Dariana Mota-Figueroa

Ms. Brenda Lopez, and Ms. Joycelyn Davila standing outside their classrooms with their Morton diplomas.

Out of a survey of 200 teachers 35 Teachers graduated from Morton 201 District.

The following teachers graduated from Morton East:

Nereida Rodriguez, Brenda Lopez, Maritza Huerta, Marlo Rohde, Janet Montalvo, Jessica Gonzalez, Anthony Asay, Cynthia Belmares-Brown, Mark Karadimos, Fernando Arratia, Joycelyn Davila, Andres Cervantes, Joel Ruvalcaba, Diana Martinez, Emma Melero Juárez, Enrique Salgado, Parry Doogan, Lilia Contreras, Sebastian Mora, Mark Sujak, Mara de León Morán, Miguel Romero, Stephany Juarez, Mike Caruso, Malika Manouzi.  

The following teachers graduated from Morton West:

Mikki Blanco, Lisa Castello, Steve Wascher, Sofia Sandoval, Daniel Bulster, James Dobrzanki, Denise Rodriguez, Tim Drews, Jim Bageanis, Billy Jacklin.  

According to Kappanonline.org, “One way to identify a good school is for teachers to work where they want to.” To know when someone wants to become a teacher, they also must know where they want to go, what they want to do, and why. It’s more common for a teacher to teach where they first once studied because it feels more known, something that they want, or they are used to. Where they feel like they can make the more change possible with what they know and are most comfortable with.

According to Indeed.com, being a teacher can be highly rewarding. You get to meet and interact with many different students while helping them pursue their goals. Teachers can inspire their students by helping them identify what they want in their post-graduation lives and guide them toward achieving those goals. Additionally, teachers help their students succeed and gain important life skills.

According to Drexel.edu, there are countless reasons to become a teacher. Whether you want to pursue a career that can help you develop the minds of future generations or are excited to teach individuals about a unique subject, there are many reasons why individuals think being a teacher is a good career choice.

When asked, “In what way do YOU as a teacher want to help your students succeed?” Social Science teacher Ms. Brenda Lopez had this to say.

“I want to help them understand that it’s okay to still be a kid. They don’t need to have all the answers figured out right now and just enjoy high school for what it is. For example, it’s okay to enjoy the things you did when you were even younger like stamps, stickers, and coloring! Finally, I hope to get my kids more aware of politics and the government. Everything is political, and even if we don’t always like politics, it affects every part of our lives,” Social Science Teacher Ms. Brenda Lopez said.

Adding to what Social science teacher Ms. Brenda Lopez said, Social Science teacher Ms. Marlo Rohde had this to say.

“First, as a history teacher, I hope they can learn some good stuff that is useful and helps them better understand our country and society and how they have a role in making it better. Second, I just want them to have good memories of high school, and I hope to do whatever I can to make HS less painful,” Social Science Teacher Ms. Rohde said.

Adding to what Ms. Brenda Lopez and Ms. Marlo Rohde mentioned, Art Teacher Ms. Mikki Blanco had this to add.

“I think I often try and be sure that not only am I teaching art, I am showing by example how to be a good person. This means understanding how to communicate, making good decisions, how to organize one’s priorities, how to problem solve, how to be social, and more. You students are about to enter into a world where there is much less support, and I would be happy to know that I can teach and exemplify skills that go beyond the subject,” art teacher Ms. Mikki Blanco said.

When asked, “In what way do YOU as a teacher want to help your students succeed?” Ms. Emma Melero Juárez had this to add.

“Other than teaching them the curriculum, I want to help them see the beauty and the positive things that surround them, no matter how bad things are at the moment. How we can start training our minds to start thinking positive, as a Tuti Furlan (psychologist) says “a vivir a colores”. That going to therapy isn’t for “locos”,” Ms.  Emma Melero Juárez said.

When teachers were asked, “In what ways can you describe that the school has changed from when you studied here to now?” Most teachers had this to say.

“There were more electives to choose from, there were fewer credits needed to graduate (18 at the time). The class schedules were different, classes were shorter. We were also separate schools from Morton West; they were our rivals at Homecoming, and their mascot was a Falcon. Their colors were green and white; ours at East were maroon and white,” English teacher Ms. Cynthia Belmares-Brown said.

Agreeing with what English Teacher Ms. Cynthia Belmares-Brown had to say, Social Science Teacher Ms. Joycelyn Davila had this to add.

“I graduated in 2011, and the school has changed a lot! In terms of appearance, the school has been updated including the library, student cafeteria, classrooms, and offices. We also did not have our own laptops to complete our assignments. In terms of course offerings, there seem to be more classes that students can take. The culinary class and graphic arts classes are new classes. Overall, I feel like the school has improved in a positive way,” Ms. Joycelyn Davila said.

Additionally, adding to what Ms. Cynthia Belmares and social science teacher Ms. Joycelyn Davila had to say, Social Science Teacher Mr. Parry Doogan had this opinion in common.

“When I was a student, there were no uniforms, and the freshman center did not exist yet, so all 9-12th graders attended Morton East. Also, The school has seen much renovation since I attended in the 90s so many of the classrooms and the common spaces such as the Knowledge Center are all much nicer now providing many more services,” Social Science Teacher Mr. Parry Doogan said.

Adding to what Social Science Teacher Mr. Parry Doogan said, English teacher Mr. Joel Ruvalcaba had this to add.

“It is much safer overall on campus, and the vibe deals overwhelmingly more welcoming. There are abundant options for both academics and extracurricular activities, and the school is structurally much more maintained, advanced, and renovated compared to how the building looked when I was a student,” English teacher Mr. Joel Ruvalcaba said.