level . I then took the steps to become a teacher , and I ’ ve enjoyed it ever since .
Mr . Darter : I chose to be an educator because I want to make an impact in my community . I enjoy helping my students understand the importance of their education as well as how their actions affect others around them .
Mr . McRitchie : I believe there are many reasons for selecting a career path , and mine involved two key things : I wanted to help people improve in some tangible way , and I wanted – for personal reasons – the world to be less uninformed . I feel like teaching allows me to work towards both of those goals .
What ’ s the experience of teaching in the same school you graduated from like ?
Mr . Balduc : It made my first year of teaching easier because I had been in this school before , so I knew how most things already worked . I do think it ’ s cool to reminisce with some of my students about when I went here and how things were when I was in high school .
Mr . Darter : I love teaching at my alma mater . I understand the culture of the community well , and the mindset of most of my students . It also helped a lot with the “ first-year blues ” because I was immediately comfortable in my surroundings .
Mr . McRitchie : At first pretty weird . It ’ s always a bit weird visiting a school after you leave it , and coming back as an employee did feel different . The staff , including some of my former teachers – shout-out to Mrs . Menn , Mrs . Caldwell , Mrs . Edgar , Mr . Weeks , Mr . Moore , and Coach Wilson – helped make the transition easier by supporting me and treating me like a colleague , not a student .
Did it take any adjustment working with educators who used to teach you ?
Mr . Balduc : It did take some time at first to get used to working with some of the teachers , especially when I had a few of them as a student . Eventually , it felt like normal working with them and viewing them as colleagues rather than as my old high school teacher .
Mr . Darter : I enjoy working with my former teachers . I do not have to search for advice from someone I trust , because I already have relationships formed with some of the staff .
Mr . McRitchie : Yes , only so far that now I call them by their first name and that takes time getting used to . All of my teachers that are still here are great educators , so I haven ’ t had any problems asking them for advice .
What ’ s your favorite aspect of being an educator ?
Mr . Balduc : I enjoy working with kids and the subjects that I teach . I am a coach also , and I enjoy doing that very much , even though there is a lot of time and effort committed to it .
Mr . Darter : The best part of teaching is interacting with my students . I teach them math , but I also am helping them through the journey of their freshman to senior years .
Mr . McRitchie : Just teaching . The look on a student ’ s face when they “ get it ” is what we work for every day .
What advice would you give this year ’ s graduating seniors as they prepare for college ?
Mr . Balduc : My advice to seniors would be not to stress about figuring out a major on the first day of college . It took my whole freshman year and a summer to figure out that teaching was the right route for me . At the same time , be mindful that – just like in high school – the decisions you make in college can lead to either serious repercussions or great opportunities .
Mr . Darter : Work hard and fight for what you want . College is a great place where you set your own path . If you are willing to devote your time to your chosen field of study , then nothing can stand in the way of your success .
Mr . McRitchie : Be the best “ you ” you can be . You can ’ t control how good others are at things , so stop comparing yourself to others . The person you should be doing all of this work and effort for is the one you look in the mirror every day . Make that person proud of the work you ’ re doing . n
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