Teachers do a lot for their students but two teachers stand out.  Each year, staff and administration nominate and vote for teachers they believe have gone above and beyond.  The two teachers who won this year are Mr. Morales who is a math teacher, and Mrs. North who is the Library Media Specialist.  The following interviews will help get to know these outstanding teachers a little better.

Interview with Mrs. North in the library.

Question number 1: How long have you been a staff member here at Gloucester High school?
Answer:  This is my 13th year here in Gloucester.

Question number 2: What do you like about your job?
Answer: I love working with all the teachers and the students. Everyday is something new working in the library.

Question number 3: Do you have any interesting stories from working here?
Answer: This year someone brought a horse into the school.

Question number 4: Where would you be if you were not currently teaching?
Answer: I would be on the beach with a book if I wasn’t a librarian.

Question number 5: If you could teach another class what would it be?
Answer: An English teacher because that is what I taught before I became a librarian.

Question number 6: What is your favorite book?
Answer: Right now my favorite book is probably like the Fire Keepers Daughter. That I just read recently. But I’ll read another book eventually and it’ll become my new favorite.

Mrs. North had some very interesting good things to say about this school. Things that she has experienced throughout the years that you would never expect.

Interview with Mr. Morales in A Hall.

Question number 1: How long have you been a staff member at Gloucester High school?
Answer: I have been a teacher here for 8 years. However, I have been teaching for 15 years overall.

Question number 2: What do you like about your job?
Answer: I like so many things. I like interaction with the students. Uh getting to know them um you know on a social level as well. But you know I like when they have that little light bulb. Oh I know how to do this. Makes sense. That always makes me feel very good.

Question number 3: Do you have any interesting stories from working here?
Answer: After one of my students graduated from high school, they kept in touch, and I told the student if he ever needed anything he could reach. So years later, around 2019-2020, I got a call from a number in Afghanistan. I thought it was a spam call so I kept declining the call. And then I received a text message saying: “Mr. Morales, can you please answer the phone, it’s Rowen.” This student was in the army for ten years. And one day, he thought about me and wanted to thank me for everything I did for him. After that, we talked for hours. It was a very cool experience.

Question number 4: Where would you be if you were not currently teaching?
Answer: Working for NASA as a mathematician. It was my passion before becoming a teacher.

Question number 5: If you could teach another class what would it be?
Answer: Before I became a math teacher at Gloucester High School I was a Spanish teacher at a previous school.

Question number 6: What is your least favorite subject to teach?
Answer: I don’t not like teaching word problems to students. This is because when a teacher says it’s time for word problems the teacher gets this collective groan from the students. (I think we can all agree with that statement.)

Both North and Morales exemplify the title “Teacher of the Year”.  They do so much for the school in ways that often aren’t seen. Both of them have their own unique way of connecting with their students. GHS would not be the same without these two amazing teachers and we are lucky to have them in our school.