Because many teachers have spent a lot of time at MHS, they have been able to witness the impact they have made on their students’ lives. Teachers shared some of their favorite teaching moments with The Mustang.

Samantha Fehrman, AVID teacher: One of my favorite stories of this is when one of my freshman AVID students was struggling to keep up with his notes and organization. AVID students are held accountable every week for taking notes, using them and keeping them organized in a binder. This can present a lot of challenges – especially when students get busy with homework, sports, friends, etc. – and sometimes they try to just get by. One day, my student came to talk to me before class. He sat down next to me and said, “I feel like I’m slacking off. Can you help me?” I was so impressed and proud of him that he asked for help when he found himself struggling, and it was awesome to see the look of accomplishment on his face when he got himself back on track.

Jim Drier, English teacher: Teaching is all about relationships, and I’ve had some remarkable experiences with lots of different students, so it’s impossible to pick my best moment. Ironically, my most memorable experience didn’t happen during a class. Several years ago three students asked to do an independent project with me. They petitioned for the project, and we met monthly to discuss several great books. The students selected the books and designed a reading schedule. They designed the final project. There were no quizzes, no tests and no grades. We simply read and discussed great books: “One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest”, “Slaughterhouse-Five”, “Lolita” and “On the Road”. They were three of the most curious students I’ve ever had. I think I learned more than they did.

David Mork, Fine Arts Department Chair: I have had some great students during my years at MHS and have been blessed to hear from a few of them after they leave here.  One of my favorite stories is of a student who decided to take Intro to Art in his senior year. He hadn’t taken any art since middle school and saw it as a blow-off class.  As he got into the design unit, he started to really care about the work he was creating, to the point where he continually asked what he could do to improve his work. Well, he graduated, and I assumed I wouldn’t see him again.  Then, to my surprise…I received a note from him two years later.  He had decided to go into a career in graphic design and was emailing me from his university program.  He wanted to thank me for waking him up to the world of art, which in his words had changed his life.

Nicole Malham, AVID teacher: My best teaching moment was watching my first class of AVID seniors graduate.  They were such an amazing group of students who I had gotten to know really well over two years.  They had all worked very hard to achieve their goals, and watching them walk across that stage was a culmination of all that hard work.   That group of students had a profound impact on me, not only as a teacher, but as a person. #AVID4LIFE

Kent Meister, Broadcasting teacher: I have had many great moments in and out of the classroom.  One of my favorites from last year was having Sandra Torres from CBS News Chicago come talk to the TV and Journalism classes – Sandra got her start in TV in one of my classes. Actually, every time I turn on the CBS news, and see her, I smile.”
Kelli Goodwin, P.E. and Health teacher: My favorite teaching moments are when I see someone genuinely enjoy some type of activity and/or reach a goal they set and worked hard for.  A few of these examples are someone reaching a mile time they worked all semester for, finishing a long run without stopping, being able to bench a certain amount they had worked for and figuring out how to run routes for flag football (when they began not knowing what the ‘line of scrimmage’ meant).  I tell my classes often that everyone likes something when it comes to fitness or activities.  It sometimes takes time to realize what you do and do not like when it comes to exercising.  I like seeing people figure out what they enjoy to keep themselves active.

Maggie Sharp, Math teacher: It is hard to pick just one because I LOVE this job! Getting to work with students every day gives me so much energy and keeps things interesting. But, if I have to pick one “moment”, I think it would be the day I got a note from one of my students telling me how much of an impact my class had on her confidence and ability to work with a group. At the beginning of the semester, she was very shy and had a hard time getting motivated to work with other students. She always told me it made her uncomfortable. But, at the end of the semester, she wrote me this beautiful note about how grateful she was that I pushed her to improve in that area. Although I teach math, I think it is so awesome knowing I could have an impact on someone’s personal growth beyond their knowledge of the math curriculum. I keep that note in my desk as a reminder when I have tough days.