Written By: Delaney Cordes, Staff Writer
SPOTLIGHT: Retiring teacher Mrs. Mooring reflects on her time as a teacher at Poly and the new adventures to come in the future.
After many years of teaching, Poly High School is saying goodbye to some beloved teachers at the end of the 2023-24 school year; one of them is Mrs. Mooring. The junior and senior English teacher of 17 years is excited about starting her new adventure in retirement and has been reflecting often over her past experiences and memories as an educator at Poly High.
Mrs. Mooring, of course, loves literature as well as analyzing every aspect of it. She has always enjoyed learning about “what [is] going on and what does it mean” in regards to books and writings. Early on, when exploring future careers, “[she] felt like education was so important” and “wanted to help others see how important it was.”
Throughout her career here in Bear Country, many friendships and memories have been collected along the way. Her whole teaching career has been spent here at Poly, and Mrs. Mooring iterates how she will definitely “miss all of her friends” and the lunches they spent together talking about everything and anything, from relatable students to hilarious classroom scenarios. Some fond memories that came to mind for her were when her sons were students here at Poly, and she got to be a part of their high school years with them. Mooring also mentioned how she really enjoys the interactions with students and will greatly miss that element of being an educator.
When looking back on the past year, some of her students commented on some of their favorite memories with her. Leonila Arechiga (12) pointed out that Mrs. Mooring really “cares about the students and them as a person,” plus how “she is helpful in both academic and personal ways.” Juniors Andre Johnson, Jetta Vogel, and Derek Nosenchuck each commented on some of their favorite things about their teacher. From how she’s “really dedicated” (Derek) and “very understanding” (Jetta) plus is “a good person to have around” (Andre). They also mentioned how Mrs. Mooring teaches in fun and creative ways, and builds strong relationships with her students.
Mrs. Mooring offers some advice to her students, but also to any new and incoming teachers. For the high schoolers, Mrs. Mooring recommends to enjoy the experiences throughout the four years, but to “not enjoy it too much” and hopes they can look back on it fondly. And for the new teachers, to “find your groove” and to “be patient with yourself” during the learning curve. But also to “not be afraid to ask for help” from other teachers and friends in the process.
With less than thirty days until the end of the school year, Mrs. Mooring already has plans and is excited for retirement. She is “looking forward to traveling,” and is relocating to North Carolina, where she will enjoy spending time with her husband and “just sitting on her porch and enjoying the sunset” with her dogs.