With the OHS campus first opening to students in 2002, there have been many teachers who have come through to guide the school to where it is today. Among those teachers are ones who are familiar with the culture of OHS, because they experienced it firsthand as a student.
Despite the roundabout ways that they came to be teachers, they all have one thing in common, which is that OHS is the only place they would want to be.
“I have always been an O’Connor kid; [I] went through all four years of high school. My twin brother went through; my older brother went through. It is fun to be back where I went to high school and everything along those lines and see still the same ground, same rooms, some of my same teachers,” said Tom Devito, government teacher.
For the teachers who were previously students at OHS, there were similar reasons as to why they chose to teach at OHS, rather than at any other school. Being able to come back and serve the grounds that once served you is these teachers’ way of giving back.
I am an alumni of the school, so it was really cool coming back and then obviously coaching as well,” said Andrew Archuleta, AP psychology teacher. “Being within the whole mix of it, teaching and coaching was awesome, but mainly just it is the school I graduated from. I wanted to come back and give back to the kids, because I’m all about that when it comes to coaching too.”
Although coming back can bring positive aspects, it is always hard to experience change, especially in an environment that the teachers have been in previously.
“At first I was a little hesitant [about] coming back just because I graduated and didn’t really want to come back, but I knew it would be a good choice, because [of] the community around here, since I know a lot of the staff, and we have a strong bond,” said Katie Hoppenworth, CTE paraprofessionnal
Despite having previous correlations, coming back as a teacher rather than a student and breaking the previous teacher-student boundary can present uncomfortable situations.
“At first it was awkward because some of [the teachers] still treated you like you were the kid that they knew back in high school… It is awesome to be on the same level with them and actually get to understand what they were going through back when I was going through high school, because I deal with it now with my own students,” Devito said.
Going to school at the same place that they now teach in allows these teachers to utilize their experience in their own classroom to build a space where kids can feel the most comfortable.
“I think as a student, there were things I really liked, and there were things that I think as a student I would have liked to see from a teacher… For me, I tried to translate different things that can help kids connect with the material more, because that’s what helped me,” Archuleta said. “Being a student and then being able to kind of see that, and doing different things that can help kids grasp stuff quicker.”
Combining past and present experiences to build a positive classroom environment, in turn, helps create strong bonds between these teachers and their students.
“I know the area, I grew up in the area. I know the type of kids, because I was one of those types of kids… Just giving them the experience, like showing them my senior photo where I had a pink mohawk and a purple beard, and they all laugh, like yeah, I went here, I know what you guys are going through,” Devito said.
Whether it be the familiarity with the OHS campus or the connections through past experiences, these teachers have played significant roles in the tight-knit community that is the base of OHS culture. Their influence on the student body has led to stronger connections, whether that be new or old.
“The connection that I have with everybody made it really easy to come back and work, and then especially with students, I have met a lot of new people… it is just a really cool thing to meet new people [outside] the little circle that I was in when I was here,” Hoppenworth said.
No matter the reason they came to be teachers or the driving motive that made them continue, each one holds pride in knowing that they are a backbone in the OHS culture.
“I would never change it. I would love to go back, if I could do it all over again and just do teaching, but overall, I don’t know what it would be like teaching anywhere else, because I have been blue and gold my entire life.” Devito said.
