{"id":3106,"date":"2018-11-28T14:42:48","date_gmt":"2018-11-28T19:42:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/?p=3106"},"modified":"2018-12-18T15:28:36","modified_gmt":"2018-12-18T20:28:36","slug":"psyched-to-teach","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/?p=3106","title":{"rendered":"Psyched To Teach"},"content":{"rendered":"

By\u00a0Gwynne Ozkan, Hannah Woehrle & Will Shaffer
\n<\/strong>Focus
\nMidland HS
\n1st Place
\nDivision 3, News Writing
\nPersonality Profile<\/p>\n

A young man dressed in a yellow Chemic sweatshirt, khaki pants, and goggles sat in the back of the classroom with his hood up. As sixth hour started, students casually walked by, mistaking him for a new student. As the bell rang, they turned around to the words, \u201cSurprise! I\u2019m over here.\u201d Psychology teacher Henry Muller, 22-years-old and in his first year at Midland High School, was no longer blending in with his students.<\/p>\n

Muller applied for the open teaching position last spring. He was looking for a position at a well-ranked school in his home state that allowed him to teach strictly psychology. The previous school year, Muller taught eighth grade U.S. History at a charter middle school in central Florida. Although he gained teaching experience, his job was not what he had hoped for.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter a year of teaching there, I was in search of other jobs,\u201d Muller said.<\/p>\n

Candidates nationwide applied for Muller\u2019s position, but after a Skype interview, assistant principal Bob Scurfield formally offered him the job.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s a young teacher, so he doesn\u2019t have the \u2018on-the-job\u2019 experience that another teacher might have,\u201d Jaster said, \u201cbut he has an impressive academic record, and his discipline of choice- psychology- is something he is very well versed in.\u201d<\/p>\n

Muller found the decision to take the position at Midland High an easy one.<\/p>\n

\u201cI canceled every other offer because Midland High was by far the best position I applied to and it\u2019s rare to find a job that only teaches psychology,\u201d Muller said. \u201cTeaching has allowed me to do something I\u2019m interested in, which is psychology, while also having a positive impact on the community at the same time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Muller attended the University of Michigan (U of M), earning a major in psychology. He took only three years to earn his full credits to graduate in 2015. This was accomplished in part by taking 10 AP courses in high school, and earning credit for all of them. However, if he could do it again, Muller would have preferred not to have graduated so early because he says there is more to college than just classes.<\/p>\n

He spent a fourth year in graduate school at U of M as well, earning a degree in educational studies. He was then accepted into the Secondary MAC program, choosing a major in history and a minor in psychology.<\/p>\n

This program then allowed him to obtain his master\u2019s in education and a certification to teach.<\/p>\n

So far, Muller is very happy with his experience at Midland High. Since the high school he attended lacked school spirit, he says he has been pleasantly surprised by the student body, the faculty, and events that display school pride. He particularly likes football games, traditions like hall marching, and school-wide assemblies.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the two months I have been at MHS, I\u2019ve been amazed at how smart and respectful the students are, how involved the parents are, and how welcoming and helpful the staff and administration have been,\u201d Muller said.<\/p>\n

Jaster says that it is encouraging how Muller is open to feedback and collaboration. He also believes that Muller\u2019s age allows him to connect better with students, and that it makes him more accustomed to the new methods of teaching, like a higher incorporation of technology.<\/p>\n

\u201cYounger teachers have the luxury of being closer in age to their students at the high school level, and with that is an understanding of issues that kids are going through,\u201d Jaster said. \u201cSo, he can certainly draw on some of his own personal experiences and use that information to guide the way he teaches.\u201d<\/p>\n

Senior Brady Wing agrees that Muller\u2019s age is an asset in his own learning. He emphasizes Muller\u2019s ability to make pop-culture references and his effort relate to his students. Wing says he respects Muller even more-so because of his age. He said that if he were to let Muller down, he would feel like he was letting down not only a teacher, but also a friend.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe aren\u2019t all that far apart, but he\u2019s still old enough to have that presence of a teacher,\u201d Wing said. \u201cWe all respect him because we can relate to him so much. He\u2019s just someone we can turn to.\u201d<\/p>\n

Students like Wing have been trying to show Muller what it means to be a Chemic. With that, he feels really welcomed.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe looks out for us, and that\u2019s why we love him so much.\u201d Wing said.<\/p>\n

Muller in turn hopes they learn the content to succeed on the AP\/IB tests, though he mainly works to pique their interest in a way that generates their interest in the field.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf there\u2019s one thing I want to convey, it\u2019s that I enjoy my time here,\u201d Muller said. \u201cThe best part of my day is the time I spend in my classroom with my students and that is not something I could say last year.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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