Volume 60, Issue 3
Arcadia High School 180 Campus Drive, Arcadia, CA
November 2011
Mr. Jones: Teacher of the Year
In this issue:
Photo courtesy of INHABITOTS.COM
NEWS pg.3 Babies Everywhere! Baby #7 billion makes headlines around the world.
Photo courtesy of SITE.AUSD.NET
AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT Mr. Talmage Jones proudly poses with Superintendent Joel Shawn (left) and Board President Janet Chew (right). By JEANNE KUANG Staff Writer Photo courtesy of CS.DARTMOUTH.EDU
OPINION pg.5 College Confidential: Is the college application process something worth being grateful for?
Photo courtesy of TOMMY LIAO
PERFORMING ARTS pg.6 ADD’s The 39 Steps: Check out their new play, a hilarious rendition of an Alfred Hitchcock comedy. Have a question, comment, or concern about the Pow Wow? E-mail the Editors-in-Chief at editorsinchief@apachepowwow.com or find us online at apachepowwow.com.
Earlier this year, science teacher and Link Crew adviser Mr. Talmage Jones was named AUSD’s Teacher of the Year. Mr. Jones has been teaching in Arcadia for a total of 27 years, 6 years at Foothills Middle School and 21 years at AHS. Mr. Jones’ students are thrilled for him, describing his energetic classroom presence and engaging activities as reasons for his success as a teacher. “He shows us a cool experiment once every couple of weeks and it’s up to us to relate it to the functions of the human body,” said junior Matt Ormseth, a student in Mr. Jones’ Human Physiology class, referring to the science teacher’s “Think Tanks”. Past “Think Tanks” have included holding a paper cup full of water over a flame to demonstrate water’s cooling properties, and placing a ping pong ball over a hair dryer to observe the effects of high and low air pressure. Senior Sara Noji was also eager to comment on how Mr. Jones makes human physiology “fun and relatable.” She recalled that while teaching the class about skin pigments, Mr. Jones told a story about his grandson, who drank a lot of pumpkin juice before Halloween, turning his skin orange from the carotene pigment in the juice.
“When I took the quiz about skin, I was easily able to remember his funny story and the answer to the question,” said Sara. Mr. Jones’ classes are often peppered with entertaining stories and ways to relate class material to students, whether through mnemonics or amusing experiences with his extended family. Class with Mr. Jones has an undoubtedly friendly feel. The teacher has been known to start off the school year with quirky introductions about himself, including self-deprecating humor about his difficult-to-pronounce first name and his lifelong ambition to become a tour guide for Disneyland’s Jungle Cruise ride, after he retires from teaching. Students in his class are encouraged to embrace a wide range of interesting knowledge, and they can receive extra credit on quizzes for answering “bonus” questions of various categories. Senior Tian Chen said that his teacher “enriches his lessons with personal anecdotes and interesting trivia as well as clever jokes.” Aside from teaching science, Mr. Jones is, as Matt said, “the most interesting man in the world.” He has indeed lived in a village in Wales with the longest name in the world, his family has won an episode of Family Feud, and he has held a number of odd jobs, including owning a Baskin Robbins store in Utah. Occasionally sharing tidbits of his life “keeps the class light and gives it a personal, friendly touch,” Matt said. But according to Matt, Mr. Jones is “by no means what people call a ‘chill’ teacher—his tests are difficult and he moves through [the] curriculum
quickly.” Tian jokingly added, “I’ve learned to be terrified of him.” Tian described Mr. Jones’ classes as interesting but challenging, noting that “there is never a day [he] can go on autopilot, nor is there any day [he wants] to.” Senior Seattle Cano, who took the class last year, agreed, saying that even when the subject matter may not have been easy or fascinating, “Mr. Jones made class fun, and he was always encouraging and upbeat.” It is this lively attitude, this “evident love for teaching,” that his students mention most when asked about him. “He conveys the sense that he truly wants to be in the classroom every day,” Matt observed. Outside of class, Mr. Jones is very involved in AHS activities. He serves as the adviser for Link Crew, a campus program dedicated to helping freshmen and new students become accommodated in AHS, and every December he is the emcee for Orchesis Dance Company’s Charity Dance Show. Mr. Jones was recognized as Teacher of the Year at an Arcadia Board of Education meeting on Sept. 13, and attended a County Office of Education luncheon for other Teachers of the Year throughout the county. He will continue to be recognized during the year by various Arcadia organizations, including AEF in the coming spring. “Mr. Jones is a master of education,” said Tian, “and I think he definitely deserves the accolade.” jkuang@apachepowwow.com