THE RETURN OF THE EYE

*Teacher: Photography and Art*

By: Morgan Blechschmid and Danielle Shehee

January 15, 2021

Mr. Christopher Kaspar is a Photography and Art teacher here at Brooklyn High School. One of the classes that he teaches is a Murals Art class in which students are shown how to paint murals. Their hard work is always displayed on the walls of classrooms and offices around the high school, including in our very own Mr. Holko’s room (sports paintings). Kaspar is known for not only being a teacher but for being in charge of our theater program’s crew ensemble as well. Kaspar and the crew work months at a time to set up, build, and prepare the sets for the Spring plays performed in the auditorium. Because of his talents and expertise, Mr. Kaspar was chosen for this week’s staff profile.

Q: What made you want to be in charge of the crew?

A: “I was asked if I had any experience with theater set design when I was first hired. I said, ‘Sure!’ In that, I worked as a crew member for a production company in downtown Cleveland. We started with four students, and now, we cap it around 30.”

Q: How do you deal with a stressful situation, whether that be with the crew or just in general as a teacher?

A: “I just try to plow through it. With 20 years of experience in the crew, I have come to see a lot. The hardest time was to pull together all the students and put on the only production of Newsies (last year when the pandemic hit). I had a job to do, and it was very difficult, but I did what I had to do. We got it done.”

Q: How has the pandemic affected the crew and your students who do theater?

A: “We had to stop recruiting for new members this year. We took in a few people from the theater class, but that was it. We also have had to break the groups into small pods where we ask for just a few people to come on a particular day.”

Q: What is your favorite subject to teach?

A: “Math.” {Editor’s note: I believe there is a touch of sarcasm with this answer.}

Q: What inspired you to become an art teacher?

A: “I knew that I wanted to be around art from early on in life. My goal was to go to art college, move to New York, and become a famous artist. When reality hit and I needed a job, I worked as a photographer, and I taught at the Beck Center in Lakewood. After that, I got the teaching bug. I went back to Cleveland State for my teaching license, and the rest is history.”

Q: What impact do you feel like you’ve made on your students and their art and photography skills?

A: “This is hard to tell. There have been times where my classes are appreciated as a break in the day. Others have gone on to art school or started their own photography business. So, I like to think that I make a positive impact.”

Q: What is your favorite memory from the crew?

A: “It is always the same. Saturday night at the closing curtain. All the stress, all the excitement, all the work, all the pizza (in a normal year) comes to an end. I love to see the faces of the students and the pride that they have and the knowledge that they have just accomplished something special, and they know that they did it all.”

Q: How many years have you been teaching?

A: “23 years.”

Q: What advice would you give to a student who is interested in joining crew in the future?

A: “ I always say that it is important to get involved early. It is more likely to get into crew for the first time as a freshman as opposed to an upperclassmen. I would like to get a person to be in the crew for four years as opposed to just one or two. Any one interested in joining would have to fill out an application to be considered.” 

Thank you, Mr. Kaspar!  Keep up the good work.

*Teacher: Grade 4 Language Arts and Social Studies*

By: Morgan Blechschmid and Danielle Shehee

January 8, 2021

Mrs. Adrienne Maysey is a Language Arts and Social Studies teacher at the Brooklyn School. She has been teaching for a total of sixteen years; this year is her sixth year of teaching here in the Brooklyn City School District. Maysey always makes a positive impact on every student she teaches, and her past students remember her as being fun and understanding.  For these reasons, Mrs. Maysey was chosen as this week’s staff profile.

Q: Where did you go to college, and why did you choose that school? 

A: “I went to Bowling Green State University. I wanted to go there because they were known for their education program, and I wanted to be a teacher.”

Q: Where were you born, and where did you grow up?

A: “I was born and raised in Strongsville, Ohio, but I currently live in North Ridgeville.”

Q: What are some of your hobbies?

A: “My hobbies include reading, cooking, being outdoors, and hanging out with my kids and my husband.”

Q: What made you want to become a teacher?

