As John Cooper opens its doors once more for another year of excitement, learning, and adventuring, it’s time to welcome back all the dragons- new and old! But it’s not just the students coming back from summer break; the teachers at Cooper also come back eager to share their wisdom. This year we have plenty of new teachers joining the Cooper community! 

I got a chance to sit down and talk to a few of the new teachers, and all of them couldn’t be happier about being a Cooper Dragon! I asked them why they teach, and all responded with grand amounts of passion and love for their classes. Mrs. Watson, the new middle school French teacher said, “I love teaching number one, but I love teaching French because I like teaching about another culture, another way of living…I just think it’s really important for kids to know that there is something else besides the United States and our American way.” One can be assured that with this amount of motivation from the teachers, the students will be instilled with a love of learning for life. 

 Even though they’ve only been here a few weeks, the new teachers also expressed their opinion on what separated Cooper students from others. Mr. Lewis, who teaches World History 1 and 2,  responded with, “there is a kindness, there is a care, there is a concern, there is a general niceness if that’s even a word that kind of permeates the whole community.” Mrs. Obiri, a new addition to the upper school math department, said that there is a drive in Cooper students and an eagerness to learn that she hasn’t seen so prominently at other schools. This represents the essence of Cooper; it’s good to hear that the Cooper community is a welcoming environment not only for the students but staff alike.

Not only do our teachers care and provide an exciting environment for learning, but they also have some life lessons to teach as well. Mr. Gasper, the teacher of 6th and 8th grade English, advises not to fear failure but to embrace it, because it’s an essential part of growing as a person, not just as a student. Mr. Hebert, the 10th and 11th grade English teacher, already shared a life lesson with my class, which I already try to apply daily. He said, “This is the one chance that you have at today. While you may think about what’s next, never forget to stop and smell the roses. Never forget that today is its own opportunity to learn and discover who you are.” The students can carry these tips and life lessons as they continue through school and then eventually out into the real world.  

Cooper teaches inspire, and support, and push students farther and farther beyond previously conceived limits. The outcome is confidence, knowledge, and life skills that prepare out students for amazing futures. With this year’s incredibly additions to the staff, this culture of lifelong learning is sure to thrive.