Too much time spent without music often kills the desire to play, but social studies teacher Aaron Bashirian did not lose interest. Instead, the rockstar-gone-teacher stayed in touch with his desire to...
Outside of school, math teacher Jason Townsend can be found at the podium guiding college students at Maryville University through website and app development.
Townsend has over 22 years of high school...
Ashlyn Gillespie, Deputy Managing Editor-in-Chief
• January 14, 2022
According to freshman Emily Kate Beach, many students try to find the balance between school and their phones.
“When you finish your homework, it would make sense to be able to use your phone. If...
Leah Schroeder, Managing Editor-in-Chief
• January 5, 2022
American politics have rarely been as contentious as they are today; the mere mention of a political sway can sound alarms for many. However, for some individuals, the restrictions surrounding the discussion...
Attending welding school, flying to Hawaii and teaching students, business teacher Kelly Kennedy’s career has been anything but traditional. Kennedy explored unconventional approaches to both business...
I had my first dance recital when I was five years old. My mother likes to remind me that she thought I had the best costume: a black and white tulle dress, pink bows on my tap shoes and a feather in my...
Think you know the teachers of West High? While some of us may be shocked to learn teachers have lives outside of school, our teachers are filled with fun stories and incredible adventures. Take this quiz...
![“I was the girl that always played teacher when I [was] growing up. I [would set] my dolls up and stuffed animals up and they’d be my students [that I] would play school with. When I graduated high school, I went to Mizzou to become a broadcast journalist. I talked to a couple of people in the field and they all said to go wherever the jobs are. I knew I wasn't the type of person [whose] career was going to drive them around the world, and I knew I was in the wrong place, so I talked to my parents, and they [said] that I’ve always loved teaching. I went to Missouri State University, [then got a job] in a small town called Buffalo just north of Springfield and I worked there for two years. After that, I decided to get my graduate degree in math, and I had an opportunity to get a grad assistantship where I could go to school and teach. We ended up moving here to St. Louis and I taught for 10 years in the Fort Zumwalt district, and then seven years here at Parkway West. The one piece of advice I always give students is that they will spend more waking hours of their adult life in their job than anything else they do; so find something that you're passionate about and something that you love. Oftentimes as an adult, I feel like I'm saying one thing and doing another thing, but that [advice] I feel like I'm truly living.” – Andrea Horn, Math](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/DSC0040-1200x800.jpg)
![Eyes and ruler fixed towards the screen, social studies teacher Aaron Bashirian points to his Smartboard and explains the history behind his barn. Having learned the ropes of carpentry, Bashirian made structural changes to the barn by himself over the past three years. “It’s not your normal barn, but it’s cool, though. It’s got quite a bit of history to it,” Bashirian said. “It used to be a carriage house; you can see where they used to keep the horse. There’s still a grain [and] hay shoot [too]. They parked Model T-style cars [that created] all these oil slicks on the floor where they leaked. You can see that there’s a lot of history in there. I love it, [it’s a] perfect building for a history guy. ”](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/gvhgvgj-1-900x643.jpg)
![Science teacher Paul Hage points to his Smartboard in the middle of a lecture. Hage feels that topics in the subject that he teaches, specifically in his biology classes, have become increasingly relevant in recent years during the COVID-19 pandemic. “I think that science can be really relevant. Different people might have different opinions [about science],” Hage said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Behind-the-Bias-1.jpg)
