A new school year is underway: freshmen are adjusting to the exciting world of high school, sophomores have returned to the familiar routine, juniors are ready to be upperclassmen and seniors are counting down the days until graduation. However, amidst the chaotic return to a new school year, there is one more group learning to adapt: new teachers.

As the school year began on August 19, seven new teachers joined West High’s crew. With past teaching experience from New York to Spain, each of the new teachers bring a colorful story to West. Senior Principal Beth Aromando, part of the administration team welcoming new teachers, values the diversity that new staff can bring.

“New teachers are always important because they bring different ideas to the table,” Aromando said. “We need fresh ideas because we’re always looking to grow and improve.”

Despite varying past experiences, the new teachers shared an ignited passion for teaching, bringing them to West. Their path to the school, however, featured differences. Some arrived in search of a change of pace. Honors English 2 teacher Adam Chadwick, a new addition to the department, spent his career working in urban areas like The Bronx and Chicago. He originally grew up in St. Louis and decided to come back to his hometown as a professional.

“I was interested in a change,” Chadwick said. “[I wanted to be] in a bigger environment with more opportunities, groups, clubs, sports, a bigger faculty [and] more course offerings. The student body is really strong and diverse, [and] all the kids are involved in sports and all these clubs. Those [are] resources [I’ve] never had at schools [where I’ve taught].”

Similarly, Spanish teacher Kristin Struckhoff heard about Parkway’s strong community from past coworkers when searching for a new environment.

“I think that if you stay in one place for a long time, it’s so amazing for certain reasons, but [sometimes you] don’t get to see what else is going on out there,” Struckhoff said. “[West] is a really good community [with] lots of diversity, which I love as a language teacher. Being able to teach kids that come from different backgrounds, who offer so many different perspectives, has been amazing. I was craving that diversity, and I love that there’s so many different people here that we can learn from.”

One of the new teachers had experienced the community of West once before: as a very Longhorn student. Alumna Charlie Woodruff graduated in 2018, and after completing her education, returned as a substitute teacher for biology teacher Melinda Allen last school year. This year, she works in the English department as a new teacher.

“West is a really great community as a lot of kids want to be here [and] want to learn,” Woodruff said. “That’s not something you find everywhere and I really appreciate that about the [school’s] environment.”

Guidance from veteran teachers and staff has been a key factor in helping the teachers adjust. Many experienced active assistance as they settled into their new routines.

“I’ve been really overwhelmed and impressed by the support of every teacher, both in my department and outside,” Chadwick said. “People have been checking in on me constantly because they know I’m a new teacher here. I know I can turn to anyone in the school, and I’m always going to be supported.”

It’s more than just the staff members who have helped the new teachers. Students are a vital part to the success of new teachers, and it all starts in the classroom.

“Although we appear to have it all together [and] as a teacher, I always want to know what’s going on, teachers have their own anxieties and things that make them nervous,” Struckhoff said. “Having an audience that [listens] in a respectful way [has] been so nice, because it [has] allowed me to share [more about] myself. [If] we [become] closer, faster, we can be vulnerable with [one another].”