Teacher expresses thanks for WGHS experience

To the Webster Groves High School community,

Thank you so much for the opportunity to work as a building substitute teacher throughout the 2022 - 2023 academic year.

This year is my first in the field of education after completing my B.A. at Saint Louis University and beginning work in UMSL’s Teach in 12 program, and as such, it has been fundamental for me in cultivating what it means to be an effective educator.

I have found that the experiences I have had in classrooms at WGHS, including successfully implementing lesson plans, managing student behavior and differen- tiating instruction, have undoubtedly contributed to the successes I have had in my practicum experience.

It is also important to acknowledge the interplay of the unique circumstances that define public education in our lives today.

We have each experienced the effects of the pandemic, political and social unrest, and the emergence of new technology that forces us to wonder what life will be like for academia in the future.

However, a philosophy that I have adopted and spoken with students about is the need to embrace change, for it is the only constant in life. While change will continue to be an aspect of our lives, it is important to recognize that we control ourselves and our actions.

Given this, no words of mine can express well enough the gratitude I have for having such incredible colleagues here at WGHS who have become mentors of mine, and for the students here whose ambitions, aspirations, and genuine kindness leave me with no regrets in choosing to pursue education and history.

Good luck to the class of 2023, and to those whose time it will soon be to consider what things in life drive them forward through change everyday.

Go Statesmen!

Best regards,

Quentin Milosevich “Mr. Milo”