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TEACHER
mihsislander.org
Through Teaching, Staff Discover Their True Passions Hannah Whobrey
staff writer
High schoolers often face pressure to map out their whole future by graduation, yet many MIHS teachers know from experience that life almost never goes according to plan. For Peggy Aguilar, who has taught Spanish for six years at MIHS, her original aspirations transformed after an eye-opening work experience in college. “I was a Journalism major,” Aguilar said. “I ended up doing public relations internship for a non-profit, but sitting in front of a computer all day, the time went really slowly. It was not the right sort of work environment for me.” “I took a year off to volunteer in a school [and] really liked it. After that, I went back and got my Master’s in teaching — not what I
easier to leave a business situation, [and] I ended up coming out here.” “I worked for Sylvan Learning Center as a director of education, which was more management, but I didn’t like that as much. So I quit that and took a job at Mercer Island!” In Daniela Melgar’s case, a few years of exploration led to the realization that teaching allowed her to combine her biggest passions. “When I went into undergrad, and even grad school, my focus was theater and acting,” Melgar, who has taught drama on the Island for seven years, said. “I wanted to be doing something that involves theater for the stage, but I didn’t know exactly what that looked like.” “At some point, I started tutoring kids, and then I did a summer camp where I was working with kids in theater. All of these activities and
Hayes shortly after graduating college. planned to do going into college!” Michelle Hayes, who has taught math to both IMS and MIHS students for 18 years, spent more time on her path to education. “I didn’t teach at first when I got out of school,” Hayes explained. “I worked in business doing auditing of sales dealerships. At the time, I lived in New Jersey and I didn’t want to stay in New Jersey, so I didn’t want to take a teaching job. It was
Melgar directing students at “9 to 5” rehearsals this year.
worked 180 hours — so it’s exhausting! That’s the hardest part, keeping that stamina up.” “You’re juggling a lot of stuff all the time, with the lesson planning and the grading and the meetings,” Aguilar said. “There’s just a lot going on, always.” “The hardest part is probably all the work outside of school,” Hayes commented. “The day is not done when you guys leave — there’s a mountain of paperwork and tests to grade, and lesson plans and stuff like that.” In spite of these difficulties, students help these teachers stay motivated. “I love building relationships with my students and my colleagues,” Aguilar said. “Just to go into classrooms and spend time with kids, and build those relationships and have those moments in the classroom, is the most rewarding part.” “It’s an exciting thing to see students reach levels of understanding that they either struggled with, or that they thought they underPhoto courtesy Michelle Hayes stood and went beyond,”
jobs where I got to work with young people were all very eye-opening. I was like “Oh, I can use art and theater, which I love, to work with young people and help them find their voice.”” Even though these staff members did not originally plan to become teachers, they have always carried a deep love for their subjects. “Growing up, I was more passionate and geared towards math and science,” Hayes remembered. “I guess
between those two, math was my favorite.” “I get to teach what I love,” Melgar said. “I love how students can find their voice, and find confidence and be exactly who they’re supposed to be. Drama itself, theater itself, helps people have empathy for other people.” “I think learning languages are important,” Aguilar said. “Being a global citizen and knowing there’s other
Photo courtesy Daniela Melgar Hayes said. “It’s nice to be in a community where the arts are so supported,” Melgar explained. As they watch students prepare to make their own life decisions, these teachers offered some guidance from their own journeys. “Travel if at all possible when you’re young,” Hayes said. “Keep your options open. While I enjoyed math and science more in my education, I still pushed myself to excel at all of the subjects, just because at a young age I didn’t know what I was going to do, so I didn’t want to close any doorways.” “I think if you follow your passions and follow your interests, everything else falls into place,” Aguilar said. “I just want my students to be happy people and to be true to themselves.” “You have to love what you do, but you also have to have a hard shell,” Melgar said. “Just because you didn’t get this one role does not mean you are not talented and does not mean that there won’t be other opportunities.”
perspectives out there is the most important thing.” Although they are happy with their career choice, these teachers recognize that their job is not always easy. “I’m always emotionally invested,” Melgar said. “I hate people being upset. No matter what you do, not everyone is going to be happy.” “[During productions] it’s a lot of hours, for me, here in this building,” she added. “In Photo courtesy Craig Degginger the last three weeks, I’ve had two days off — I will have Aguilar upon receiving Teacher of the Year in 2017.
