion trends shifting through my daughter and students, but I’m not a huge shopper. My favorite year in the past decade personally was last year when I had my first grandbaby, Nora. She’s rejuvenated me and made this past year one of the best. Spending time with her keeps me young, just like being around students.
