By Lydia Browne
The end of the school year is near at hand. For some, it has been a long time coming. For others, it seems to have snuck up on us. While there are many exciting things to look forward to, there are also many pleasant memories that we can look back on from this past year. Teachers are a big part of such memories that we make at school, and they too have certain moments that they can recall with fondness.
School events were greeted positively by many teachers. For Mr. Baker, the Club Faire is a favorite event. “I always love the Club Faire at the start of the year,” he said. “There’s so much energy and optimism, and the clubs demonstrate the variety of backgrounds and interests of our students.”
For Mr. Higginbotham, his highlight revolved around sports. “I thought [it was amazing when] the Benicia High School boys basketball team [won] the section championship. It was the first time the boys varsity team had played in the section championship since 1989, and it was the first time they won the section championship since the early 1980s. It was a historical season!” Mr. O’Reilly also referred to a sporting event when recalling his favorite moments. “[I was] able to attend, take photos, and see some of my students play the first game of Girls Flag Football ever at Benicia High School,” he remarked. “I was so impressed with how quickly and effectively they were able to pick up the game. We have amazing athletes at BHS and it was nice to see something brand new at the beginning of the year.”
The musical was another event mentioned by Mr. O’Reilly. “I [recently] attended our Spring Musical: Seussical the Musical,” he said. “I had a number of students that participated in the production of the show. I was absolutely blown away by their talent. Whether they were on stage or supporting behind the scenes, I could tell how much time and energy was put into this show. I even had some students that I didn’t know could sing REALLY surprise me! It was so well done!”
Multiple teachers mentioned the Winter Rally as a great memory from the year. “My favorite moment of the year was the Winter Rally, for sure!” Ms. Martin reported. “I loved the drum line performance, and the sing-along afterward was a special moment I’ll remember for a long time. Leaving that rally, there was a distinct sense of community on campus, and I appreciate all the hard work that goes into creating moments like that for us.”
Mrs. Morgan expressed similar feelings about the event. “One of the highlights for me this year was the electrifying atmosphere during the Winter Rally. My supervision assignment was on the side of the gym where the Juniors and Seniors were seated, and it gave me a front-row view of the unity and excitement that permeated through the crowd, especially when the lights were turned off. It was truly heartwarming to witness the enthusiastic participation and camaraderie among the upperclassmen. I feel like adding the Winter Rally to the calendar this year brought an extra layer of excitement to the school community and kicked off the 2nd semester events.” As for Ms. Crismond, “My favorite moment of the school year was watching our drumline perform in the [Winter] Rally. To see the way the entire school responded and supported those students was so special for me.” Mr. Kim also praised the performance of the drumline, and commented, “It was great to see them bring back the Winter Rally and try something new.” In addition to this, he provided another moment. “My second favorite moment was when the Warriors were eliminated from the NBA playoffs by the Sacramento Kings. Many students underestimated the Kings and when the warriors lost, I took great joy in hearing the many excuses the next day.”
For the rest of the teachers, their best memories were made out of special moments spent with their students. The first of these teachers is Mr. Kaiser, who shared his pride in his students. “I had a team of 8 of my engineering students—part of my STEAM Outreach team—that worked all year to create a DIY solar-powered car kit for kids,” he explained. “After months of designing, 3D printing, laser cutting, assembly, and testing, the students got a chance to present their finished kit to the 5th graders at Mary Farmar Elementary. Watching my students help the younger kids build and race their cars was amazing. The 5th graders were so excited, and my students engaged with them so well. My students learned real-world engineering skills while inspiring the next generation of innovators. The whole experience reminded me that I have the best job in the world.”
Ms. Chu also mentioned an experience that she shared with her students this year. “One of my favorite moments from the school this year was during our solar eclipse on April 8. No students in 3rd period had the special “eclipse glasses” that one needs in order to view it directly. I happened to have saved mine from the solar eclipse in 2017. I was outside on our art patio with students from my Ceramics 2 class. They had never had the experience of viewing an eclipse that way. I let them take turns trying on my glasses. Their reactions were priceless. It was awesome to watch their excitement and nostalgia on that special day!”
Mr. Sinats shared his top moments with his students. “My favorite memories [have been] watching students make s’mores as they learned about limiting reactants in Chemistry, seeing my AP Chem students helping one another as they studied for AP exams, and getting to share pictures of the birth of my second child with all my students.”
For Mr. Greenwood, a certain moment with his students stands out from the rest. “[It was] the week Creative Writing performed the plays they had written,” he recalled. “Many students actually cast me as an actor, which is always a blast. However, this particular unit felt special for two reasons. First, my dad passed away the week prior, and acting in those student plays was the emotional boost I needed. Second, I had just gotten word that Creative Writing is going to be cut next year, so I knew this was the last time I would be able to do this with my Creative Writing students. When I think about this school year in general, my students have been the best part. Many are genuinely friendly, well-behaved, and engaged, and they have made it easier to be here with all the things I’ve been carrying.”
Mr. Calderon has also found great appreciation for time spent with his students. “I will always treasure the down times in class when I sat and talked with students and shared with them some of my sillier stories from my childhood,” he commented. As for one student in particular, he expressed his pride in his daughter—Cozette Calderon—and her successes on the debate team. “I would have to admit that my fondest memory is witnessing my daughter’s first debate tournament,” he said. “The surprise at the end of the day is indescribable but remains clearly etched in my memory. When the tournament officials announced the awards for the top debaters, Cozy found out that she had been undefeated—a perfect 4 wins against 0 losses. The debate team cheered for her, many of them pushing her toward the front to pick up her trophy. That day, I was overwhelmed by the kindness of her teammates and coaches, who cheered for her success.”
The accomplishment of one of her students has become Ms. Anouk’s favorite moment of the year. “I have a student who has an exceptionally hard time learning,” she explained. “He has medical challenges, so he has a really hard time socializing and working on his own, so I have to prompt him quite a bit. As part of my class, we have to do an online ten hour training, so, of course, I have to constantly remind this student to stay on task. But, even though it’s not due until tomorrow, he came in for Access and showed me his certificate. He did it all on his own and wrote all the notes that I told him to write so he could use those notes for his actual final. The coolest thing about it was that he fought some of his internal dialogue and said, ‘I’m going to show the world that I can do that.’ I loved that he changed his attitude so much over one year’s time so that instead of [feeling like he didn’t] want to do it because it’s hard, he showed me what he can do instead of what he cannot do. And he feels, as a result, really good about himself.”
Flowing throughout all of these fond memories is one common theme: a teacher’s great pride in the character and accomplishments of their students. Whether it be in sports, academics, or otherwise, these teachers find joy in the learning experiences and triumphs of those they teach. So, as we move forward, don’t forget to look back at the moments of struggle and achievements—as well as the teachers—that have brought us to where we are.
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