BEST DRESSED: Senora Sandel
MOST INSPIRING: Mr. Ward
FUNNIEST: Mr. Mule
WISEST: Mr. Heditsch
BEST HAIR: Mr. Santucci
MOST RELATABLE: Mr. Michael
MOST CREATIVE: Mr. Dillon
MOST LIKELY TO WIN JEOPARDY: Mr. Dowler
BEST STORYTELLER: Mr. Carraro
MOST SCHOOL SPIRIT: Mrs. Manning
MOST QUOTABLE: Mr. Quinn
MOST LIKELY TO WIN A WORLD RECORD: Mrs. Castro-Alvarez
Teacher Appreciation Week occurs during the first full week of May every year. Each year, the Future Educators Club at Mendham High School asks students to fill out a form to nominate teachers for superlatives. Two teachers who won the same categories two years in a row are Mr. Carraro and Mr. Brown. Mr. Carraro describes that he has “feeling[s] of pure bliss” to be nominated as best storyteller. Additionally, Mr.Brown describes being named most relatable as “awesome”. Both these teachers and the rest of the Mendham High School Staff dedicate immense amounts of time to their students.
Mr. Carraro received Best Storyteller, and this title resonates with his style of teaching very well. Mr. Carraro tells stories from his life to try to teach students about business opportunities. Additionally, he uses his gift of storytelling to make his class more interactive. Mr. Carraro shares that he “grew up with a storyteller father, and [his] favorite movie is Big Fish, which is about a father who teaches his son life lessons through stories. [He tries] to do the same. ” Mr. Carraro uses his childhood experiences as an opportunity to make himself a better teacher. He attempts to make his class more fun by telling stories about accidentally eating dinner with Nazi’s, opening a small business with his friends, and accidentally ruining his grandmother’s car. Mr. Carraro expresses that “Each day [he] [comes] to work [he] relish[es] the opportunity to be there in any capacity for students. [He] also really love[s] seeing what kids are capable of and [is] continually amazed at many of the things kids can do.” It is evident that Mr. Carraro loves working with the students, and the Mendham community is happy to have him as a teacher.
Mr. Brown received Most Relatable, and he attempts to be relatable so “students will have knowledge and experience from [his] lessons and can apply it to their lives.” Mr. Brown enjoys teaching because he “get[s] to experience giving information to students, them demonstrating a level of understanding, and seeing it applied to their personal lives.”Mr. Brown emphasizes that one of the most important opportunities for him
As a teacher is to see students using his advice and lessons. Mr. Brown attempts to help students retain his lessons by making his class relatable, hence his winning this superlative. He attempts to be relatable through “the music [he] play[s] in PE, the activities [he] [does] in Health, and Drivers Ed. [He] [tries] to relate [his] lessons to the real world as much as possible.” He uses competitive games and his own experiences to make his class more relatable. Mr. Brown makes extreme efforts to help his students learn, and he clearly cares very much about the students at Mendham High School.
Both teachers had previous career paths that were part of their journey to finding happiness in teaching. Mr. Carraro, “worked in sales prior, and it just didn’t feel fulfilling. [He] wanted to leave a mark on the planet before [he] leaves it, and [he] truly enjoys helping others.” Mr. Carraro has “never dreaded a day of work, since starting.” It is evident that
Mr. Carraro is ecstatic to come teach students every day. Additionally, Mr. Brown was not happy in his, “previous career path in Occupational Therapy. [He] wanted to be happy and have peace of mind. [He] achieved that in teaching, especially with the students and staff here.” It is clear that Mr. Brown and Mr. Carraro are happy with their new professions, as they are always seen in the halls having discussions with students and smiling.
Aside from Mr. Brown and Mr. Carraro being beloved teachers at Mendham High School, the community is grateful to have all of the teachers in the building. The Mendham community is extremely thankful for all of the teachers who make every effort to help their students succeed. All of the incredible teachers at Mendham High School attempt to help their students both inside and outside of the classroom. Thank you to all of the teachers and staff in the building for providing the students of Mendham High School with an excellent education and a family-like community.
