Some of us know that being a teacher is a hard and active job, especially for those who don’t like getting up early or going to school. However, Mr. Boone—oh no. He is always on the clock; he never slacks off or takes a day off. He is always up and at it, teaching every single one of his students the things he is passionate about teaching. He has been teaching at New Way for 16 years, and the best part of his job is seeing students use the suggestions and tools we provide to succeed. We don’t want to have any slackers in his class, especially when it comes to Mr. Boone.
Usually, Mr. Boone’s day from start to finish, according to him, is this: “I always get up at 5:30 A.M., get ready for work, load all of the assignments, and check my emails while I have a nice cup of joe. I am contracted to arrive on the school campus at 7:30 A.M. However, I try to get to New Way a little earlier in case there is something that needs my attention, if it’s possible for me to do so. I always follow the bell schedule, like most of my other classes.” His planning time is during 5th period, which is nice because it gives him a chance to eat lunch and, if needed, get ready to teach different class subjects.
The reason why he wanted to become a teacher was that he had multiple teachers who really enjoyed what they did. They created engaging lessons and methods to help students succeed. So he decided he wanted to do that too: get to know the students, see them grow through their education, and develop their skills. “The hardest part of my job is finding the time to get every single thing done before going home, which is common to teachers and students; some of us can empathize with that,” according to Mr. Boone.
Before he came to New Way, some of you may or may not know that he worked at Chili’s as a manager and food server, and he had a few other jobs. He worked in construction and a few other entry-level careers, such as a paper deliverer, a grocery bagger, and a busser. So we all know Mr. Boone taught many subjects, but what does he teach? He has taught Health, Photography, Seminar, and P.E. Boone also ran the lunch program for 7 years. He currently teaches World History, U.S. History, Economics, Government, and Yearbook. Of all these subjects, the one he teaches most is U.S. History. His busiest class period is Yearbook because sometimes there isn’t enough time to get things done, especially if you’re putting together pictures, names, and other things for 2 semesters straight and also making a bunch of copies for everyone around the high school campus.
From Mr. Boone: “I try to find topics to keep my students and me interested throughout the day, so it can be more fun for them to learn about.” He is sometimes picky about the topics he teaches; if the topic isn’t interesting to him, then it won’t be interesting for his students. So what he does is dig deeper into it to find the relevant information. Some of you might notice that many of the class periods have a few different transitions as well. For instance, we complete an assignment, do a review, and then, of course, take notes; this helps the period move faster.
One topic that he hopes his students will remember after leaving his classes is that he and other teachers have encouraged every student to follow a list of keys to success, such as showing up for class every day, using their class time wisely, and participating fully in class. When they don’t understand something, they should advocate for themselves and learn to send an email, especially if it’s urgent. Students should complete everything that is asked of them and ask for an extension if needed, while also trying to establish a routine so that they can balance what they have to do with what they want to do. Most importantly, out of all of these, they should always, always respect everyone.
Note from the Writer: We appreciate your leadership, courage, and resilience over the years at New Way, and we hope to have you with us for many more years to come. Never forget to keep using your insightful teaching skills for all of us and the teachers at New Way. Thank you, and never, ever, ever, ever give up.