June 11, 2018 Following a successful student teaching position at MIHS last year, Daniel Yi has joined the school as a full time Biology and Robotics teacher. The MIHS Islander found out what being a new teacher is like.
FEATURES
New to the Island
Islander: Why did you become a teacher? Yi: My senior year of college, I got into dental school, but I realized after working in the field that I just wanted to do it for the money and that I wouldn’t really be happy. I had always volunteered in teaching underprivileged youth, international students and students who needed help in the sciences and I always loved it, so here I am. it gives you a better perspective on the things Why do you teach biol- around you. I think biology is unique in the sense ogy? There’s a reason why it’s that it governs things required for all students that are very tangible to understand biology: to all of our five senses.
3 What should students know about their teachers? We’re never out to get you, and I always, always, always am on your side. What’s the best part about being a teacher? Every day I laugh, and every day it doesn’t really feel like work to me, for the most part. What do you like to do in your free time? I like to snowboard, lift weights, hang out with friends, read, and cook, and see my family.
Photo by Hannah Whobrey
Why did you choose MIHS? I connected well with the students here, and I was here before, so I knew how everything worked. I also grew up
around here, so I understand what it’s like to be a teenager here, because I was a teenager around here a couple of years ago.
Do you have any advice for students? Everything’s a big deal right now, but when you look back you’ll start to see that it wasn’t a big deal, and the more you understand that, the nicer your life will be right now.
Blast from the Past: Radow Retires Hannah Whobrey
staff writer
As the island matures, some MIHS teachers have had the opportunity to watch the community age firsthand, giving them a unique perspective on the school. Mike Radow has taught history to Islander students for 24 years. Like many teachers, Radow pursued a career in education thanks to his own love of school. “I was a pretty good student,” Radow said. “I don’t know whether liking history made me more political or liking politics made me like history more, but those combinations have been great. I mean, how many people get to have their extra-curricular interest match what they get to do at work?” Beyond his passion for academics, Radow sees teaching as a way to bring positive change to the world. “You get up in the morning and you think, “I gotta do something that matters,
that is important,”” Radow said. “If you don’t have a past, you don’t have a memory. History provides that, I think.” In spite of his zeal for teaching, there are some parts of the job that are less enjoyable. “I am no big fan of clicking little boxes,” Radow said. “When I started teaching, we had grades by paper — you couldn’t check Skyward 45 times a day. That has taken the joy out, to some extent.” Over the years, Radow has personally witnessed this evolution in student priorities. “It’s become more intensely focused on grades than it was when I started,” Radow said. “There were no computers, there were certainly no smartphones, and so people were not as easily distracted by all the electronics.” Instead, Radow stresses a more laid back approach. “I would love students to simply be curious,” Radow said. “There are 4,000 colleges in this fine country for you, and you will
find a great landing spot, even if it’s not Harvard or Stanford.” Beyond the classroom, Radow strives to be an involved citizen, a quality that he emphasizes for his students. “Aside from doing history, I read; I hike; I garden,” Radow said. “I try to read widely.” “I have all these teenagers that are a captive audience that I get to talk to. I joke about brainwashing, but I certainly want to expose people to different ideas.” When he is not fighting for justice, Radow relaxes with his most cherished hobby. “I have been a singer in choirs for ever,” Radow said. “I’m certainly no soloist, but I can do that musical part. You can try to make a good sound, and have it be pretty, and blend with your neighbors.” As he prepares to retire this year, the next big question is what to do next. “I have this desire to be of service,” Radow noted. “I’m actually thinking I might teach some prison-
Photo courtesy Kati McConn
Radow teaches AP US History and World History this year. ers, if I can figure out how to do that. I’m going to find a different group than privileged Mercer Island students — some people that might need me more.” Drawing upon decades of experience, Radow leaves students with his most
sage advice. “Follow your bliss,” Radow explained. “Find what you love, and do it. Then you’ll be happy, even if it’s not as financially rewarding as some other things that might be miserable on a daily basis.”