Why Do Teachers Teach the Grades They Do?

Ms.+Blumhardt+teaches+9th+grade+English+and+Newspaper+at+Rocky.+

Alexis Underhill

Ms. Blumhardt teaches 9th grade English and Newspaper at Rocky.

Alyce Gonzales, Reporter

Teachers at Rocky Mountain High School usually stick to teaching one grade. However, other teachers have taught multiple different grades. We asked teachers about what they think on the different grades in school, and we got their opinions. Many teachers think higher grades are better than the lower grades because they are a lot easier to teach.  

Ms. Paluzzi is a Rocky Mountain English teacher; she has been teaching for two years now and was a substitute for about a year. Paluzzi said, “I love the conversations I get to have with students. It can feel repetitive when teaching similar topics each year or day to day, but the students keep it interesting with their thoughts and opinions they share.” 

She has taught three different grades. Paluzzi has taught 10th, 11th, and 12th grade so far. She had a tough time picking out what grade was her favorite: ”​It honestly is hard to pick a favorite. The energy of my sophomores was a lot of fun, but there is something special about teaching senior during their last year of high school. This is the first year I get to teach juniors and they have been so much fun! It’s hard to choose!”  

Mr. Mark Carpenter is a math teacher at Rocky Mountain; he has been teaching for a total of six years after this year. Carpenter shared his thoughts: “My favorite thing about teaching is getting to share my knowledge with others. I believe that being able to share what I know, even if it does not relate to my subject, is one of the best things a person can do with their life and usually you will learn something from the people you are teaching as well. Also, having summers’ off is great because it gives me a chance to travel and experience the world without having to worry about missing work.” 

If Carpenter were not a teacher, he would be a lawyer because he was “interested in the law classes [he] took at BSU.”

Mrs. Josette Bell is a history teacher here at Rocky Mountain. She has been teaching at Rocky Mountain for three and a half years. Bell said her favorite part of teaching is, “My students!  I love teaching my subject matter—history is my jam—but it’s the students that make me want to come to work each and every day.” 

Has teaching become easier over the years? Bell said, “I think I might have become more knowledgeable when it comes to teaching, but each year has its own challenges.  I never would have imagined teaching in a pandemic! But here we are, rocking it!” 

She would have loved to teach 11th graders more, because she loves junior level history. 

Most teachers have different opinions on what grade they like teaching best. Every teacher has their own way of teaching and their students like that. No two teachers are the same.