Imagine yourself as a new teacher in the bustling halls of a new school. You have multiple classes throughout the day with many new students’ names to learn and a whole new schedule to adapt to. The commotion can be overwhelming and chaotic, yet many teachers came to Glen Rock High School this 2021-2022 school year. The teachers have come from many different schools and for some of our new teachers, this is their first year teaching. The nerves are high, yet they overcome them and educate the young minds of the students. 

Some of the teachers say that adapting to the new building, such as Allison Romanski, an English and Special Education teacher, has been simple.

“Navigating the school is pretty easy because I’m in the same classroom all day,” said Romanski. Unfortunately, some of our other teachers didn’t have such good luck.

Navigating a new area, let alone with busy hallways, can be difficult. The teachers share their experiences with adapting to the new building. Some common experiences among the teachers were getting lost constantly. 

Kasey Hickey, a new teacher in the math department, said, “I was averaging like 5, 6 miles because I was getting lost constantly.” Getting lost in our building did not only include Hickey but an abundance of teachers. 

Dr. Susan Alswang, the new French teacher, said that she had some difficulty getting around, but she found some shortcuts through the library. Dr. David Driscoll, the new Latin teacher, also said that getting around the school has not been easy, but he is slowly understanding his way around. It seems as though the first couple of times around the school may have been difficult, but once the school year started at its regular pace, maneuvering through the hectic halls became easier.

Similar experiences of the drop schedule have been shared amongst the new teachers. Regularly looking at the schedule has become part of a routine at school. Hickey put the drop schedule on the back of her ID so she has it with her everywhere she goes. 

Several teachers have said that the schedule has been difficult to get used to, but they think it is beneficial for them and the students. Brian Greppo, a new History teacher, said “It’s actually a really great schedule. It’s nice having a different schedule every day. And there’s definitely, for us teachers, a decent amount of time built into the day to meet with students, to prep, to grade, all that.”

Romanski also saw the schedule from a different perspective. She thinks that being able to see kids at different times of the day can be helpful because some kids may be tired first thing in the morning and excited after lunch. 

“I do think the students here are amazing, they’re very friendly, they love working on projects, extremely talented and very creative,” says Jenna Vrablic, the new Video Production teacher. She hasn’t been the only one who has said admirable things about the Glen Rock student body. 

“Nothing beats Glen Rock. It’s just a wonderful place to be,” says Alswang. 

The most rewarding thing to hear is that our school community is welcoming, and that is what numerous teachers have said. Glen Rock High School strives to have open arms to new faces wandering the halls.