A: “I wanted to become a teacher because I always struggled with math and could never understand it, no matter how hard I tried. I had a fourth grade teacher, who instead of helping me, would embarrass me in front of the class for not understanding what we were learning. From that point on, I knew I wanted to be a teacher, so I could help kids who struggled with learning be successful.”

Q: What was most difficult for you when you first became a teacher?

A: “When I first became a teacher, the most difficult thing for me was that a lot of what you have to do as a teacher isn’t taught to you in college. For example: Classroom management, paperwork, and how to handle student trauma were all learned through experience, not from a textbook.”

Q: Would you ever teach any other grade level?

A: “I have actually taught 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th before, but 4th grade is my favorite grade to teach.”

Q: What is something that makes you the happiest about being a teacher?

A: “What makes me happiest as a teacher is having students write or tell me that I have helped them in some way or made a positive impact on their life.”

Q: How do you go about a stressful situation?

A: “When I am in a stressful situation, I like to talk to my friends and other people in order to get a different perspective. Sometimes when I am stressed, it is hard to see the bigger picture, so it helps to hear someone else’s viewpoint of the situation so that I can solve the problem.”

Q: How would your students describe you?

A: “I think many of my past and present students would describe me as their ‘school mom’ because I am always willing to listen, help out, or give comfort when needed, all while having high expectations for their learning and success.”

Thank you so much, Mrs. Maysey! We appreciate you and have fond memories of your class.  Keep up the good work.

*Teacher: English Language Arts*

By: Morgan Blechschmid and Danielle Shehee

December 18, 2020

Miss Holly Heiple is a sixth grade Language Arts teacher and the Student Council Advisor at the Brooklyn School. Heiple is a caring teacher and enjoys seeing the interaction between her students, as well as being able to interact with them herself. She has a very joyful personality and loves bringing a positive attitude to her classroom in order to help her students become comfortable with working together. 

Q: What is your favorite part about being a teacher?

A: “One of my favorite parts about being a teacher is getting to see my students grow up and mature! Now that we are all on one campus, I get to see former students in the hallways and assemblies. I also love sharing my love for reading. It’s so wonderful when I can inspire a student to try a book, and they end up loving it! Plus, my students are always recommending good books to me! I get to know a variety of different series that way.”

Q: What are the pros and cons for you with online learning/teaching? 

A: “Online teaching has its pros and cons, of course. There have been advances in technology for teaching, and this really gives everyone the opportunity to try some of them out. One of the advantages of online teaching is that it has allowed students to feel much more confident about speaking out and participating. I think it doesn’t feel as though they are in a large group of people when you are in the safety of their own space. On the other hand, I miss the real interaction you can have with a student by sitting down next to them to go over work or offer help. Another con is that it forces students and staff to just sit for way too long! I’m used to being able to walk around my classroom when I’m teaching and having my students up and moving to work with partners. Of course right now with social distancing, that hasn’t been happening in the classroom anyway.”

Q: If you could choose another career, what would it be and why?

A: “I don’t know that I would want any other career than teaching, but I do have a lot of hobbies. I love technology, so I am teaching some older adults how to use their computers with helpful programs like Quicken and Zoom. I love horses, so I would like to teach children how to ride and take care of them. I love gardening, painting, and doing crafts, so that may be fun to teach others as well.”

Q: Who has been your biggest inspiration? Why?

A: “One of my biggest inspirations as a child was my kindergarten teacher. When I was in sixth-grade, she used to let me come in early before school to help her set up her classroom. I also used to draw posters for her classroom and help tutor some of her kids during my lunch/recess break. As a beginning teacher, my biggest inspiration was my principal. She was always helpful and kind. She knew how to talk to people to help them grow as individuals.” 

Q: What are some life goals you want to achieve?

A: “One of my lifetime goals is to travel to many different countries. I have been to many countries in Europe, but I have never been to Ireland, and I would love to see the castles. Also, I want to see Machu Picchu and the Great Pyramids! Some day! Meanwhile, I am working on getting my PhD. See, even grown-up teachers go to school!”

Thank you, Miss Heiple! We hope that you have a great Christmas vacation and a terrific start to the upcoming new year.