Just a Few Quirks

No two teachers are quite the same. Each one has their own unique teaching style and quirks that make their classes unique, and JA is no exception. From yoga to college prep, every teacher brings an individual style to the table for their students. 

“I lecture for the entire 90 minutes. That can be hard for some students to adjust to, but I haven’t gotten any complaints yet,” claimed beloved JA history teacher Mr. Ketcham. “I do this, though, to help get them ready for college. The reality is that they will have classes where they just get talked at for the entire period, and that’s easier to adjust to if they already have some experience with it in high school.” 

Mr. Ketcham is no stranger to college classes. He started his career as a college professor and is currently a professor at Front Range Community College, teaching college-level US History and Geography at JA. His college-like approach to all of his classes really makes a difference, and he’s seen it firsthand.

“I taught a night class a little bit ago at Front Range,” Mr. Ketcham noted. “I was shocked by the quality of their work as opposed to my JA students. The kids at JA’s writing were leagues ahead of the writing that I was getting from these college-age students. I really do think it helps to introduce students to a college-like environment when they’re a little younger.”

According to Mr. Ketcham, it helps to introduce a more rigid class structure to the students when they are younger so that they can adjust better to that environment when they’re in college. Not every teacher is so rigorous, though. Mrs. Larsen loves to use questions and movement to facilitate learning in her classroom. 

“A lot of what I do helps me to get to know my students better. Every day I have a question written. Today I asked, ‘If a wedding was held in a deli, what would you throw instead of rice?’ We answer it during our stretch break circle, so that we can all get to know each other a little better with some kind of funny question.” 

Mrs. Larsen is all about finding fun and quirky ways to make her classes more entertaining, from silly questions to mid-class yoga in the hallway. Senior Simon Christie agrees that one of the best ways for teachers to improve their class is to interact with their students more. 

“I remember, back when Mrs. Ferb was here, she would tell stories about her life during class sometimes instead of just teaching. I think that was awesome, it helped me get to know her better which motivated me to work harder in the class,” Christie stated. 

Doing things like telling stories is a great way for teachers to connect with their students. Students claim that they feel more motivated and excited to come to class. Having such a busy class can lead to some complications though. 

“One downside of being in a super active class, in my experience, is that sometimes stuff will get forgotten about or moved on from too quickly, which can make it hard to figure out what to be doing,” junior Kris Rawlins mentioned. “It does help me stay more alert and pay more attention though, so it isn’t all bad.”

No stranger to busy classes, Rawlins brought up how confusing it can be to jump from topic to topic. They did admit that there were some positives to such a fast-paced class, though. When students know that there’s so little time between topics, they tend to pay more attention so as not to miss any key information. Some classes, like Mr. Kirkley’s, are a little more laid-back.

“The way I see it is that since I can be so scatterbrained with my ADHD, it’s not fair of me to fault students for being the same way. This usually leads to my classes being way more laid-back, even in a college setting,” claimed Mr. Kirkley. “At the end of the day, I think the most important thing to remember is that just like every student learns differently, every teacher teaches a little differently, and that’s something that you just have to go into classes expecting.”